MIIT App Filing
{primary} The MIIT APP filing policy has been implemented as of September 1, 2023. We suggest completing the filing as soon as possible.
According to the "Notice of the MIIT on the Filing of Mobile Internet Apps" issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on August 4, 2023, all apps are required to complete the app filing through an ISP in China.
- About MIIT App Filing
- Implementation Timeline
- Materials for applying for an App Filing
- Domain Name and Hosting for App Filing
- App Information for App Filing
- Application Flow
- Approval Times
- Follow-up after Approval
- Contact Us
About MIIT App Filing
MIIT app filing, overseen by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in China, is a regulatory process that app developers, operators or publishers must undergo to offer their mobile applications for download and use within the Chinese market. This mandatory filing ensures compliance with Chinese laws, regulations, and cybersecurity standards, and it plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and security of the mobile app ecosystem.
Implementation Timeline
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For apps that have been distributed to app stores before September 1, 2023, the app filing is required by March 31, 2024.
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For apps distributed after September 1, 2023, app filing is required to be completed before distributing to app stores.
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Regulators will conduct supervisions and inspections from April 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024 and will take legal measures to deal with non-compliant apps.
Materials for applying for an App Filing
{primary} For apps distributed by NextAppMarket, we will assist you throughout the process of resolving compliance issues and completing the filing process.
| # | Item | Necessary | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A mainland China legal entity | Required | |
| 2 | An eligible domain name | Required | Refer to Domain Name and Hosting for App Filing |
| 3 | Hosting in China Mainland | Required | Refer to Domain Name and Hosting for App Filing |
| 4 | App Information | Required | Refer to App Information for App Filing |
| 5 | Pre-approval of special industries | Optional |
Domain Name and Hosting for App Filing
Domain Name
MIIT app filing requires a compliant domain name. A compliant domain name should comply with the following requirements:
- Under an eligible domain name suffix. We recommend use .com, .cn, .net, .com.cn, for other eligible suffix, please see the MIIT's Domain Name Industry Management Information Public Notice.
- registered with a Chinese domain name registrar. We recommend Alibaba Cloud or Tencent Cloud which are the top two registrars and are applicable for foreign companies.
- completed real-name verification. After the domain name registered, the registrar will require you to submit your China entity details for real-name verification.
Hosting
MIIT app filing requires a server in mainland China. We also recommend Alibaba Cloud or Tencent Cloud, which are very top-tier cloud providers and also accept foreign companies.
App Information for App Filing
| # | Item | Necessary | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | App Name | Required | |
| 2 | App Content/Category | Required | |
| 3 | SDK information | Required | Third-party SDK used or whether provide SDKs externally |
| 4 | Language(s) | Required | For example: Simplified Chinese, English |
| 5 | Website Content | Required | |
| 6 | App Running Platform(s) | Required | For example: Android, iOS, Harmony OS |
| 7 | Domain Names | Required | Refer to Domain Name and Hosting |
| 8 | Package Name/ Android ID/ Bundle ID | Required | *** |
| 9 | Public Key | Required | *** |
| 10 | MD5 Fingerprint of Signature | Required | SHA-1 for iOS apps |
*** Public Key and MD5 Fingerprint of Signature
For Android apps, provide the modulus (in decimal) of the public key as the public key. the MD5 Fingerprint can be read with tools like Keytool. Hosting providers recommend using JADX to read the certificate information from the APK.
For iOS apps, certificate information can be requested and downloaded them from Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles in your Apple developer account.
Application Flow
The app developers, operators or publishers should fill in the application form and provide materials at the internet provider (e.g. Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud) to submit the app filing application to MIIT.
The provincial communication authority will approve the application within 20 working days after receiving it and issue a filing number. If the materials are incomplete or inaccurate, the authority will reject the application and state the reasons.
Approval Times
{primary} If you do not have a Chinese legal entity or Chinese hosting server, the time will be extended accordingly.
The official approval time for App filing in our province is 4 weeks from the date of submission. However, due to the backlog situation and review process, the approval time may be extended.
Follow-up after Approval
After the APP filing is approved, you are required to mark the APP filing number in a prominent position such as "Settings" or "Sidebar", and point the link to the website of MIIT at https://beian.miit.gov.cn to allow users to check and verify the filing number. If you do not mark the APP filing number and link correctly, you may be ordered to make corrections and fined by the regulator.
Example
(Wechat App Filing Number)
Contact Us
Feel free to contact us at [email protected] when you need any help.