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Registering your address in Hangzhou: the 24-hour rule

Register your Hangzhou address with the police within 24 hours of moving in. Documents, process, and the municipal exit-entry office.

Hangzhou draws a lot of people on work and study visas. The registration rule is the same everywhere in China: outside a hotel, you have 24 hours.

The rule

Foreign nationals staying in accommodation other than a hotel must register with the local public security organs within 24 hours of moving in. The property owner may file it on your behalf. Failing to register carries a warning and a fine of up to CNY 2,000, and gaps in your registration history surface later when you apply for a visa extension or residence permit.

What to bring

  • Your passport, with the current visa or entry stamp
  • The rental contract or property ownership certificate
  • Your landlord’s ID — the most common reason people are turned away is that this was not arranged in advance

Address registration happens at the police station covering your address. Visa and residence permit business is separate, and is handled at the exit-entry office below.

Exit-entry office

Exit-entry offices1 office
OfficeAddressHours
Department of Entry & Exit Administration, Hangzhou Municipal PSBShangcheng
0571-87071973 / 0571-88209209
No. 169 Wujiang Road, Shangcheng DistrictNot published — call ahead

Verified 2026-09-01 · Source: official listing

Only the main municipal office is listed here. District halls also handle exit-entry business; we publish locations only once verified against an official listing, so this list will grow rather than be padded out.

Sources

The Hangzhou office details come from a university international office rather than a municipal English portal. Confirm before travelling.

Rules and office hours change. This page records what the official sources said on the verification date shown above; confirm anything time-critical directly with the office before you travel.