Preparations before applying for an ICP filing - ICP Filing

To save time on the ICP filing process and to ensure a smooth approval, you can refer to this topic in advance to understand and prepare for the necessary steps before initiating the ICP filing.

Create an Alibaba Cloud account

You must use an Alibaba Cloud account to apply for an ICP filing in the Alibaba Cloud ICP Filing Management System. Therefore, create an Alibaba Cloud account in advance. For more information, see Create an Alibaba Cloud account to apply for an ICP filing.

Note

A single Alibaba Cloud account can only file for one entity (either an enterprise or an individual). If you need to file for multiple entities, you must submit ICP filing applications using different accounts.
The filing account does not necessarily need to undergo real-name verification. Even if the account is an individual account, it can still be used to file enterprise information.

Prepare a domain name

When performing ICP filing, you need to provide a domain name. Domains purchased from outside the Chinese mainland must be transferred to a registrar within the Chinese mainland before filing can occur. The domain must meet the following requirements:

The top-level domain (TLD) has been approved by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
The domain registrar has been approved by the MIIT.
The domain has passed real-name verification, and the domain real-name information (holder name, holder identification type, holder identification number) must match the information of the entity being filed.
- For individual filings, the domain holder information must be consistent with the filing subject information.
- For enterprise/organization filings, the domain holder information must also match the filing subject information. In some administrative regions, it is allowed for the domain registrant information to match the entity representative information of the filing.
The domain must be within its registration validity period and at least 45 days away from its expiration date. Some administrative regions may require a longer validity period.

For more information about how to prepare and check your domain name, see Prepare and check a domain.

Prepare a cloud server

To apply for an ICP filing, you must purchase an Alibaba Cloud server in the Chinese mainland. If a service identification number is in the Filed state, it cannot be used to apply for an ICP filing for another Internet information service. Service identification numbers cannot be refunded or reused.

If the current account has no cloud services supporting ICP filings, but another Alibaba enterprise account has cloud services that meet the ICP filing requirements, you can use an authorization service code from the other account to facilitate ICP filing for the current account. For more information, see (Optional) Authorize another Alibaba Cloud account for ICP filing.

Currently, Alibaba Cloud supports the following servers for ICP filing:

Cloud service	Requirements	Purchase link	Quantity of filings
ECS	The subscription ECS instance is deployed in the Chinese mainland. The instance is available for 3 months or longer, including any renewals. Enable public bandwidth for the instance.	Elastic Compute Service	5
Simple Application Server	The subscription server is deployed in the Chinese mainland. The server is available for 3 months or longer, including any renewals. Purchase an instance for the server.	Simple Application Server	5

Note

If the remaining duration of your subscription ECS instance does not meet the ICP filing requirements, renew it first.
The number of service identification numbers that can be applied for each server is fixed, and renewing the server will not increase the number of available service identification numbers. If you have reached the limit for the count of service identification numbers you can apply for, you will need to purchase a new server to obtain additional service identification numbers.

For more information about how to prepare a cloud server, see ICP filing server check.

ICP filing documents

If your ICP filing is for an individual, please prepare the documents in accordance with individual filing requirements.
If your ICP filing is for a government agency, public institution, enterprise, or social organization, please prepare the documents in accordance with enterprise or organization requirements.

Important

The system will determine the required documents based on the filing scenario. Upload the corresponding documents as prompted on the filing page.
- Required documents: Identity documents, business licenses, and other qualification certificates are mandatory and must be uploaded during the filing process.
- Supporting documents: These documents are supplementary and should be provided based on the filing scenario and the requirements of the provincial (city, region) authorities.
Images for upload must be in JPG, JPEG, PNG, or GIF format and between 200 KB and 4 MB in size.

