Foreigners at hotels in China

[chilton747]

I do know that it is illegal for an unmarried couple to stay in a hotel together. Some cities have relaxed this law while other cities uphold this law. Perhaps this is what you are talking about?

[C4Racer]

I have experienced being turned down by a hotel because of the "foreigners not allowed to stay" rule. This happened to us when we were looking for a hotel in Guangzhou at the airport. It was in March of 2005, Lisa was coming to the US for the first time.

 

I was told it was because some hotels are setup to register your stay with the police. Makes sense, why else would they need your passport to check into a hotel?

 

I am also under the impression that the reason ceratin hotels are able to take foreigners and others not allowed has to do with which hotels are tied into the PSB computer system. The registration of your stay is automatically done as you are entered into the hotel's computer. I seriously doubt they run out special to the PSB station to register your stay.

 

Here is what the US embassy in Beijing states about the issue:

http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/062308u.html

 

here is another interesting read:

http://www.worldpress.org/Asia/2765.cfm

http://www.bjreview.cn/EN/06-50-e/expatseye.htm

 

I tend to agree with the idea that this rule is designed to get foreigners to stay in more expenisve, government designated hotels.

Edited July 24, 2008 by C4Racer (see edit history)

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

I have experienced being turned down by a hotel because of the "foreigners not allowed to stay" rule. This happened to us when we were looking for a hotel in Guangzhou at the airport. It was in March of 2005, Lisa was coming to the US for the first time.

 

I was told it was because some hotels are setup to register your stay with the police. Makes sense, why else would they need your passport to check into a hotel?

 

I am also under the impression that the reason ceratin hotels are able to take foreigners and others not allowed has to do with which hotels are tied into the PSB computer system. The registration of your stay is automatically done as you are entered into the hotel's computer. I seriously doubt they run out special to the PSB station to register your stay.

 

Here is what the US embassy in Beijing states about the issue:

http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/062308u.html

 

here is another interesting read:

http://www.worldpress.org/Asia/2765.cfm

http://www.bjreview.cn/EN/06-50-e/expatseye.htm

 

I tend to agree with the idea that this rule is designed to get foreigners to stay in more expenisve, government designated hotels.

 

Very good links and information. I don't believe the Chinese government's reasoning is to get foreigners to stay in more expensive hotels, but rather to have them stay in a facility where they can be tracked for security reasons. Just so happens that the more expensive hotels have computer systems. As you stated and as written in the US state department report, there are hotels that are set up with an online account with the PSB.

 

Many hotels are being a lot more careful right now while in the shadow of the upcoming Olympics.

[izus]

the police registering is an old law that no one complies to and will be more strict during the olympics.

i think so many things have changed so quickly in China, plus we forget that it might be one way in some city and completely different in another. maybe even one way in one hotel and another way in another one down the street.

[Guest forrestg]

I would like to thank you for the many responses thus far. Until the middle of this decade, foreigners were allowed to stay in only a few hotels, legally. The issue is not if my fiancee and staying in the same room. Her parents run a travel agency in Beidahe, near Beijing. Currently she resides in Beijing, working there(she is originally from Harbin). I am living and working in Shanghai. They want me to come up to Beidahe one weekend next month--but they are insistent that I can not stay at that hotel. I know that now foreigners can stay at almost any hotel, but that has only come about only in the last few years, after China joined the WTO. I need to find this written somewhere in Chinese(right, me being a foreigner, I cannot possibly know more about Chinese law than they do). If anybody's spouse is good enough to understand the situation, could s/he look this up on the Chinese government website or from a Public Security Bureau website and send me the address, I would greatly appreciate it. This was national law, so supposedly it should be enforce everywhere . . .

 

Thanks.

[rogerluli]

 

I've never seen a law or hotel in China that requires a visitor here on temporary visa to register with the local police. Sounds like a lot of hooey. If you want to stay in a hotel, the best thing to do is walk in the front door and check-in. They will request your passport and likely a deposit. Many of the hotels in larger cities have English speakers, but if you don't speak Chinese, probably better to have a Chinese speaker with you to avoid complication.

 

This is what the State dept has to say:

 

Americans in China, who are not staying at hotels, including Americans who are staying with friends or relatives, must register with local police as soon as they arrive. Otherwise, they may be fined up to 500 RMB per day.

