Shanghai sees record-high expat accommodation registrations in 2025

SHANGHAI -- The number of temporary accommodation registrations of foreign nationals in Shanghai hit a record high of 7.139 million in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 49.6 percent, the Exit-Entry Administration Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau said Thursday.

The figure, which had already doubled in 2024, underscores the city's growing appeal to international visitors.

Accommodation registrations are required for foreigners staying in China. In 2025, 94.7 percent of the temporary accommodation registrations was handled directly by hotels, realizing a convenient check-in process.

Among foreigners residing in Shanghai's residential communities, 84.8 percent opted for online self-reporting via a multilingual platform, which provides efficient and flexible registration.

In addition, the number of visas and residence permits issued to foreigners in Shanghai exceeded 200,000 for the second consecutive year in 2025, with long-term permits such as residence permits accounting for an increased share of 10 percentage points.

Furthermore, since the launch of the updated Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card, commonly known as the "five-star card," by the National Immigration Administration on Dec 1, 2023, more than 10,000 such cards have been issued in Shanghai.

The application scope of the card has been expanded to cover cultural and daily life services, including ticket purchases for sports events and concerts, pet registration, driver training enrollment and traffic law tests. It now facilitates 64 types of services in key livelihood areas in Shanghai.