View availability and timeliness requirements for documents

Availability requirements
- Clarity and completeness: To avoid blurriness caused by either the original image quality or system compression, ensure that the information in the images is clearly visible while minimizing file size as much as possible.
- Upload the latest original photos or color scans of your credentials (including complete borders).
  Do not upload copies, black-and-white scans, photos of displayed electronic versions of credentials (for example, taking a picture of an electronic document shown on a monitor), electronic credentials, or secondary scans.
- Timeliness requirements
  - Document validity (for example, ID cards or business licenses): From the date of submitting the ICP filing application, the remaining validity period of the documents should be ≥3 months.
  - Authorization letters and proof validity (for example, website manager authorization letters or change proofs): For all provinces and cities, the authorization letters and related proofs should be ≤3 months old from the date of issuance to the date of ICP filing submission.
  - Sichuan Province: Work certificates for ICP filings should be ≤45 days old from the date of issuance to the ICP filing submission date.
  - Hunan Province: Domain Name Certificates for ICP filings should be ≤45 days old from the date of issuance to the ICP filing submission date.
  - Hubei Province: Business operation descriptions for ICP filings should be ≤6 months old from the date of issuance to the ICP filing submission date.
  - Hebei Province: Authorization letters for ICP filings should be ≤6 months old from the date of issuance to the ICP filing submission date.

Individual filing

Document	Description	Guideline
Personal identification documents (originals)	Chinese mainland residents: National ID card Residents of Hong Kong (China) and Macau (China): Hong Kong/Macau Resident Permit or Home Return Permit Residents of Taiwan (China): Taiwan Resident Permit or Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents to Mainland China Residents of other countries or regions: Passport	Prepare these documents in advance.
Domain Name Certificate	Some provincial communications administrations require a Domain Name Certificate during the filing process to verify the compliance of domain registration information. Whether you need to provide one: Please consult the ICP filing regulations of the MIIT for different regions topic and click on the link for your specific province to confirm.	None
Handheld personal identification photo	Some provincial communications administrations require uploading a photo of the responsible person for Internet information services holding their ID card or household register. Whether you need to provide one: Please consult the ICP filing regulations of the MIIT for different regions topic and click on the link for your specific province to confirm.	None
Website Construction Proposal	Guangdong Province, Hubei Province communications administrations require that if the ICP filing entity has too many domains under it, a Website Construction Proposal must be provided. Hunan Province communications administration requires that a Website Construction Proposal for the domain being filed must be provided in both cases: when adding new filings under an existing entity and when adding new filings without an existing entity.	None
Temporary Residence Permit or Residence Permit	The Fujian Province communications administration requires that if the registered address of the applicant on the ID card does not match the province where the ICP filing is being applied for, the applicant must provide either the original or a color copy of their Temporary Residence Permit or Residence Permit.	Prepare these documents in advance.
Network Construction Proposal	For both new filings under an existing entity and new filings without an existing entity, if your filing includes a website, you need to provide a Network Construction Proposal for the domain being filed. The content of the Network Construction Proposal must include the following points: View details Website service content: Screenshots or design diagrams of the website content. Description of website sections and their content. Explanation of the purposes of multiple websites (or domains) and their extended usage. Networking construction: Equipment configuration, network structure, technology usage, and deployment situation. Network security and information management system: Cybersecurity defense measures. Information security management system and emergency response plan. Commitment statement: A statement committing that the filing information is true and valid, and that the website content complies with laws and regulations. If discrepancies in information, domain trading, or involvement in illegal activities are discovered, the website agrees to accept penalties such as closure, cancellation of filing, and being blacklisted. The commitment statement must be signed by the website responsible person and stamped with the official seal.	No fixed template. Please draft and complete the document according to the requirements related to website service content, network construction proposal, network security and information management system, and commitment statement.
Website Filing Commitment Letter	Henan Province communications administration requires the provision of a Website Filing Commitment Letter.	Download Website Filing Commitment Letter example.

