Police registration in Shanghai: the 24-hour rule

Back home in the States, nobody asks you to tell the police where you sleep. In China, you have 24 hours.

The short version

Foreigners in China must register their stay within 24 hours of arriving, at each hotel or residence where they stay [1][2].
Hotels register you at check-in. At an apartment, you or your host must register with the local police [2][3].
Since September 21, 2026, non-hotel registration can be done online nationwide through the NIA 12367 app, its WeChat and Alipay mini programs or the National Immigration Administration website [3][4].
Shanghai also has its own online system and an accommodation registration service in the Suishenban app's international version [2].
Your registration record is part of what you'll need for a residence permit, which most visas require you to apply for within 30 days of entry [6].

The rule, in plain English

China's Exit and Entry Administration Law sets out the rule. Article 39 says hotel stays are registered under hotel rules, and for any other domicile, the foreigner or the host must register with the local public security office within 24 hours of arrival [3]. Article 76 lets the police give a warning, and possibly a fine, to a foreigner or host who doesn't [3].

The State Department puts it simply: "You must register your stay within 24 hours of arrival in the PRC, and at each hotel or residence where you stay" [1]. It also reminds Americans to carry their passport and visa or residence permit at all times [1].

Locally, the paper record is often called the Registration Form of Temporary Residence. Shanghai's English portal calls the process accommodation registration [2].

Hotel vs. home registration

Where you stay	Who registers	How
Hotel or licensed serviced apartment	The front desk	Automatic at check-in; they scan your passport [1][3]
Rented apartment	You or your landlord	Online (NIA 12367, Shanghai's system) or at the neighborhood police station [2][3]
Friend's or family's home	You or your host	Same as a rented apartment [3]
Home you own	You	Online, once you've verified your identity [4]

Short-term rentals are the gray zone. Some properties listed on booking apps are registered like hotels and some aren't. If a host can't tell you how registration works, plan to do it yourself.

Registering online

The National Immigration Administration rolled out online registration for non-hotel stays nationwide on September 21, 2026, after a pilot [3]. Its guidance says [3][4]:

Pick a channel. The NIA 12367 app (Android, iOS and HarmonyOS), the NIA 12367 mini program in WeChat or Alipay, or the NIA website at s.nia.gov.cn.
Create an account and verify your identity. Have your passport handy.
Go to Foreigner Service, then Accommodation Registration.
Get your host involved the first time. NIA says the initial registration should be done with your host's help, since they know the property details best.
Check "Registration Record Inquiry" afterward. Online registration has the same legal effect as registering in person [3].

Shanghai's portal also points expats to its own Self-help Declaration System for overseas personnel and to the accommodation registration service under "Other services" in the Suishenban app's international version [2]. Use whichever one works for you. Just make sure you can show a record afterward.

Registering in person

You can still go to the police. Bring your passport, your lease and, ideally, your landlord. Ask your landlord to come along, or at least for copies of their ID and the property ownership certificate. Neighborhood police stations handle this, and staff often speak limited English, so a Chinese-speaking friend or your company's HR helps.

When to register again

New apartment: register within 24 hours of moving in.
New passport: update your registration and your residence permit.
Coming back from a trip: NIA says you don't need to re-register when you return to your own home or to a "habitual residence," meaning a place you live or plan to live for more than 180 days, subject to conditions [4]. Stay a night at a friend's place in Hangzhou, though, and that stay needs registering too.

Lease checks before you sign

Your lease isn't just a housing contract. It's a document the police and the exit-entry bureau may want to see. Before you sign:

Check	Why it matters
The landlord is the owner on the property ownership certificate	You'll need the owner's details to register, and a sublet can make that hard
The lease names you and your passport number exactly	Mismatches cause problems at the police station
The address matches the certificate, down to the unit	The registration record has to match
The landlord agrees in writing to help with registration	Some landlords prefer not to register foreign tenants
How you'll pay and whether you'll get a receipt (fapiao)	Some employers need an official invoice for housing allowances

Ask for the landlord's ID, the property certificate and the lease before you hand over a deposit. A landlord who won't share them is a red flag, much like a landlord back home who won't show you the inside of the unit.

Registration and your residence permit

Most work and study visas are entry tickets, not long-term status. NIA's guidance says that if your visa requires it, you must apply for a residence permit within 30 days of entry at the exit-entry office where you live [6]. In Shanghai, that's the exit-entry administration of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, which also takes some applications online [5].

NIA's general list asks for your passport, the application form and photo, documents backing the purpose of your stay, and a health certificate for permits longer than a year [6]. NIA's English guide doesn't mention the accommodation registration record or the lease, but expect Shanghai's office to ask for proof of where you live. Register first, keep the record and a copy of your lease, and check the current materials list with the office or your employer's HR before you go.

Residence permit fees, per NIA's guide [6]:

Permit length	Fee
Up to 1 year	CNY 400 (about USD 60)
1 to 3 years	CNY 800 (about USD 120)
3 to 5 years	CNY 1,000 (about USD 150)

USD conversions use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (USD 1 = CNY 6.6538) [7]. The decision should come within 15 working days of acceptance [6].

A move-in checklist

Before signing: see the property certificate and the landlord's ID.
Moving day: register within 24 hours, online or at the station.
Save the record: screenshot it and save a PDF if offered.
Within 30 days of entry: apply for or update your residence permit if your visa calls for it [6].
Every move after that: repeat steps 1 to 3, and update the permit's address details.

The paperwork feels heavy at first, then becomes routine. If you hit a snag with a particular police station, ask in our community group for Americans in China, where someone has likely been there. It's also smart to enroll in the State Department's STEP program so the Consulate General in Shanghai can reach you [8].

Police registration and housing paperwork in Shanghai: the 24-hour rule and the lease checks behind it