Start with the service, then choose its official channel
A public-service app is useful only if the authority offers the particular task through it. Identify the office responsible for the task and follow its own website to the app, mini-program or web service. Do not assume that an app which accepts a passport for one service accepts it for every service.
The National Immigration Administration (NIA) provides a concrete example. Its official accommodation-registration channels page points to the NIA 12367 app, NIA mini-programs and the government service website. The NIA's September 2026 explanation covers online registration for foreigners staying in non-hotel accommodation nationwide. It says users register and complete identity verification before following the accommodation-registration module. This does not make NIA 12367 a general app for banking, health care or all local services.
Know whose details belong in the application
For this NIA accommodation service, the guest or the person hosting them may use the online channel. The current NIA explanation says a host should assist with the first registration because they know the accommodation details; it describes limited cases in which the guest may register alone, including a repeat registration at the same address through the platform or living in a self-owned home. Read the live service's instructions before submitting. If you stay in a hotel, this particular non-hotel route is not the one described by the NIA page.
Check document support before entering personal data
- Open the channel from the authority's own website, not from a search advertisement or an unofficial download link.
- Check the identity-document selector for your actual document type. Enter details as the service requests; do not choose a different document just to pass a form.
- Check which person should supply the address information and whether the host needs to participate.
- After completion, use the NIA's record-inquiry function to check the accommodation record. A draft form or upload alone is not proof that the record exists.
When identity verification or the app fails
Keep the error message, the document type you selected and the service name. The NIA directs users to the guide within its accommodation-registration page, its 12367 help line, and the local public security exit-entry service window or police station for on-site assistance. Its 12367 platform notice also describes English and Chinese consultation. Ask the authority whether your document and situation fit this service rather than trying another person's identity or guessing at a name format.
For a different official app, use that app's administering authority. Document acceptance, identity fields and counter options can differ by service and locality.