If your service provides information or features that are related to specific industries, such as news, publishing, medicine, and medical devices, you must obtain a pre-approval before you apply for an Internet content provider (ICP) filing. This topic describes the industries that require pre-approvals and the authorities that issue pre-approvals. If your service requires a pre-approval, contact the relevant local authority.
Note
If the name, business scope, service name, or service content of the ICP filing entity involves content that requires a pre-approval, you must apply for a pre-approval. Otherwise, the ICP filing application fails. For more information, see the Industries and authorities section of this topic.
If the authority that you have consulted informs you that a pre-approval is not required, you must provide remarks or statements as proof when you apply for an ICP filing. For more information, see the Remarks or statements to be provided section of this topic.
If you are not sure whether a pre-approval is required when you apply for an ICP filing for your organization or enterprise, consult the customer service by calling 95187 or on the Online Services page.
Industries and authorities
The following table describes the industries that require pre-approvals and the authorities that issue pre-approvals. You can apply for a pre-approval based on actual conditions. To upload your pre-approval, you must log on to the Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing system, enter the ICP filing information, select the required pre-approval type, enter the pre-approval number, and then upload the relevant pre-approval.
If the entered pre-approval information or the uploaded pre-approval is invalid, you can modify it based on actual conditions.
If the ICP filing application has not been submitted for preliminary review, you can log on to the Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing system on a PC and modify the information as required on the information modification page.
If the ICP filing application has been submitted for preliminary review, you must wait for the Alibaba Cloud reviewer to review the application. During the preliminary review, if the reviewer discovers that your pre-approval information is invalid, your ICP filing application is rejected. In this case, you can log on to the Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing system on a PC and modify the information as required on the information modification page.
Industry | Authority | Required pre-approval | Remarks |
Department of education administration at the provincial, municipal, or district level | N/A | None. | |
Office of the cyberspace affairs commission of a province, an autonomous region, or a municipality | Internet News Information Service License | None. | |
Publicity department of the committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the administration of press, publication, radio, film, and television of a province, an autonomous region, or a municipality | Internet Publishing License | None. | |
Food and drug administration of a province, an autonomous region, or a municipality (pre-approvals required for pesticide or chemical production enterprises) | Provide one of the following pre-approvals based on the review results:
Note Authorities in specific provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, such as Beijing and Shandong, do not accept Pharmaceutical Trade License or Medical Device Trading Permit as a pre-approval during the ICP filing application process. In these provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, Qualification Certificate for Medicine Trading Services can be used. You may refer to the review results for detailed information. | None. | |
Department of culture and tourism of a province, an autonomous region, or a municipality | Internet Culture Business Certificate | None. | |
Publicity department of the committee of the CPC and the administration of press, publication, radio, film, and television of a province, an autonomous region, or a municipality | License for Publication of Audio-Visual Programs through Information Network | Regulatory authorities require pre-approvals for this industry. | |
Transport commission of the region where the enterprise is registered | Online Taxi Booking Business Permit | None. | |
| N/A | None. | |
| Internet Culture Business Certificate or Game License within the validity period | None. | |
Department of religious affairs of a province, an autonomous region, or a municipality, or the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) | Internet Religious Information Services Permit | Regulatory authorities require pre-approvals for this industry. |
After-school tutoring
The General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly released the Guidelines for Further Easing the Burden of Excessive Homework and Off-campus Tutoring for Students at the Stage of Compulsory Education. As requested by the guidelines, enterprises that provide after-school tutoring, such as online tutoring, offline tutoring, and remote tutoring, must obtain a pre-approval from the department of education administration at the provincial, municipal, or district level before they apply for ICP filings. Enterprises that provide occupational training are not involved.
News
Information services of Internet news include the publishing of news information over the Internet, supply of electronic bulletin services on current affairs and politics, and broadcast of communications information on current affairs and politics. News information includes relevant reports and comments on public affairs such as politics, economy, military affairs, diplomacy, and public emergencies. The information services of Internet news can be classified into the following three types:
1. Service providers of Internet news information established by news entities to publish news information that is not published or broadcast by the said news entities, provide electronic bulletin services on current affairs and politics, and broadcast communications information on current affairs and politics.
2. Service providers of Internet news information established by non-news entities to reprint news information, provide electronic bulletin services on current affairs and politics, and broadcast communications information on current affairs and politics.
3. Service providers of Internet news information established by news entities to publish news information that is published or broadcast by the said news entities.
Publishing
Internet publishing refers to the online broadcast of content by service providers. The service providers choose and edit the content that is produced by themselves or by others and publish or spread the content over the Internet to users for browsing, reading, use, or downloading. Such content includes the content in books, newspapers, periodicals, audiovisual products, and electronic publications, the content that is released to the public on other media, and the edited content on literature, arts, natural sciences, social sciences, and engineering technology.
All business activities that involve the following content must obtain the Internet Publishing License from relevant authorities: online electronic reading, electronic publications, audiovisual products, Internet books, Internet newspapers, Internet magazines, mobile phone publications, academic publications, art publications, educational publications, and maps on the Internet and mobile networks.
Medicine and medical devices
The Measures for the Administration of Medicine Information Service over the Internet stipulates that Internet information services of medicine refer to activities that are conducted over the Internet to provide users with medicines and medical devices.
