Police Station Registration

[jamiroquai4545]

I've recently received my work visa (sponsored by my company) and residence permit, both of which will expire in a few years. So these documents are legit and totally legal.

However, when HR from my company gave me these documents, they told me that I had to go to the paichusuo (local police station) AGAIN with my landlord to obtain another temporary residence form.

What happens if I don't go to the local police station to do this? I'm just confused because I already have the documents needed to live in china (work visa and residence permit). Is this step just a formality?

Lately I've been having trouble arranging a time to go to the police station with my landlord (for various reasons that I don't want to get into), so I just want to the know what the consequences are if I don't go to the local police station, showing them my new work visa and residence permit status?

Thank you so much for help!

[roddy]

Sounds likely - if you have a new visa / residence permit the police station will want a note of that - otherwise they don't know when you should be leaving the country, etc.

Given that you have already registered, you could quite possibly not go and claim ignorance if they catch up with you. However it's really no hassle and it's probably wiser to play it safe. I'd just go down without your landlord - if they've already got his details it's unlikely they'll want to see him again, if not just give them what info you've got and say he can't make it as he's busy / not in town / dodgy.

[imron]

I already have the documents needed to live in china (work visa and residence permit).

Yep, and now you need the document that says where specifically you are living.

You can theoretically be fined for not registering with the local police station, and it's also a legal requirement for you to do so, so it's probably best to do it. They don't really seem to do much in the way of checking up though, although there was a period prior to the Olympics where they were cracking down quite hard on it.

[gougou]

Is this step just a formality?

Yes, in the way that getting a visa is "just" a formality, too. Both of these are equally required of you by law (even though not getting a visa will of course have more serious consequences).

I second the recommendation to go without your landlord. I've never had to bring the landlord for the second time - in some cases (the treatment varies from station to station) I even didn't need to bring him for the first registration. Take your contract, the landlord's phone number and the piece of paper they gave you last time if you still have it and it should only take a few minutes.

[jamiroquai4545]

Thanks guys for the great advice.

Yes, this will be my second time going to the police station -- the first time I had to go because I had to register with a short, temporary visa that was supposed to hold me over until I got my work visa/residence permit.

However, I remember when I went in with my landlord that they had to provide documentation regarding proof of house ownership and something else. In other words, I do not have all the documentation that I needed to show the first time. I only have a copy of the lease and a copy of my landlord's ID card. Do you think I can still get away with not showing the other documents I had to show last when I was with my landlord? It would be great if I didn't have to go with my landlord

Also, my place is near the wudaokou area, so I must go to that particular police station in the area, not some other police station, say, one that was closer to my work, right?

Thanks guys!!!

[roddy]

I think that'll be fine - you haven't moved, so any details they needed to take will be on the computer. I'd be surprised if they even ask about your landlord, just go in with the slip of paper you got last time and your passport and tell them you have new documents. They'll take a note of the new date you have to leave by and maybe the visa / permit number, and that should be it.

You do need to go to your local police station for this.

[jamiroquai4545]

So I went to the police station and got my registration form of temporary residence. Unfortunately, the form shows my "departure date" which is in a few months.

What I'd like to know is if I'm ever going to run into any problems after the departure date shown on my form. For example, say if I leave China for vacation after the departure date... upon re-entering China do I need to show this temporary form? Or do I just need to show my work visa/residence permit which don't expire for another 3-4 years such that they won't even ask to see my registration form of temporary residence?

Also, in general, do you guys foresee any other possible issues if the date of departure on my registration form of temporary residence is past that I might run into? I'd like know in what types of situations I will need to use this form.

=) You guys are awesome!

[zhwj]

Your temporary residence registration is pretty much only used by the local PSB. In fact, you're actually supposed to re-register every time you exit and re-enter the mainland.

It's possible that the PSB might notice if you're still hanging around after your departure date, and they might send someone over to notify you to register again.

It's amazing how different people's experiences are with this sort of thing. My current local station wants the landlord there every single time; the previous place I lived, my name wasn't even on the lease but all they needed was for me to supply them with my roommate's mobile phone number, and then they issued the form.

