Registering with local police in China?

[Brennan2]

Not actually a host, but I can't find any way of actually contacting Airbnb for clarification on this, so I'm kinda forced to ask here: 

Made a bunch of reservations for places in China, only after which did someone point me at

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/registration-china/td-p/275034

and 

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g294211-i642-k5878809-AirBnB_Stay_in_China_and_Registration_wit...

None of the reservations I've made has referenced anything like this, and AirBnb themselves didn't draw any sort of attention to it when I was making them. Has it changed (hence the passport confirmation stuff for China bookings?) or is this just something that nobody mentions for some reason?

Thanks for any help you guys can give.

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Brennan2 - this is not an issue that Airbnb is concerned with since it is your responsibility as a traveler to register within 24 hours. Airbnb is simply a booking website that allows you to view and make reservations - they are not involved in travel visa laws and restrictions.  Hotels will register you as a courtesy for their guests otherwise you must do this on your own.  If you ask your local  Airbnb host to assist you, they may help.  

From https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/china.html 

• Failure to register with the police within 24 hours of arrival in the country could result in fines and deportation.  You can register with hotel staff or the local police station. 
• Carry your valid U.S. passport and Chinese visa or residence permit at all times.
• Entry and exit requirements are strictly enforced, as are restrictions on activities allowed by any particular visa class. 
• Police, school administrators, transportation officials, and hotel staff may check your visa to make sure you have not overstayed.  If you overstay your visa’s duration of stay, you may be denied service by hotels, airports and train stations, be charged a RMB 500 fine per day up to a maximum of RMB 10,000, and face possible detention.

[Brennan2]

Ah, sorry, seems like I was misunderstanding things. From what I was reading earlier, I got the impression that you had to register with a police station for every accomodation that you used that wasn't a hotel, which would be more AirBnB related.

Thanks for the link!

[Lily95]

Every place of your stay in China needs to be registered. Every city, every hotel/home etc. Hotels have a registration system, while Airbnb is personal property which needs to reported to the local police manually.

[Camille290]

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@Alice-and-Jeff0  a écrit :

 this is not an issue that Airbnb is concerned with since it is your responsibility as a traveler to register within 24 hours. 

---

@Alice-and-Jeff0 I'm not so sure about this. It is actually impossible to register by oneself without the host or/and Airbnb being involved. Indeed, we need to provide some specific documents to the police (copy of the deed of property, copy of the owner ID, invitation letter from the host...). So, yes we can ask the host for her/his help but if the host refuses, we, as Airbnb customers, can be in troubles.

Since your answer, the things might have changed, according to this link : https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/2139526/airbnb-complies-china-law-hand-over-guest-details-listings...

I would really appreciate having a follow up on this matter from Airbnb.

What does Airbnb do, now?

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Camille290 - You will note that this question was posed on 11/14/2017, my response was posted on 11/16,  and the article you posted shows that Airbnb changed their policy in March, 2018 - almost 5 months later.   At this time, it appears that Airbnb will give the Chinese Government your stay and Visa information directly.  The law that I reference, that you must register in 24 hours with the local police, is still in effect and if you book with another service, you would still be required to do this.  Airbnb was forced to provide this information as a way of continuing to do business within China.  

This is why it is so important to check the dates of information - things change rapidly and frequently on the Airbnb platform. 

[Camille290]

@Alice-and-Jeff0 Actually I did notice the dates of information and it is precisly why I wrote "Since your answer, the things might have changed" and asked for a follow up of the current situation from Airbnb itself. Indeed, I don't consider an article from South China Morning Post as reliable and was expecting an official statement from Airbnb.

I asked the Airbnb service client (FR). They answered me that I had to ask the host and they only know that Airbnb China  send information to the authorities. But they didn't know more because "they didn't have the information in their documentation"! So two different Airbnb entities are apparently unable to communicate together and get the information they miss. Kind of disappointing..

My guess is that this topic is bothering Airbnb and they will ignore it as long as they can.

@David2815 's message below is very interesting though. Thanks.

[Pavel70]

I did speak to airbnb reps today, one had to get consulted by others taking a while to provide information. Basically, what it means, is that upon request made by cn government, Airbnb-China will provide guests' and hosts' personal information as outlined by law, and that's it. It has nothing to do with registration. Registration is between you and your host. 

[David2815]

@Alice-and-Jeff0 - I have addressed the registration issue with Airbnb CS (both US & China) by phone four weeks ago.  Both essentially said I need to ask the host because the need to register with the local PSB varies from city to city.  I asked four hosts in Shanghai if they  could assist.  All said they would and had their documents available.  The one I booked with said she would meet me at the local PSB.  She did not say "Oh Airbnb does it for them, therefore you do not have to go to the local PSB".  There cooperation leads me to conclude that Airbnb's new feature of adding passport information does not mean guests are definitively and automatically registered as if one were checking into a hotel.  

Many hosts in Beijing describe their listing with a "No foreigner guests accepted" which leads me to conclude the law is more strict in China's capital city.  I asked four hosts who did not have this description if they can assist in the registration process.  Two said "no".  One said "no need to register, just tell passport control you are staying at the Hilton".  One said "too much trouble" but she invited me anyway.  I booked a hotel.

So the articles written about Airbnb complying with China registration law do not give me confidence that guest are really "registered".  I wish Airbnb would put out a definitive statement on this subject. 

FYI, hosts in Tokyo are required to get their "hosting registration application" completed with Japan Tourism Bureau by Nov 1 and provide this registration number to Airbnb.  This number is added to the host's listing.  Hosts not having this registration number will have their listing de-listed from Airbnb.  And any confirmed reservation will be cancelled. 

I have already noticed that there are substantially fewer listings for Tokyo now than there were 3 months ago.

I am not an experienced Airbnb guest.  In fact I have yet to stay in an Airbnb host accommodation.  However I look forward to my first in Shanghai.

[Camille290]

@David2815 Thanks for this update. Very usefull.

[Brian945]

I'm wondering what the current status of this policy is, particulalry in Shanghai.  I have a few nights booked at an Airbnb in Shanghai in July, and I now see the language about needing to register at the police staion on such-and-such street within 24 hours.  (I assume that means 24 of arrival in Shanghai, not China itself, where I will have been travelling--staying at hotels and hostels and on trains--for a couple of weeks by the time of the airbnb.   How much of a hassle is this police procedure?  What do I need from my airbnb host?  Should I cancel and book a hotel (i've already put in a down payment on the airbnb)?  I do have one advantage in this situation--I will be travelling with a fluent speaker of Mandarin, so if the visit to the police is straightforward, we should be able to find the place and make any explanations easily enough.  Thanks in advance for any insights.

[Randy212]

Virtually, it's up to the police to decide, so there're no clear cut rules. There're plenty of storied about Beijing and the cases when the police refused to register people.

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/asia-north-east-asia/china/registration-at-police-stat...writemyessaytoday.net/airbnb/china/beijing/page=2