Registration of your residence for visitors from overseas at your local Kunming police station responsible for your residential area, after traveling out of China. Today I asked specific questions at my local police station after a overseas visit. They said that after each trip outside China you are supposed to go the designated local police station and report. Then fill out the registration form of residence for visitors from overseas, each time you return from a overseas out of China trip. You need to take your passport with copys of the main page and the page with your visa and entry and exit stamps. A copy of your rental or home ownership documents. They will fill out the form. There was no fine. They and the PSB on Tu Dong Lu said the same thing, its Chinese law. It means that if you go to Thailand every week you are supposed to go to the local police statioin every week too. That is legally if you follow the letter of the law. Now if your visa has expired while you are here or travleing its more trouble and fines to do this form.

That's correct. It also applies even if you don't go outside of China.

I forgot to mention that when you get a new Visa you are supposed to go through this same process. Also some of the local police station staff will work with you on when to report.

I have always re-registered after coming back from abroad (within 48 hours, I think, is the time limit, but sometimes I've been a day or two late), but it has been simple and I have never needed to show a copy of rental agreement each time - just needed my passport (they made whatever copies were necessary), and had to sign the new registration form, the info for which they copy from the previous one. I've never done this for trips within China and there have been no problems. So it may well be the letter of the law, but anyway my local PSB folks know my face well, though for trips outside China they do expect me to come by. It's no big hassle, but of course it may vary from local PSB to local PSB.

Hiya

Does Macau or Hong Kong also count as going abroad? That is if I take a trip to Macau do I also have to go thru this rigmarole?

hk taiwan mcau is classes as leaving mainland china and you need to reregister. the whole visa thing has gotten silly of late. especially kunming. this kind of application of the rules varing from psb office to office is actually making life harder for those who want to stay withing the law.

Thx Dazzer. Yeah thats a pain in the rear.

Am I right in thinking if I have been in a hotel since arriving in China I don't need to register at the police station? What about if I move in with a Chinese family (which I will soon be doing)? Because there will not be a rental agreement in that case.

@Amylaura - you'll be ok if you're still staying at that hotel. As far as I understand you'll need to register as staying at the family address once you move in and you'll need to show their home ownership or rental agreement.

I've never re-registered when coming back from abroad (but I now know that I should). last time I went to the local police station they told me that there was no need as long as my visa is still valid and I'm living at the same address. My visa has been renewed since then without any problems. I guess it really varies depending on the interpretations of the local office or station.