seems not all PSBs are doing things properly

I think I had to take my lease for my new flat when I moved in in December, haven't had to since, although I've been in & out of the country twice since then, most recently in mid-March. Registration has been a little more time-consuming recently, as police staff visited each other to figure out how to do it (used to be very simple), but all ways polite and basically unproblematic for me.

I think the lease is required when you move into a new place. It serves to promote tax collection.

Chinese do not need to register and many don't have a clue as to what is required.

If you were previously registered, it is helpful to bring your existing half page document.

I noticed the registration was good for the length of your visa and a new visa or a re-entry requires a trip to record the event. Since the process was computerized, about 2008, I noticed they could pull up the old registration and do the new one with minimum data entry.

@Geezer: "Chinese do not need to register and many don't have a clue as to what is required."

Chinese do need to register for their own version of residence permit though, for some purposes, if they don't have local hukou.

For example I cannot renew my (family) RP, unless my wife with non-Kunming hukou first registers for temporary Kunming residence permit for Chinese nationals (in the same PSB office where I do my "household registration").

Their process is a little bit similar to what we do at Entry & Exit Administration, just that they do it at PSB.

@JanJal: Thanks for the clarification. I found it difficult to locate the PSB office the last two places I lived. Asking folks in the building where to go was rewarded with blank stares and shrugs. I was told Chinese didn't need to register. I can understand the hukou problem.

In our (semi) neighbourhood there are a few polices offices, and the one we need to register at isn't even the closest one. Though I don't know if some PSBs have different responsibilities, or the regional division is just that way on map.

Anyway, going to nearest/any police office usually gets the question of actual location you need to go to answered.

@geezer
If you're a non-local resident, you're also technically required to register at the neighborhood PSB that is assigned or responsible for your address - eventually. Foreigners - within 24 hours - chinese - seems whenever they get around to it (round "tuit"). Usually, chinese will register if they intend to stay, want to eventually transfer their hukuou, have kids and want them to attend the city schools, health care & retirement benefits, etc ad infinitum.

michael2015: I get it now. Different rules for 外国人, 外人 and 此地人. Being a 外国人, I was asking 此地人 where to register. But as it was clear I was not an 外人 the 此地人 had no idea where a 外国人 would go to register.

我还在学汉语!