Laura has just arrived in China and wants to stay with a Chinese friend. Her friend took her to the local police station to get registered for temporary lodging. She is a bit puzzled, as she thought people have to get registered only when checking into a hotel and it is unnecessary for one to get registered when staying with a friend. It seems that she is not clear about the Chinese rule in this respect. According to relevant Chinese laws, a foreigner in China has to get registered for lodging, whether in a hotel or with a friend. The specific formalities are as follows:

1)  For lodging at guesthouse, hotel, inn, hostel, school or other enterprises and institutions or at government organs or other Chinese organizations, aliens shall present valid passports or residence certificates and fill in registration forms of temporary accommodation.  They shall present travel permits when seeking accommodation in areas closed to aliens.
2)  When an alien wishes to lodge at the home of a Chinese resident in urban areas, the host or the lodger shall, within 24 hours of the lodger's arrival, report to the local public security organ with the lodger's passport and certificate as well as the host's residence booklet and fill in registration forms of temporary accommodation.. In rural areas, the host or lodger shall report to the local police station or residence registration office within 72 hours of the lodger's arrival.
3)  When an alien lodges at a foreign institution in China or at the home of an alien in China, the institution in question or the host or the lodger shall, within 24 hours of the lodger's arrival, report to the local public security organ with the lodger's passport to the local public security organ with lodger's passport or residence certificate and fill in registration forms of temporary accommodation..
4)  Aliens having long-term residence in China who wish to lodge temporarily elsewhere than their own residence shall report and register accommodation in accordance with the provisions of Articles 29, 30 and 31 of the resent Rules.
5)  Aliens who lodge temporarily in movable living facilities shall, within 24 hours of arrival, report to the local public security organ. The institutions or individuals that furnish sites for the aliens' movable living facilities shall report to the local public security organ 24 hours ahead of time.