Visitors and expatriates must complete full police registration procedures beginning July 1

June 5 – The Public Security Bureau issued new guidelines today to hotels and apartment management companies concerning the registration of foreigners in China, set to take effect July 1.

The PSB, a part of China’s domestic police force charged with policing public security and immigration residence registration and immigration affairs for foreigners, has insisted that the existing regulations for the registration of foreigners in China must be strictly adhered to. Violators and those who fail to report, be they individuals or building management, will be subject to fines the bureau has said.

Hotels and serviced apartments

Guests must be registered upon arrival with the PSB by the hotel and if separate, serviced apartment management company. Usually this procedure is automatic with input from the hotel being directly fed into the local PSB computer at the check-in procedure, with no additional action being required from the guest. However, daily checks are now in operation with the PSB physically visiting hotels to request copies of the hotels in-house guest list to make sure they match the PSB’s own records. If they do not, the hotel / serviced apartment will be fined RMB5,000 per missing entry. Hotel guests under these circumstances would not be fined.

However it does mean that foreigners wishing to stay at a hotel must provide full passport and visa credentials in order to check in. A recent test check-in at hotels without a passport by China Briefing last week registered a 100 percent failure rate in the ten hotels tried. All locations refused to check-in the guest despite despite rooms being available.

Foreign personnel living in private apartments

The apartment management company should be contacting foreign tenants / residents and requiring them to register with the local PSB. If this is not done, both the management company and the foreigner can be fined RMB5,000. It is important to note that this rule applies to any foreign person living in any apartment or private dwelling – even if it is for just for one night. If staying overnight or visiting friends in China, registration must be carried out upon arrival with the local PSB office responsible for the area.

We strongly recommend all foreign personnel living in apartments register with the local PSB prior to July 1.

Foreign babies born in China

Registration of new babies born in China when taken home must also be registered with the PSB immediately or fines can be levied.