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1089.html

 

What David had to say;

5. Unless staying at a hotel, register your living location with the local police the next day. I've not stayed at hotels really, except for a trip to Yunnan but the hotel must be approved for foreigners... of course you can find some that will take you who are not approved and in which case you want to only go back late at night with a black coat on and hood... you know, stay completely inconspicuous

 

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?...st&p=401934

 

. . . and Rogerinca

 

 

 

First, the issue of staying with one's woman at her home and the issue of registration with the local police, have been 'beat-up' pretty good in this recent/current thread in another forum here at CFL:

 

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28777

 

Here is my executive summary of the issue: While the law does require a foreigner to register with the local police, [most] here, have not registered, and most have not reported any problems in this regard. I say most, because no matter what the subject/topic, and whatever the consensus of opinion may be within this forum, there will always be someone who will provide an exception to the most commonly experienced practice. Again, it is the law; however, I depend on my Lao Po's knowledge and comfort within her own community; and in this regard, she has dismissed this as an issue for me to be concerned about.

 

Accordingly, if one stays at a hotel, wherein one would supply his/her passport at check-in time, the hotel will most often accomplish the registration automatically. Again, I emphasize, most of the time. If you stay with your fianc¨¦e or spouse, it then becomes your responsibility. But again, this is one¡¯s personal decision. I have never registered when staying at my wife¡¯s home, and many others here have never done this, and most have never experienced any repercussions. If one worries about such stuff, and if an individual¡¯s personality leans toward wrist-wringing, then by all means, those individuals should do whatever gives them the greatest comfort.

 

 

May I see a showing of hands of all those that have visited China and registered with the local police?

 

How many?

 

No-one does that.

 

Sorry Jesse but in some cities it is required...My wife's hometown in Hunan is near a NUKE BASE and let me assure you that A FOREIGNER IS REQUIRED TO REGISTER WITH THE LOCAL POLICE...

[sleepless in Houston&CQ]

Damn as bad as I hate to agree with "lit old Roggie"

He is correct....

some places seem to be a tiny bit more strick that others

 

I had to registered with the local police twice over the

past 7-8 times I was in China..... it only takes a few minutes

to do so......

Well unless you get near a nuke base with a camera, then

as Roggie can tell you...... you have some splainin to do

[rogerluli]

Damn as bad as I hate to agree with "lit old Roggie"

He is correct....

some places seem to be a tiny bit more strick that others

 

I had to registered with the local police twice over the

past 7-8 times I was in China..... it only takes a few minutes

to do so......

Well unless you get near a nuke base with a camera, then

as Roggie can tell you...... you have some splainin to do

 

Hey Bobby at least they gave me my camera back...

 

after the CHINESE WATER TORTURE...

 

But 'ya know it seems to me that anyone here who says...

 

X ALWAYS HAPPENS IN CHINA or Y NEVER HAPPENS IN CHINA...

 

IS ALWAYS WRONG...

[Guest Mike and Lily]

 

I've never seen a law or hotel in China that requires a visitor here on temporary visa to register with the local police. Sounds like a lot of hooey. If you want to stay in a hotel, the best thing to do is walk in the front door and check-in. They will request your passport and likely a deposit. Many of the hotels in larger cities have English speakers, but if you don't speak Chinese, probably better to have a Chinese speaker with you to avoid complication.

 

This is what the State dept has to say:

 

Americans in China, who are not staying at hotels, including Americans who are staying with friends or relatives, must register with local police as soon as they arrive. Otherwise, they may be fined up to 500 RMB per day.

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1089.html

 

What David had to say;

5. Unless staying at a hotel, register your living location with the local police the next day. I've not stayed at hotels really, except for a trip to Yunnan but the hotel must be approved for foreigners... of course you can find some that will take you who are not approved and in which case you want to only go back late at night with a black coat on and hood... you know, stay completely inconspicuous

 

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?...st&p=401934

 

. . . and Rogerinca

 

 

 

First, the issue of staying with one's woman at her home and the issue of registration with the local police, have been 'beat-up' pretty good in this recent/current thread in another forum here at CFL:

 

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28777

 

Here is my executive summary of the issue: While the law does require a foreigner to register with the local police, [most] here, have not registered, and most have not reported any problems in this regard. I say most, because no matter what the subject/topic, and whatever the consensus of opinion may be within this forum, there will always be someone who will provide an exception to the most commonly experienced practice. Again, it is the law; however, I depend on my Lao Po's knowledge and comfort within her own community; and in this regard, she has dismissed this as an issue for me to be concerned about.

