Real-name registration (实名制) — what it is

China requires your real identity for SIM cards, apps, train tickets and hotels. For foreigners that means one thing everywhere: your passport.

Updated August 2026 · The rule is universal across services.

Real-name registration (实名制, shímíng zhì) means every service that touches your identity — phone numbers, payment apps, train and plane tickets, hotels, and government apps — must be registered to your real identity. It's the layer under everything else in China's digital life.

What it means for foreigners:

SIM cards: your number is registered to your passport — see the SIM guide. No passport, no number, no apps.
Payment apps: Alipay and WeChat Pay ask for passport verification (实名认证) to raise limits and unlock features — see payments.
Government apps: Suishouban and tax apps verify your passport so your records attach to you.
Hotels: every check-in scans your passport into the police system (this is also your automatic police registration).
Transport: high-speed rail (12306) and flights are booked under your passport number; check in with the same document.
Banks: account opening includes identity verification — see banking.

The practical takeaway: keep your passport (and a photo of the main page) handy — it's your "ID card" in China for every real-name process. Some services accept your residence permit card instead, but the passport is the universal key.