Culture
The Interim Provisions on the Administration of Internet Culture stipulates that online cultural content refers to cultural goods and services that are created, transmitted, and circulated over the Internet. Examples of online cultural content are online music and cartoons.
Broadcasts, films, and TV programs
This type of online content refers to audiovisual programs that consist of movable pictures or sounds that can be continuously watched or listened to, such as the content on video and live-streaming platforms. Such content is shot and recorded by using audiovisual recording equipment such as video cameras and recorders.
Education
Pre-approvals for this industry apply to educational platforms and online schools, such as diploma services, distance education videos, and exam-oriented training.
Healthcare
Internet information services of healthcare refer to the supply of medical and health information services to Internet users by launching a platform for a medical or health institution, a disease prevention and health knowledge platform, or a disease prevention and health channel on a comprehensive platform.
Online taxi hailing
An Online Taxi Hailing Business Certificate is required for all enterprises that provide online taxi hailing services or related activities in municipal administrative regions. Online taxi hailing services refer to business operations in which a service platform is constructed based on Internet technologies. These business operations integrate information on supply and demand, use qualified vehicles and drivers, and provide non-cruising online taxi hailing services. In brief, an enterprise provides online taxi hailing services by using an Internet platform.
Electronic bulletin
Electronic bulletin services refer to the activities of providing Internet users with information publishing conditions in various interactive forms, including electronic bulletin boards, interactive whiteboards, electronic forums, online chat rooms, and message boards.
Note: In the Decision of the State Council on the Fifth Batch of Items Subject to Administrative Examination and Approval at the Management Level to Be Canceled or Delegated to Lower Level, Article 7 abolished the pre-approvals of electronic bulletin services.
Finance
If specific financial terms appear in the name, business scope, service name, or service content of the ICP filing entity, you must provide the required pre-approval that is issued by the financial department when you apply for an ICP filing for the service. The financial terms include exchange, exchange center, finance, asset management, financial management, funds, fund management, investment management, wealth management, equity investment funds, online loans, online lending, P2P, equity crowdfunding, Internet insurance, and payment. Due to the regulations of different provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, the preceding financial terms are for reference only. For more information, check the review results of your ICP filing application.
Alibaba Cloud verifies the services that involve the preceding financial terms on an irregular basis. If a service violates the regulations, the issued ICP number is canceled.
For reference, you can consult the following authorities to obtain pre-approvals for financial business:
For Internet payment business, consult the People's Bank of China.
For online lending business, such as P2P lending and online small loan business, consult the finance office of the province, autonomous region, or municipality where you live, and the China Banking Regulatory Commission.
For Internet insurance business, consult the China Insurance Regulatory Commission.
For Internet trust and Internet consumer finance business, consult the China Banking Regulatory Commission.
For equity crowdfunding, Internet funds, fund sales, financing, and financing guarantee business, consult the China Securities Regulatory Commission. If you apply for an ICP filing in Jiangsu, and your service provides information about financing or financing guarantee, you may consult the local economic and information commission.
For private equity funds, consult the Asset Management Association of China. If you apply for an ICP filing in Jiangsu, you must submit a pre-approval that is issued by the financial regulator.
The following content describes special circumstances for your reference:
To apply for an ICP filing for a service of charity funds or public welfare, you must submit documents such as a filing application document that is verified by the civil affairs department and a letter of guarantee for non-engagement in financial business. If you apply for an ICP filing for such entities in Zhejiang, you must also submit verification documents that are approved by the financial regulator. Entities without relevant financial permits cannot apply for an ICP filing.
If your service content is not about finance, you must change the name or business scope of the ICP filing entity. Otherwise, you cannot apply for an ICP filing for the service.
Games
A pre-approval is required before a game can be launched and charge fees. In Sichuan, a pre-approval is issued by the provincial administration of press, publication, radio, film, and television. In Hubei, a pre-approval is issued by the provincial administration of press and publication. In other regions, a pre-approval is issued by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee or the administration of press, publication, radio, film, and television of the province, autonomous region, or municipality involved.
Religion
An entity that wants to publish or broadcast religious information or conduct religious activities on the Internet must obtain an Internet Religious Information Services Permit issued by the department of religious affairs of the province, autonomous region, or municipality where the entity resides, or the SARA. Regulatory authorities require pre-approvals for this industry.
Remarks or statements to be provided
For industries that involve pre-approvals, if the authority informs you that a pre-approval is not required, you can submit a regular ICP filing application for preliminary review. You must provide remarks or submit statements based on the feedback of the reviewer. The following table describes the content of the materials and how to provide the materials.
Material | Description | How to provide |
Remarks | You must include the name and landline number with the area code of the authority, and confirmation results in the remarks. | Log on to the Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing system, enter the ICP filing information in the Enter Website Information step, and then enter the remarks in the Remarks field below Pre-approval Type. |
Statements | The statements do not have a fixed format but must contain the following information:
| During the preliminary review, if the reviewer requires the statements, the reviewer informs you of an email address in the review comments or sends you an email. You can email the statements to the reviewer. |
If the remarks or statements are not acceptable based on the regulations of the local authority, you must apply for a pre-approval.
If your service name or service content involves content that requires a pre-approval, you must apply for a pre-approval. Otherwise, you must modify the service name or service content.