Skip to main content

China-related matters · Research first

For lawyers/Contact/Log in
China Legal PortalResearch · Routes · Counsel
Ask a lawyer

Search the portal

Skip to guide content

ICP · 01 Editorial guide

ICP filing & commercial ICP

ICP filing and commercial internet-information licensing answer different questions. Identify the operator, hosting location, public-facing service and revenue model before treating a filing number as permission to operate a regulated service.

First job Identify the China-hosted site, operator and revenue model before calling the requirement an ICP licence.

Start here

Start here

Key considerations

The first questions are about urgency, governance and preservation — before collection expands or interviews begin.

  1. Who operates the website or service?
  2. Where is it hosted and which domain is used?
  3. Is the service non-commercial, commercial, or part of another VATS activity?

Decision map

Keep the question bounded.

  1. Fix the operator and hostRecord the contracting entity, domain registrant, hosting provider, servers and public-facing operator.
  2. Separate filing from licenceDetermine whether ordinary record-filing is enough or whether commercial ICP or another catalogue item is supplied.
  3. Test access and scopeCheck foreign-investment eligibility, licence territory, approved service scope and any sector-specific content approval.
  4. Control launch and changeAlign site footer, app records, domain, host and entity information and reassess after material service or ownership changes.

Quick answers

Need the short version? Start with one narrow question.

These explainers answer one question. They do not replace this topic route or a deep guide.

Quick AnswerICP Filing in ChinaICP filing is non-commercial website/app record-filing — not a VATS operating licence. The live filing guide stays linked. Reviewed 6 Sep 2026.Quick AnswerICP Licence in China‘ICP licence’ usually means commercial internet information service licensing — still distinct from many VATS catalogue items. Reviewed 6 Sep 2026.Quick AnswerCan a Foreign-Owned Company Operate a Website in China?WFOEs can often file and operate informational sites with constraints; monetised or catalogue telecom features change the answer. Reviewed 6 Sep 2026.

Curated resources

Open the asset that matches this job.

01
core guide

China ICP, VATS & Telecom Licensing Guide

Service classification, ICP filing, VATS catalogue items, foreign-investment access and operating-route analysis.

02
deep guide

China ICP Filing Guide

Practical filing route for China-hosted websites, including operator, host and launch dependencies.

03
official service

MIIT ICP/IP/domain filing system

Official MIIT filing and public-record service for internet information and domain-related administration.

Helpful to prepare

Facts that make the next conversation clearer.

These items are orientation aids, not a legal requirement list.

Operator, contracting entity and ownership chainDomain registrant, host, servers and launch URLService functions, users and revenue modelExisting filing, licence and public-record screenshotsContent-sector approvals and app dependencies

Local context

Add location only when the filing or pilot route changes.

National service classification comes first; infrastructure location, filing practice and approved pilots follow.

Open city and province guides

Counsel hand-off

Need technology and telecom counsel?

This hub organises filing, catalogue and operating-route questions. It does not determine licence scope or foreign-investment access on your facts.

Find technology counsel

Request a free consultation

Need qualified counsel?

Move carefully. Move with a record.

Use the portal to identify counsel for this practice and related China-side issues.

Find technology counselRequest a consultation