[taway483]

As a French citizen, that's a very big risk to take. I speak from experience when I say one tiny mistake (that would be a non-issue in most Western countries) is all it takes to get kicked out of the country, after which they'll deny your Visa for years with no obligation to tell you why. It doesn't matter if you own a house in China, it doesn't matter if you've invested hundreds of thousands/millions throughout your stay there, it doesn't matter if you lived there for 10 years without a problem, it doesn't matter if you're a month away from graduating from Tsinghua/Beida, etc. If you've been to China before then you've probably already broken the law in many different ways, such as not going to the local police station whenever you stayed at a hotel/switched apartment/stayed at your friends/partners place, etc. In other words, settling down and investing a lot of money into a life in China is a disaster waiting to happen.

[andrewcchen]

> not going to the local police station whenever you stayed at a hotel/switched apartment/stayed at your friends/partners place

I've never heard of this and I grew up in China. Can you provide a source?

[mostlystatic]

I think it applies only to foreigners. http://lawandborder.com/temporary-residence-registration-for...

Normally the hotel does it for you.

After getting an apartment here I didn't register for about a month. I had to spend some time at the registry office to get a warning. They said if it happens again there'll be a fine, and if it happens a third time you presumably have to leave the country.

On your arrival/departure form it also says:

"Aliens who do not lodge at hotels, guesthouses or inns shall, within 24 hours (72 hours in rural areas) of entry, go through accomodation registration at local police station.