To obtain Chinese citizenship, an applicant must be born in the country and have an ethnic affiliation with the local people. Registration of status is also possible for naturalized foreigners who meet the residence qualification and the requirements for the applicant listed in the legislation. To obtain Chinese citizenship, the applicant must submit a package of documents to local city and county public security bureaus or diplomatic missions of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) abroad. China’s migration policy is strict, due to the problem of overpopulation and limiting the flow of immigrants.
The conditions for obtaining a Chinese passport for foreigners and other applicants are presented in the Citizenship Law – “中华人民共和国国籍法”, as well as the regulations “On the management of entry and exit”, “Rules for the management of the review and approval of permanent residence permits of foreign citizens in the territory of the PRC” . Chinese citizenship allows an immigrant to permanently reside in the territory of a state that ranks 2nd in terms of GDP in the world, has good medicine, high safety indicators and a low cost of living. In this article we talk about ways to obtain a Chinese passport, terms and prices.
Benefits of a Chinese passport
Being a Chinese citizen and passport gives the holder access to the following benefits:
- unlimited stay in a country with a stable economy and developed labor market;
- the right to official employment, study at local universities, business registration, purchase of residential and commercial real estate;
- access to social guarantees, benefits, benefits due to age or health status;
- the opportunity to vote and nominate oneself in elections at various levels;
- state assistance and protection in the country and abroad;
- the prospect of obtaining Chinese citizenship for relatives.
Chinese citizenship allows you to visit only 84 countries without a visa, with Canada, the USA, EU territories, Russia and Ukraine not included in this list.
What is needed to obtain Chinese citizenship status?
Requests from individuals wishing to obtain a Chinese passport are considered on an individual basis, but in most cases the following requirements are imposed on adult applicants:
- availability of the right to permanent residence in the PRC and/or family ties with local citizens;
- no tax arrears;
- no criminal record, including in other states;
- sufficient income to support yourself and family members;
- knowledge of Chinese at a conversational level;
- compliance with the Constitution of the Republic;
- absence of diseases that can cause serious harm to the local population;
- intention to live permanently in China after the request is approved.
Legal ways to obtain a Chinese passport
Articles 4–7 of the Citizenship Law of the People’s Republic of China provide for the right to obtain a local passport to close relatives of local permanent residents, holders of permanent residence status and children by birthright. Persons can also apply for naturalization for other reasons that are not specified by the legislative framework and require separate consideration and verification by authorized bodies in each specific case.
Birthright
Chinese citizenship is automatically assigned to a child born on the territory of the republic whose father or mother (or both family members) have a local passport. For children born abroad into a Chinese family (at least one of them), this status is granted only if it is also not registered in another country. A child who was born on the territory of the republic into a stateless family or whose nationality could not be established can apply for a Chinese passport.
Family reunification
Foreigners who are close relatives of holders of Chinese passports or resident cards can apply for Chinese citizenship, for example:
- parents;
- spouses;
- children;
- brothers and sisters.
The host must be over 18 years of age and have the right to permanent residence in the PRC. Family reunification with other relatives (usually over 60 years old) is possible for objective reasons – for example, if they require care. Spouses of local citizens first apply for Chinese permanent residence, which they have the right to apply for after 5 years of legal marriage and the same period of residence in the republic (the applicant must stay in China for at least 9 months a year).
Based on the right of permanent residence, applicants request naturalization in China. The main documents confirming the basis for obtaining citizenship through family reunification are evidence of family ties (for example, a marriage or birth certificate) and an identity card of the receiving party.
Naturalization
A foreigner who has the right to permanent residence in the republic and wishes to comply with the Constitution and laws of the state can become a citizen of China. To obtain permanent residence status, an immigrant must meet one of the following conditions:
- direct investment in the local economy for 36 months or more (the amount of the contribution is determined by administrative regions on an individual basis);
- work for at least 4 years in a position that is promising for the republic (for example, researchers, directors and their deputies);
- making outstanding contributions to the interests and/or development of the state;
- family reunification with the persons listed in the paragraphs above, or with local citizens.
Requests for permanent residence and subsequent naturalization from foreigners who reside in the republic with a residence permit, but do not meet one of the conditions listed above, are not accepted. The period for granting each of these statuses can be changed in accordance with the requirements of the relevant administrative unit – for example, in Hong Kong, immigrants can only obtain the right to permanent residence 7 years after legal relocation.
China’s strict immigration laws limit the ability of foreigners to legalize themselves in the republic , and local authorities often refuse to grant citizenship to applicants.
How to obtain Chinese citizenship: step-by-step instructions
To become a naturalized citizen of China, a foreigner must move to the republic on the basis of an immigrant visa, after a while – request the right to permanent residence, and then apply for citizenship. The applicant will need to ensure that they meet the applicant requirements and renounce their previous citizenship in their home country.
Registration of an immigrant visa and permanent residence
To qualify for subsequent naturalization, the applicant must move to China on an immigrant visa. An entry permit with the right to obtain a residence permit is issued to representatives of in-demand professions, highly qualified specialists, investors, students, and international talents. Family members of Chinese or holders of permanent residence status in the republic can also obtain residency.
