Beijing police expand online services to improve public convenience

To address the public's common needs, particularly in areas such as visa and document processing, Beijing police are improving both online and in-person services to help residents save time and reduce travel costs.

According to the legal department of the Beijing Public Security Bureau, a range of services, including proof of kinship, certificates of no criminal record and passes for border management areas, can now be completed entirely online. Since the beginning of the year, more than 72 million transactions have been handled this way, accounting for 96.3 percent of the total.

In addition to launching a dedicated section on its official WeChat account for certificate applications, the department said police officers across the city have also been visiting residential communities to introduce the services in person. These efforts have reached 15 million people and helped raise public awareness and use of online services.

The time required for applicants from outside Beijing to replace or renew their identity cards has been reduced to 15 working days. For Beijing residents transferring their household registration to other provinces, the processing time has been cut to five working days, significantly reducing the time and travel costs involved in cross-regional procedures, the department said.

At the public security service section of the Xicheng district government service center, for example, residents can access 122 police services covering areas including exit-entry administration, household registration, public order, traffic management, cybersecurity and narcotics control at a single service window. Each window is connected to both police and government service networks, allowing services to be integrated, according to the department.

The Xicheng branch has continued to improve its service standards and provide regular business training for staff. This helps ensure that employees are familiar with different services, can clearly answer public inquiries and can process residents' requests efficiently.

The branch has also installed 24-hour self-service machines that provide services such as identity card applications and collections, as well as inquiries about exit-entry records. The machines fill a gap in service availability outside regular office hours.

Residents visiting the branch can also use additional facilities, including wheelchairs, umbrellas, medical kits, multilingual AI translators and wireless charging stations.