· 7 min read · china-it · By Ben Fox
China's ICP Licence and ICP Filing (Beian), Explained
What China's ICP filing (Beian) and commercial ICP licence are, who needs which, what foreign companies can and cannot obtain, and how the process works in 2026.
Any website hosted in Mainland China must be registered with the authorities before it can go online. The basic registration is the ICP filing (备案, “Beian”) — free, mandatory for every Mainland-hosted site, and obtainable by a foreign-owned China entity. Sites that make money online need the stricter commercial ICP licence (ICP许可证), which majority-foreign-owned companies generally cannot hold. No filing, no website: Chinese hosting providers will not serve an unregistered domain. This guide explains both, who needs which, and how the process actually works in 2026.
It is one of the most misunderstood pieces of China web infrastructure — and one of the first questions for any business setting up IT operations in China.
Why ICP exists
China regulates internet content at the point of publication. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) requires every website served from Mainland infrastructure to be traceable to a registered entity in China. Hosting providers enforce it absolutely: an Alibaba Cloud or Tencent Cloud web server will refuse to serve your domain until the filing is approved. This is separate from the Great Firewall, which controls traffic crossing the border — ICP controls what is published inside it.
ICP filing vs ICP licence
The single most common confusion is between the two tiers:
| ICP filing (Beian, 备案) | Commercial ICP licence (ICP许可证) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who needs it | Every website hosted in Mainland China | Sites providing paid internet information services — e-commerce platforms, paid content, online marketplaces, SaaS sold online |
| Cost | Free | Application costs + ongoing compliance |
| Foreign ownership | A WFOE (wholly foreign-owned enterprise) can obtain it | Generally restricted to wholly Chinese companies or joint ventures with ≤50% foreign investment |
| Process | Filed through your hosting provider to the provincial MIIT | Direct application to MIIT — substantive review |
| Timeline | Roughly 2–4 weeks | Several months |
| Typical case | Corporate site, brochure site, blog, intranet portal | Marketplace, subscription platform, paid app backend |
The boundary question is whether the website itself generates revenue. A corporate site that describes your products — even with a “contact sales” form — is non-commercial and needs only the Beian. Selling directly through the site pushes you toward the licence. The boundary has grey areas (single-brand e-commerce is treated more leniently in practice than multi-merchant platforms); take advice on your specific model.
What a foreign company can and cannot do
- You cannot file as a foreign entity. Both tiers require a registered Mainland entity — a WFOE, a joint venture, or a Chinese partner company. A Hong Kong company does not count; Hong Kong is outside the system entirely.
- A WFOE can hold a Beian. For the standard corporate-website case, your wholly foreign-owned China subsidiary files in its own name. This is the normal route for foreign businesses.
- A majority-foreign company generally cannot hold the commercial licence. If your China web business model needs one, the structural options — a ≤50% JV, or operating through a licensed Chinese partner — are corporate decisions well beyond IT.
The hard requirements
For a Beian filing in 2026, expect to need:
- A Mainland-registered entity with a business licence — the filing entity.
- Mainland hosting. The site must be hosted physically in Mainland China. Hong Kong and Macau hosting does not qualify — a Hong Kong-hosted site needs no ICP at all, but it sits outside the wall, with the latency that implies.
- A domain registered with a Chinese registrar. Domains held at overseas registrars (GoDaddy, Namecheap and the like) are rejected; transfer the domain to Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud or another accredited Chinese registrar first.
- A named responsible person in China, with PRC ID verification (face-photo verification is standard) and a Mainland mobile number.
- Supporting policies. Recent filings and renewals are checked for a content-moderation plan and a PIPL-aligned privacy policy — these stopped being optional formalities.
After approval, the ICP number must appear in the site footer, hyperlinked to the MIIT records site (beian.miit.gov.cn). Two follow-on obligations are easy to miss: the separate public security filing (公安备案) with the local Public Security Bureau within 30 days of going live, and the duty to report changes (legal representative, address, domain, scope) to MIIT within 30 days. Since 2023, mobile apps need their own filing too — an unfiled app is delisted from Chinese app stores.
What happens if you skip it
There is no grace period to speak of. Without an approved filing your Mainland hosting provider simply will not put the site live; an unfiled site that somehow gets online faces takedown and fines for the hosting company, which is why providers enforce it for you. A revoked or lapsed filing takes your site down with it — renewals and change-reporting matter.
Do you actually need to be inside the wall?
The strategic question behind every ICP conversation: does your China audience need a China-hosted site at all?
- Host in Hong Kong or Singapore, no ICP needed. The site remains reachable from the Mainland (it is not blocked by default — see the Great Firewall explained) but crosses congested international gateways: slower, less reliable, and worse during peak hours. Acceptable for a low-traffic corporate site serving occasional Mainland visitors.
- Host in the Mainland with an ICP filing. Fast and reliable for Mainland users, and required if you want a China CDN — Chinese CDN nodes will not serve an unfiled domain. The right answer when China is a real market for you.
- Hybrid. Global site hosted globally; a China site (
.cnorchina.subdomain) hosted in the Mainland under your WFOE’s filing. This is the pattern most serious foreign brands land on.
The same in-or-out logic applies to your internal systems — covered in our cross-border IT playbook and Microsoft 365 in China decision guide.
ICP filing and licence FAQs
Does my website need an ICP filing if it is hosted in Hong Kong?
No. ICP obligations attach to hosting in Mainland China; a site hosted in Hong Kong, Singapore or anywhere else outside the Mainland needs no ICP filing and remains reachable from China unless specifically blocked. The trade-off is performance: traffic to it crosses the international gateways, so it loads noticeably more slowly and less reliably for Mainland users than a Mainland-hosted, ICP-filed site.
Can a foreign company get an ICP licence in China?
A foreign company cannot file in its own name — both tiers require a Mainland-registered entity. A wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE) can obtain the basic ICP filing (Beian) for a non-commercial website, which covers the standard corporate site. The commercial ICP licence for paid online services is generally limited to wholly Chinese companies or joint ventures with no more than 50% foreign investment.
How long does an ICP filing take?
A standard Beian filing typically takes two to four weeks once the prerequisites are in place: a Mainland entity, Mainland hosting, a domain at a Chinese registrar, and a verified responsible person. The commercial ICP licence is a substantive MIIT review and takes several months. Plan the filing into any China website launch timeline rather than treating it as a last step.
What is the difference between ICP Beian and the public security filing?
The ICP Beian is the MIIT registration that allows the site to be hosted and served in the Mainland. The public security filing (公安备案) is a separate registration with the local Public Security Bureau, required within 30 days of the site going live. Most sites need both; your hosting provider’s console usually guides you through the PSB step after the MIIT filing is approved.
Do mobile apps need an ICP filing too?
Yes. Since 2023, mobile apps distributed in China must complete their own MIIT filing, and Chinese app stores delist apps without one. The requirements parallel the website regime: a Mainland entity, and for apps with paid information services, the commercial licence question arises in the same way.
How PTS helps
PTS sets up and runs IT for foreign businesses in Mainland China and Hong Kong — including the practical side of getting a China web presence live: hosting selection, domain and filing logistics through providers like Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud, CDN setup, and the connectivity design that links your China site and office to the rest of the world. We coordinate the filing with your China entity and counsel so the infrastructure is ready the day the paperwork clears.
If you need help or advice related to this topic please get in touch with us here.
PTS Consulting provides managed IT support, structured cabling, audiovisual design and installation, and IT consultancy services for businesses across Hong Kong, Mainland China and Singapore.
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