Enterprise filing

Document	Description	Guideline
Entity representative identification document (original)	Chinese mainland residents: National ID card Residents of Hong Kong (China) and Macau (China): Hong Kong/Macau Resident Permit or Home Return Permit Residents of Taiwan (China): Taiwan Resident Permit or Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents to Mainland China Residents of other countries or regions: Passport Note For enterprise ICP filings, some provincial communications administrations require that the entity representative must be the legal representative. Please consult the specific requirements in the ICP filing regulations of the MIIT for different regions topic.	Prepare these documents in advance.
Entity identification document (original)	The qualification document of the entity, such as a business license.	Prepare these documents in advance.
Domain Name Certificate	Some provincial communications administrations require a Domain Name Certificate during the filing process to verify the compliance of domain registration information. Whether you need to provide one: Please consult the ICP filing regulations of the MIIT for different regions topic and click on the link for your specific province to confirm.	None
Handheld personal identification photo	Some provincial communications administrations require uploading a photo of the responsible person for Internet information services holding their ID card or household register. Whether you need to provide one: Please consult the ICP filing regulations of the MIIT for different regions topic and click on the link for your specific province to confirm.	None
Website Construction Proposal	Guangdong Province, Hubei Province communications administrations require that if the ICP filing entity has too many domains under it, a Website Construction Proposal must be provided. Hunan Province communications administration requires that a Website Construction Proposal for the domain being filed must be provided in both cases: when adding new filings under an existing entity and when adding new filings without an existing entity.	None
Temporary Residence Permit or Residence Permit	The Fujian Province communications administration requires that if the registered address of the applicant on the ID card does not match the province where the ICP filing is being applied for, the applicant must provide either the original or a color copy of their Temporary Residence Permit or Residence Permit.	Prepare these documents in advance.
Network Construction Proposal	For both new filings under an existing entity and new filings without an existing entity, if your filing includes a website, you need to provide a Network Construction Proposal for the domain being filed. The content of the Network Construction Proposal must include the following points: View details Website service content: Screenshots or design diagrams of the website content. Description of website sections and their content. Explanation of the purposes of multiple websites (or domains) and their extended usage. Networking construction: Equipment configuration, network structure, technology usage, and deployment situation. Network security and information management system: Cybersecurity defense measures. Information security management system and emergency response plan. Commitment statement: A statement committing that the filing information is true and valid, and that the website content complies with laws and regulations. If discrepancies in information, domain trading, or involvement in illegal activities are discovered, the website agrees to accept penalties such as closure, cancellation of filing, and being blacklisted. The commitment statement must be signed by the website responsible person and stamped with the official seal.	No fixed template. Please draft and complete the document according to the requirements related to website service content, network construction proposal, network security and information management system, and commitment statement.
Website Filing Commitment Letter	Henan Province communications administration requires the provision of a Website Filing Commitment Letter.	Download Website Filing Commitment Letter example.
Operational Description	Sichuan Province communications administration requires: If the enterprise/organization name, business scope, website name, or remarks contain the word "operational", there is no need to obtain an ICP license, but it is necessary to submit an Operational Description during the filing.	None
Letter of Authorization	Some provincial communications administrations require a Domain Name Certificate during the filing process to verify the compliance of domain registration information. Whether you need to provide one: Please consult the ICP filing regulations of the MIIT for different regions topic and click on the link for your specific province to confirm.	None
Compilation Office Certificate	Yunnan Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Heilongjiang Province, and Jiangxi Province communications administrations require that public institutions and government agencies must provide a Compilation Office Certificate issued by their superior authority when applying for ICP filing.	None
Change proof	If the enterprise/organization name has changed, a change proof issued by the provincial administrative department for industry and commerce must be provided during the ICP filing process.	None
Proof of domain registration for ICP filing of Internet information services	Some provincial and municipal communications administrations require that the domain must be registered under the enterprise. For domains registered under an individual, a proof of domain registration for ICP filing of Internet information services must be provided.	None

Learn about ICP filing regulations

Due to differing requirements from various provincial communication administrations, the required documents may vary. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the filing rules of each province, autonomous region, and municipality, or visit the MIIT ICP Filing Management System for more detailed information.

(Optional) Obtain a pre-approval

If your ICP filing involves Internet information services related to the news, publishing, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices industries, you must complete pre-approval before filing and provide the corresponding pre-approval documents during the filing application process.

For more information about the industries that require pre-approvals and relevant instructions, see Pre-approval.