Recently I had my folks come visit us in Kunming, and to our surprise the PSB required passport photos of the visitors for the temporary visitor's registration.
Of course it may be just the fact that they had a family visit visa instead of usual tourist visa.
Anyway, when we asked PSB about it, they told that the information system has recently been upgraded so that instead of provincial system for visitors they are now all part of national system, and the new photo requirement came with that.
I doubt that hotels for example now
make photos of all visitors since they should do the same registration on the visitors' behalf....
I thought photos had always been required when registering for the first time at a paichusuo.
I seem to recall needing a photo way back in 2010 the first time I registered, but not since then.
Same thing applied to a copy of the lease - first time.
I've helped a few tourist visa holders to register at PSB when they stay at our apartment, but I don't remember any of them needing photo. And never heard of hotels taking photos of their guests to accompany the registration that they make to PSB.
We who actually live here are different story.
Hotels probably don't need the photo as they scan or take a photo of your passport. And their registration system should be all electronic, so nothing to staple a photo too.
They have a scanner like in the ones in the banks that takes your photo and your documents.