The applicant submits a request for an immigrant visa to the consular office or diplomatic mission of China in the territory of the country of residence. The residence permit is valid for 1–5 years, depending on the basis on which it is requested. An immigrant can obtain the right to permanent residence after 3–4 years (except for family reunification) of legal stay in China and if he meets one of the criteria for granting permanent residence.
Collection and preparation of documents
The owner of a Chinese permanent residence permit can apply for naturalization in the republic. To apply to the authorized bodies, an adult applicant should prepare originals and photocopies of the following documents:
- birth certificate;
- resident card;
- ID card (foreign passport);
- confirmation of the period of residence in the republic (individually);
- application for renunciation of previous citizenship.
When reuniting a family, the applicant attaches certificates confirming the necessary family ties, as well as a passport or permanent residence permit of the receiving party. When applying for citizenship for other reasons, the applicant must provide evidence of their weight. Documents issued abroad must be translated into Chinese and affixed with an apostille.
Applying for citizenship
The authorities that accept citizenship applications are local city and county public security bureaus in China, as well as diplomatic missions and consular offices in foreign countries. A foreigner fills out a nationalization form in the PRC in Chinese – ID 87 5, a sample of which, as well as instructions for filling out, can be found on the official website of the Immigration Department.
The applicant attaches a dossier to the application, according to the basis for obtaining citizenship, and a receipt for payment of the state fee. The applicant must also demonstrate proficiency in Chinese at a conversational level by passing the HSK 1 test.
Waiting for a response and becoming a citizen
The Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China is responsible for reviewing and approving applications for Chinese citizenship. There are no specific deadlines for processing requests for 2023 under Chinese legislation. There is no provision for checking the status of consideration of an application for citizenship. If the decision is positive, the applicant is invited to the appropriate public security bureau and receives a certificate of naturalization by paying a state fee for it.
Terms and cost of obtaining Chinese citizenship
Persons wishing to obtain Chinese citizenship through the general naturalization procedure should be prepared that the procedure will take at least 5 years. The exception is for applicants making a request through family reunification. In some administrative regions, obtaining citizenship can take 7–10 years.
The basic government fee costs for the naturalization process are shown in the table below.
| Expense item | Cost, $ |
|---|---|
| Immigrant visa | 120 |
| Resident card | 55–140 |
| Application for permanent residence | 208 |
| Permanent Resident Certificate | 42 |
| Application for citizenship | 7 |
| Certificate of Naturalization | 27 |
You can calculate how much it costs to obtain the status of a Chinese citizen by summing up the costs of moving, legalization in the republic, living for 5–10 years, renting real estate, translator and notary services.
Chinese passport: how to get it after obtaining citizenship
A naturalized Chinese citizen has the right to obtain an identity card. This document looks like a plastic card, which contains the owner’s personal data (full name, individual number, photo, gender, ethnicity, date of birth), place of registration, as well as expiration date and place of issue. An electronic chip is integrated into the ID, on which the immigrant’s fingerprints are stored in encrypted form.
To obtain a Chinese internal passport, a foreigner applies to the public security authority at his place of permanent residence, fills out a registration form, provides a certificate of nationalization, a resident card, a receipt for payment of a state fee of 2.7 USD, and undergoes a fingerprinting procedure. The period for consideration of the request is up to 60 working days. The internal passport of the People’s Republic of China is valid:
- 5 years – for applicants under 16;
- 10 years – for persons aged 16 to 25;
- 20 years – for applicants aged 26–45;
- indefinitely – for people over 46 years old.
A foreigner also has the right to request a document for traveling abroad. This document is issued by the Exit-Entry Management Agency of Public Security Agencies of local people’s governments at the county level or above, which are approved by the National Immigration Administration.
The basic dossier for obtaining a Chinese passport looks like this:
- photo of a standard sample;
- application completed in Chinese;
- resident identification card;
- internal passport;
- additional documents (for example, permission from the place of work from civil servants, or a certificate of a military officer).
The receiving authority collects fingerprint information as needed. The applicant attaches a receipt for payment of the state fee in the amount of 16 USD to the basic dossier. After submitting documents, the immigrant is given a receipt of acceptance of the application, with which he can check its status during the processing period.
The authorized bodies are given from 7 to 30 days to make a decision on the request, depending on the administrative region. It is possible to urgently produce a document within 5 days in exceptional cases. The Chinese citizen’s foreign passport approved for issue is collected by the applicant from the exit-entry management bureau of the public security authorities at the request of the person, delivered by express mail or other means.
Dual Chinese Citizenship
Dual and second citizenship is prohibited by Chinese law. Persons wishing to purchase a Chinese passport by naturalization must relinquish their previous ID. If a Chinese person obtains a similar status abroad, his status in the PRC will be cancelled. The legislation of the republic does not provide information on the mandatory notification by the authorities of the homeland of a naturalized applicant about obtaining Chinese citizenship.