Very Chinese Time

Arriving

How to check into a hotel in China with a foreign passport

Updated

To check into a hotel in China as a foreigner, you need four steps: 1. say you have a booking, 2. give your real passport when they ask for an ID card, 3. look at the camera, 4. pay the deposit. This page explains why the desk needs your passport, then goes through each step with what to say.

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Why does the desk need your passport?

Every hotel guest in China must be registered with the local police. The hotel does it for you at check-in. Chinese guests use their national ID card, a 身shēn份fèn证zhèng (ID card). Foreign guests use their passport, so the receptionist checks your photo page and your visa or entry stamp.

Most guests are Chinese, so many receptionists ask for the ID card out of habit. Tell them you are a foreigner, and they will ask for your passport. Many hotels also take a photo of you at the desk and ask for a deposit, which you get back when you leave.

Not every hotel can register foreign guests. Booking sites usually say if a hotel accepts foreigners. Check before you book, especially for small or budget hotels.

Step by step

In the order they happen. The receptionist’s lines come from the hotel check-in in the game.

  1. Walk up to the desk

    The receptionist greets you and asks if you are checking in. If you booked online, say so.

    • You will hear 您好，办理入住吗？ (nín hǎo, bàn lǐ rù zhù ma?) Hello. Checking in? (办bàn理lǐ入rù住zhù (check in) is the formal phrase.)
    • You will hear 不好意思，您有预订吗？ (bù hǎo yì si, nín yǒu yù dìng ma?) Sorry, do you have a reservation?
    • 我有预订 (wǒ yǒu yù dìng) I have a reservation

      Say it first if you booked ahead. Have the booking on your phone in case they ask for the name or number.

  2. The ID card question

    The receptionist may ask for your 身shēn份fèn证zhèng (ID card), the Chinese national ID card. Say you are a foreigner, and they will ask for your passport.

    • You will hear 好的。身份证出示一下。 (hǎo de. shēn fèn zhèng chū shì yí xià.) OK. Please show your ID card. (They want a Chinese ID card.)
    • 我是外国人 (wǒ shì wài guó rén) I'm a foreigner

      Say it when someone asks for a Chinese ID card. It tells them you will use a passport.

      They may say 哦，不好意思！护照给我一下。 (ò, bù hǎo yì si! hù zhào gěi wǒ yí xià.) Oh, sorry! Give me your passport, please.

  3. Hand over your passport

    Give them the real passport. A photo or photocopy is not accepted. The receptionist scans the photo page and checks your visa or entry stamp. This can take a few minutes.

    • 护照 (hù zhào) passport

      Say the word as you hand it over, or if you are not sure which document they want.

      They may say 好的，稍等。 (hǎo de, shāo děng.) OK, one moment. (They are registering you.)

  4. Look at the camera

    Many hotels have a small camera or tablet on the desk. The receptionist asks you to look at it, so the system can match your face to your passport photo.

    • You will hear 看一下摄像头。 (kàn yí xià shè xiàng tóu.) Look at the camera, please. (摄shè像xiàng头tóu (camera) is the camera on the desk.)

  5. Pay the deposit

    Many hotels ask for a deposit, by phone payment or card. You get it back at check-out if nothing is missing. The amount depends on the hotel.

  6. Take your room card

    You get a key card, a 房fáng卡kǎ (room card). In many rooms, you put the card in a slot by the door to turn on the lights and power. Take it with you when you go out.

    • You will hear 好了，这是您的房卡。 (hǎo le, zhè shì nín de fáng kǎ.) Done. This is your room card.
    • 谢谢 (xiè xie) Thank you

      Say it when you take the card.

      They may say 不客气，晚安！ (bú kè qi, wǎn ān!) You're welcome. Good night!

The pinyin shows how the words are really said, as in the game.

Practical tips

Registration rules for foreign visitors can change. Check the current rules for your visa type before you go.

  • Book a hotel that takes foreign guests

    Most hotels in big cities do. Some small hotels cannot register foreigners. Booking sites usually say so in the hotel details.

  • Keep the real passport with you

    The hotel needs the passport itself. You also need it for train tickets and some museums, so carry it. Do not leave it in the room.

  • Have the booking ready

    A confirmation in Chinese, or one with your name exactly as in your passport, helps the receptionist find it fast.

  • Staying with friends? Register yourself

    If you stay in a private home, you must register with the local police within 24 hours of arriving. Your host can help. You can also do it online, in the National Immigration Administration’s NIA 12367 app.

  • Check-out time

    Check-out is often at noon. Many hotels will keep your bags for the day if you ask at the desk.

Where to practise it in the game

In Very Chinese Time in My Life, the first night ends at a hotel desk.

  • Check-in on the first night

    You walk in with your suitcase, and the receptionist asks if you are checking in. You say 我wǒ有yǒu预yù订dìng (I have a reservation). She asks for your 身shēn份fèn证zhèng (ID card) out of habit. You say 我wǒ是shì外wài国guó人rén (I’m a foreigner), then say the word for passport to take it out. Take out the wrong thing and she says 不bú是shì这zhè个ge，护hù照zhào (not this one, passport). Then she asks you to look at the camera and hands you the room card.

  • Back at the desk later in the week

    On the third morning, your phone goes missing. You go down to the front desk to ask for help before you go to the police station.

The hotel lobby in the game at night: a long front desk with a receptionist, clocks on the wall behind her and an orange suitcase by the desk.
The hotel front desk on the first night.

Questions

What do I need to check into a hotel in China as a foreigner?

Your real passport with a valid visa or entry stamp, and usually a way to pay the deposit. The hotel scans your passport to register you with the local police. This is required for every guest in China.

Why does the hotel in China ask for my ID card?

Out of habit. Most guests are Chinese, so staff ask for a Chinese national ID card, a 身shēn份fèn证zhèng (ID card). Foreign guests use a passport. Say 我wǒ是shì外wài国guó人rén (I’m a foreigner) and the receptionist will ask for your passport.

Can foreigners stay in any hotel in China?

Not all of them. Most hotels in Chinese cities accept foreign guests, but some small or budget hotels cannot register foreigners. Check the hotel details on the booking site, or ask the hotel, before you book.

Why do Chinese hotels ask me to look at a camera?

To match your face to your passport photo. It is part of guest registration. The receptionist says 看kàn一yí下xià摄shè像xiàng头tóu (look at the camera).

Do hotels in China take a deposit?

Many do. They take it at check-in, by phone payment or card, and return it at check-out. The amount depends on the hotel.

Do I need to register with the police in China?

Not if you stay in a hotel. The hotel registers you at check-in. If you stay in a private home, you or your host must register with the local police within 24 hours of arriving. You can do it at the local police station, or online in the National Immigration Administration’s NIA 12367 app or website.

How do I say “I have a reservation” in Chinese?

Say 我wǒ有yǒu预yù订dìng (I have a reservation). It is the first thing to say at a hotel desk in China if you booked ahead.

Sources

Official pages for the facts on this page. Rules change, so check them before you travel.