Living off campus: registering with the local police
A student who lives outside the school dormitory must register with the public security organ (the police) in the place where they live. Article 24 of Order No. 42 requires this in a timely manner, and Article 39 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law sets a 24-hour limit after arrival for foreigners who stay in a domicile other than a hotel. See also X1 or X2 on this site.
The rules, document by document
Each rule below comes from one document. Order No. 42 and the Law are different documents and are cited separately.
| Document | Provision | Who it covers | What it requires | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order No. 42 (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Security) | Article 24 | International students who live outside the school dormitory | Registration with the public security organ at the place of residence | "In a timely manner"; Article 24 gives no number of hours |
| Exit and Entry Administration Law | Article 39, second paragraph | Foreigners who reside or stay in a domicile other than a hotel | They, or the persons who accommodate them, complete registration with the public security organ at the place of residence | Within 24 hours after arrival |
| Exit and Entry Administration Law | Article 39, first paragraph | Foreigners who stay in hotels | The hotel registers the accommodation under the hotel public security rules and submits the information to the public security organ where the hotel is | Not stated in Article 39, first paragraph |
The Chinese text of Order No. 42 is quoted here in this site's own English translation. Article 24 also says that the school provides accommodation and the service facilities, and it says that international students living outside the dormitory register with the public security department at their place of residence.
Article 39 is written for foreigners, not for students. A student who is a foreigner and lives outside a hotel falls under the second paragraph of that article.
Who may complete the registration
Section III of the National Immigration Administration's policy interpretation (21 September 2026) says that accommodation registration may be completed online either by the foreigner or by the person who accommodates them.
- Section III says the initial registration should be completed with the host's help, because hosts are generally more familiar with the information about the residence.
- Section III lists two cases in which the foreigner may register independently. The first is where the foreigner has already registered through the NIA Government Service Platform and needs to register again at the same residence. The second is where the foreigner lives in a self-owned residence.
- Section III says the host may be either a Chinese citizen or a foreigner.
Registering online
Section I of the same interpretation says that the NIA has rolled out the online accommodation registration service nationwide for foreigners who reside or stay in domiciles other than hotels. Those foreigners may complete the registration online without visiting the public security organ in person. Section I says that online registration has the same legal effect as on-site registration.
Summary of what the texts require
- Register with the public security organ where you live (Article 24, Order No. 42).
- Do it in a timely manner; Article 24 sets no number of hours.
- If you stay outside a hotel, you or your host complete the registration within 24 hours after arrival (Article 39, Exit and Entry Administration Law).
- You may complete the registration online (Section I, NIA policy interpretation).
Sources
- Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42) — 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 (21 September 2026) — National Immigration Administration
Checked 11 October 2026.
This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, and is not published by the bodies named. If the official text or the instructions of the body handling your case differ from this page, the official text and those instructions prevail.