Do I need to register with the authorities?

[stelingo]

I am flying to Beijing on Saturday, it will be my first trip to China. I will be taking classes at a language school for 2 weeks and living with a local family. I've just been looking at the British Foreign Office advice page and was surprised to read the following:

'If staying in a hotel, guest house or hostel, the staff will request to see, and often scan, your passport, visa, and entry stamps at check-in.

If you are staying in a private residence you are required to register your abode with the local police within 24 (city) to 72 (countryside) hours of arrival. The police will ask for (1) a copy of the photograph page of your passport, (2) a copy of your visa, (3) a copy of your immigration entry stamp, (4) a photograph, (5) a copy of the tenancy agreement or other document concerning the place you are staying in. That agreement might not be in your name but it will still be asked for.'

I have been to Russia a few times and was well aware beforehand that I would have to register with the local police but this is the first time I have read this about China. The agency which organised my stay (Amerispan) have made no mention of it and I have seen no mention of it in the guide books I have read.

Can anyone confirm whether this is, in fact, a normal requirement for visitors to China?

[gougou]

It's a regulation that is often overlooked, as enforcement is not very strict, but it is stipulated as mentioned.

The process itself is much easier than that web page made it sound, you just have to turn up at the PSB and give them your passport and proof of residence (in your case, you'd probably have to bring a member of your host family plus their rental contract or deed to the land or whatever); they will make the copies as they need them. I've never been asked for a picture, either...

[abcdefg]

Do I need to register with the authorities?

Simple answer: Yes.

Take the necessary photocopies with you, since not all registration points (派出所 = pài chū suǒ = local police station) will gladly copy your documents for you. Many won't. Also take a photo. You might as well get in the habit of taking a photo and some document copies along every time you interface with officialdom in China. If you don't need them, then there's no harm done. If you need them and don't have them, it will cause you extra hassle and loss of time.

[dali3927]

what mentioned in previous reply is very important, if your host family has register foreigner before, then they should know what they need to bring on of their side, local police would also ask house proprietary certificate from your host family, but I think your host family should know about that.

[stelingo]

Thanks for the replies.

[stelingo]

So now I am in Beijing, staying with a nice Chinese couple. I tried to explain to them about registering in my basic Mandarin. They said the school would take care of it. At the school they said there was no need to register. The other students there, also staying with a host family, didn't know anything about having to register. So now what should I do? Insist on them helping me register (obviously the 24 hr deadline has now passed) or trust in what they say?

[889]

There's really no question you're supposed to register. There's sometimes a notice to this effect on the back of the immigration card you fill-in on entry.

That said, most Chinese people avoid contact with the police unless it's absolutely unavoidable, so the reluctance you're encountering is understandable.

For a two-week stay, it's not likely you're going to have a problem if you're not registered. But if you have to have any dealings with the PSB -- need a visa extension, be a theft or accident victim, etc. -- then you should get registered first.

[roddy]

Which school is this.

In the unlikely event you run into any problems, you and the family should point the police right in the direction of the school - I suspect they'll get a bit of a talking to for discouraging foreigners to register.

[stelingo]

The school is called Easyou, and my host actually works for them, doing what exactly I'm not sure. Will I have problems leaving China,if I haven't registered? My host family have been receiving foreign students for a couple of years. So i guess there have been a lot of unregistered students.

[gougou]

Will I have problems leaving China,if I haven't registered?

No, 889 sums it up quite nicely; you will need the registration for changes to your visa or certain other dealings with official institutions, but not for anything beyond that - including leaving the country.

[roddy]

Suspect they're trying to keep as much of the operation under official radar as possible for tax reasons, although I also suspect they're being overly paranoid.

[xiaoxiaocao]

Suspect they're trying to keep as much of the operation under official radar as possible for tax reasons, although I also suspect they're being overly paranoid.

Wouldn't be surprising. Their home-stay program is very expensive. For the amount they charge - 7,840 RMB/month, registering students shouldn't even be a question.

It's easy to overlook as it seems unnecessary but if you misplace your passport or have other troubles and haven't registered you will get grilled by the 进出境 guys when asking for their help, may even have to slip them a few 元 :o

[stelingo]

Well, I'll just take the risk of not registering.

[abcdefg]

Re-education through labor will do wonders for your Mandarin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re-education_through_labor

[stelingo]

I'll have to take your word for it. Can't access the page from Beijing.