Living off campus as an international student: registering your address
If you live outside your university's dormitory, Order No. 42, Article 24 says you shall promptly go to the public security authority of your place of residence to complete registration. If you stay in a hotel, Article 39 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law says the hotel registers your stay and reports it to the public security organs where the hotel is located. If you stay in any other residence, Article 39 says you, or the person hosting you, shall complete registration with the public security organs of that place within 24 hours after you arrive.
Which rule applies to you
| Where you stay | What the provision says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Outside the school dormitory, in a place you live | You shall promptly go to the public security authority of your place of residence to handle registration. | Order No. 42, Article 24 |
| A hotel | The hotel registers your accommodation under the regulations on public security administration of the hotel industry, and submits the information to the public security organs where the hotel is located. | Exit and Entry Administration Law, Article 39, first paragraph |
| Any domicile other than a hotel | You or the person accommodating you shall, within 24 hours after arrival, complete registration with the public security organs of the place of residence. | Exit and Entry Administration Law, Article 39, second paragraph |
Order No. 42, Article 24 gives no number of days for registration. It says only "promptly" (及时). Article 39 gives 24 hours, but it is written for foreigners in general and does not name students. This article does not merge the two provisions into one deadline. Read each one as it is written.
Hotels and other residences
The 24-hour limit in Article 39 belongs to the second paragraph, which covers foreigners who reside or stay in domiciles other than hotels. The first paragraph, which covers hotels, states no time limit.
Online registration
The National Immigration Administration's Q&A on online accommodation registration (Section I) says the online service has been rolled out nationwide for foreigners who reside or stay in domiciles other than hotels. Under Section I, these foreigners may complete registration online without visiting the public security organs in person, and online registration has the same legal effect as on-site registration.
Section III of the same Q&A says the registration may be completed online by the foreigner or by the person who accommodates them. It says the initial registration should be completed with the host's assistance, to ensure the information is accurate. Section III names two cases in which the foreigner may register independently:
- the foreigner has previously registered through the NIA Government Service Platform and needs to register again at the same residence;
- the foreigner lives in a self-owned residence.
Section III also says the accommodation host may be either a Chinese citizen or a foreigner.
What the university must provide
Section 13.3 of the Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) is addressed to universities. It says that a dormitory or apartment where international students live shall meet the legal requirements for foreigners' residence premises. It also says the location shall be one the local public security authority has approved for handling accommodation registration for foreigners. Where a university uses an external provider for accommodation, section 13.3 says the university shall supervise that provider and give international students accurate, complete information.
About the translations
Order No. 42 and the Quality Standards are published in Chinese. The English wording of their provisions in this article is this site's translation of the Chinese text. The Exit and Entry Administration Law and the NIA Q&A are quoted from their English texts as published by the National Immigration Administration.
Questions people ask
Does the 24-hour limit apply if I stay in a hotel?
Article 39 gives the 24-hour limit only in its second paragraph, for domiciles other than hotels. The first paragraph, on hotels, states no time limit.
Can I complete the registration online?
The NIA Q&A (Section I) says online registration is available nationwide for foreigners who reside or stay in domiciles other than hotels, and that it has the same legal effect as on-site registration.
Can someone else register for me?
Section III of the NIA Q&A says the registration may be completed online either by the foreigner or by the person who accommodates them. It also says the initial registration should be completed with the host's assistance.
Sources
- Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (学校招收和培养国际学生管理办法), Order No. 42 of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Education of the PRC
- Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) (来华留学生高等教育质量规范（试行）), Ministry of Education of the PRC
- Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China, National Immigration Administration
- Policy Interpretation of the Nationwide Implementation of the Online Accommodation Registration Service, National Immigration Administration
Checked 11 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council or any university, and it is not legal advice. If the official text or the current notice of the university or public security authority handling your case differs from this page, the official text and that notice prevail.