[roddy]

Depends on how strict they're being, really. Never been asked, or heard of being asked, for that registration form at the airport, but your local police station do get told that you've left the country and can be taken off their books, or have just returned to the country and they might want to check up to see if you're in the area. Whether they do that or not is a different matter.

For the police station the date of leaving is more a case of 'let's check if he's still around'. You might get a phone call asking you to go in and get a new form (at which point you might want to ask for a form with a more distant date on it). Or they might not bother.

There's no real need to worry about it. To be on the safe side, once your 'leaving date' is approaching pop into the police station and tell them you're not going anywhere.

The only time you'll need that form is if the police are checking up on passing foreigners - occasionally they'll sit in the lobby of apartment blocks or something - or extending / changing a visa.

[gougou]

I'm a bit confused, as for me the departure date always was the date my visa expired. Do you have time limits on how long you can stay in the country consecutively or something like that?

[roddy]

I think some police stations opt to check up on people every X months, so they use the departure date for that purpose. I seem to recall my form up in Dalian lasted six months, despite having a residence permit for a year (didn't go back, they didn't chase me).

[imron]

At my old place, and my current place, I get called a couple of days before my departure date expires asking if I realise my visa was about to expire etc. Then it's a matter of going in to the PSB and showing them my new visa and getting a new slip. I've never had a departure date that was set to anything other than the date my visa/residence permit expired.

[jamiroquai4545]

That's weird, my departure date on the form is well before (2 years) my work visa/residence permit expire. I guess if I'm ever asked about my status after the departure date then I will just show them my work visa/residence permit.

Hopefully I won't have to go through the same process of going in with my new landlord -- I'm moving to a new place the next few weeks. In the event I get asked about my registration form after the "departure date" on my form... can't I just say I never moved away from my address on file and just show them my work visa/residence permit without having to go through trouble of showing all the housing documents with my landlord? :oops:

[gougou]

I'm moving to a new place the next few weeks.

In that case, you will have to re-register. Whether or not with the landlord depends on the station, as mentioned above.

[imron]

One of the purposes of needing to get this form is that it shows your current address. As frustrating as this seems, it means that if you change your address, you need to change your form.

You also need to return your previous slip to the police station that issued it when you register at a new address.

I guess if I'm ever asked about my status after the departure date then I will just show them my work visa/residence permit.

Your work visa/residence permit and this temporary certificate of residence are separate items. Even if you have a valid work visa/residence permit, you can technically still get in trouble/fined if you have not registered at your current address.

[Hanyu Al]

Hi - what about if you are traveling through China on a tourist visa and saying anywhere from a few days to a 7-10 in different locations. Does this require you to register every time one moves?

thanks.

[roddy]

Hotels or hostels will handle the registration for you. If you're staying with friends then you should strictly speaking register.

[westmeadboy]

I just moved into a chinese friend's place and so we went to the police station to register. However, they said they could not accept the registration because she is not the landlord.

One way around this is that we go to some other office, pay 80yuan, draw up some simple contract between us, provide some identification. This will get us some "pink slip/document". With that we can go back to the original police station and register.

Does anyone know anything about this or have experience of registering when staying with a friend?

Also what happens if I don't register? Say I move into a proper rented accommodation in a week's time and then register. Will they ask for proof of registration in the time since arriving in the country?

[roddy]

Sounds like they want you to have a rental contract, stamped and registered by . . can't remember who, might be the 工商局. This means the income is on the books and can be taxed.

I'm not sure getting that contract drawn up will work - I suspect when you get to that office they'll tell you that you need to be the owner to have the contract stamped. By all means give it a shot though.

If you don't register you're liable for a fine of up to 500Y. However, as you've shown willing by turning up in the first place, I wouldn't be suprised if you could leave it for now and if they chase you up explain that you've been trying to get in touch with the landlord to see if. . . and then you went to that office, but they needed . . .so you're going back tomorrow. The fines are often waived if you have the right 态度.

When you go to register for your actual apartment they are unlikely to care about where you've been for the last week. Only issue might be if it's the same police station and they know you haven't been registered.

[imron]

The other thing would be to go back with the actual landlord. That may or may not be a problem depending on how well your friend gets along with her landlord.