 

Accordingly, if one stays at a hotel, wherein one would supply his/her passport at check-in time, the hotel will most often accomplish the registration automatically. Again, I emphasize, most of the time. If you stay with your fianc¨¦e or spouse, it then becomes your responsibility. But again, this is one¡¯s personal decision. I have never registered when staying at my wife¡¯s home, and many others here have never done this, and most have never experienced any repercussions. If one worries about such stuff, and if an individual¡¯s personality leans toward wrist-wringing, then by all means, those individuals should do whatever gives them the greatest comfort.

 

 

May I see a showing of hands of all those that have visited China and registered with the local police?

 

How many?

 

No-one does that. I was required for my Z-visa to register with the local police in Nanjing; so, I went there to register. No-one there had a clue about what to do. Later I was able to find one person at the office that located a form from a rarely opened drawer. They, copied my passport and I filled it out.

 

Now, regarding staying in a hotel. You can usually always find a better deal when you have a Chinese person with you, especially if they are local. Let them handle the negotiations.

 

Those travelling to China on tourist visa are requried to complete a form that indicates your local contact address and telephone number. You can get that information from your partner. Unless you plan to move here, there is no need to go through registering with police, etc. I've never heard a single solitary tale or instance of someone having to pay a fine for failing to register with the local police while here on tourist visa.

 

I registered with the local police. I did that because I rented an apartment and I wanted temporary residency in China at that time.

[rogerluli]

http://www.bjreview.com.cn/eye/txt/2006-12...ntent_51867.htm

 

A widely-traveled foreigner's experiences with the NO FOREIGNERS ALLOWED rule...

[dnoblett]

I seem to recal another member posting about having to move out of a guest-house because of the "no foreigners" issue, maybe it was threadbare, he was always looking for cheep places to live when he was living in China.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Sorry Jesse but in some cities it is required...My wife's hometown in Hunan is near a NUKE BASE and let me assure you that A FOREIGNER IS REQUIRED TO REGISTER WITH THE LOCAL POLICE...

 

One thing for sure, is there isn't much consistency from place to place. In the many hotels I've stayed, I found that I was pushed a bit for identification and completing forms, but was never refused. If there was ever a hiccup, my wife stepped in and spoke and everything was resolved. These issues only occurred in very small towns though.

 

The only time I've ever registered with the police, was for my Z-visa. Hey what could it hurt to do it? Just time and energy I suppose, and perhaps being left wondering if you really needed to do it. I've been fortunate to have people with me whenever I traveled, and when going out of town, always knew people who knew people, who knew local people.

 

Between Shanghai, Linfen, Guizhou, Shenzhen, Taiyuen, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Nanjing, and a few smaller towns, I've never once been required to register with the police. I simply provided my passport to the clerk, got the key then got a few beers.

 

[rogerluli]

Sorry Jesse but in some cities it is required...My wife's hometown in Hunan is near a NUKE BASE and let me assure you that A FOREIGNER IS REQUIRED TO REGISTER WITH THE LOCAL POLICE...

 

One thing for sure, is there isn't much consistency from place to place.

 

This is 'fer shure... Which is why it is always humorous when some folks declare, based on their very limited experience in China, that something is always this way/that way or the other way...But we try to accomodate everyone from the greenest n00b waiting to go to China for the first time to GZBILL who has lived in GZ for 20 years...

[yuehan123]

I guess whatever happened to us in the past is mostly irrelevant in light of the, let's call them "Olympics Guidelines."

 

Like roger said, if you state that it happened to you the CFL skies will rain cats and dogs denying it ever happened to them. In the so called law of axioms, or proofs, or whatever, if it happened once, it happened. It can not be denied or refuted as not having happened.

 

In October 2007 I stayed in Nanning for 8 weeks. The policeman at our new home complex was harassing to say the least. Fortunately, I was with Mom who handled him all 3 times. Luckily, I did not live there at that time. Consequently, I did not have to appear on his register, much to his chagrin.

 

Anyway, What's the point? The OP asked, politely, at least twice for references to the law. I can't read Chinese web sites either, can y'all?

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

 

 

This is 'fer shure...

 

You're right Roger. Most people that travel to China on tourist visa never register or are required to register with the police. They simply go to the hotel, show their passport and check in. B)

Edited July 24, 2008 by ShaQuaNew (see edit history)