Passport of China

A PRC passport is an official document that certifies the identity of a Chinese citizen and allows to travel both within and abroad the country. On the front cover in dark burgundy color, depicts the coat of arms of the Asian state, as well as inscriptions in Chinese and English.

How long is a passport valid?

The validity of the passport depends on the age of its holder (applicants under 16 years old are issued an identity card for 5 years, over 16 years old – for 10 years).

Since 15.05.12, a biometric passport has been issued in Beijing. The burgundy document allows the holder to enjoy all the rights granted to citizens of the People's Republic of China and move freely throughout the country. According to the "Chinese" passport, one can enter 40 visa-free countries.

How to get a PRC passport

In China, the passporting procedure has its own specifics. The authorities of the Asian state issue several formats of identity cards – "ordinary", "official", "diplomatic" and a document that is valid only in certain regions (Hong Kong and Macau).

An ordinary passport, which visually resembles a standard plastic card, is issued by the police departments of the People's Republic of China. Applicants receive the "official" document from the department that supervises China's public security issues. A diplomatic passport is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the passport of the special administrative region is issued by the authorities of Hong Kong and Macau.

One can apply for Chinese citizenship:

• by right of birth (if the child was born in one of the provinces of the People's Republic of China or his father or mother is a resident of the Asian state); 
• through marriage with a citizen of the People's Republic of China (passport can be obtained 5 years after the registration of the family union); 
• by naturalization (a passport can be obtained after 10 years of residence in the country, shorter terms are provided for businessmen, large investors and representatives of demanded specialties);
• through family reunification (if there are relatives who have the resident status of the country – parents, children, sisters and brothers, spouses);
• for a special contribution to the development of science, culture and sports of the Asian state.

Applicants for Chinese citizenship are obliged to strictly comply with the legislation of the People's Republic of China, pay taxes in due time, have stable sources of income, know the language, culture and traditions of the country and document the absence of criminal records.

How to get Chinese Citizenship

The procedure for obtaining Chinese citizenship includes the following stages:

1. Moving to the country on an immigrant visa.
2. Obtaining permanent residence in the country.
3. Preparation and collection of documents to the authorized body (regional public security offices or Chinese consulates – if the application is submitted outside the PRC).
4. Waiting for the results of document review.
5. Presentation of the passport in a solemn ceremony. 

To which countries people can travel without a visa with Chinese passport?

This list includes, for example, Cuba, Iran, UAE, Thailand, Tunisia. As for the "European destination", the entry permit will have to be issued for Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany.

The citizenship law

The regulatory legal act, which entered into force on September 10, 1990, regulates the conditions for granting and revoking Chinese citizenship. Both procedures are of declarative nature. In 2024, Chinese citizenship is granted to:

• permanent residents in the territory of the Asian state;
• people who have close relatives in the PRC;
• people who have alternative grounds.

Resident status of the PRC can be revoked if the applicant lives abroad most of the time or wants to move to relatives who are territorially outside the Chinese state. Personnel military and civil servants cannot refuse the status of a resident of the People's Republic of China.

The law prohibits a Chinese citizen from having a second citizenship.

Documents for the passport

To issue a passport of a citizen of the People's Republic of China, the relocator must provide:

• application; 
• international passport; 
• photo (3.3 x 4.8 cm);
• a health certificate confirming the absence of diseases that are dangerous to society;
• police clearance certificate;
• a document confirming financial security (bank statement, salary certificate);
• biometric data (fingerprints identify the applicant);
• application for renunciation of original citizenship; 
• documents proving the fact of outstanding contribution to the scientific, cultural or sports activities of the PRC. 

Depending on the grounds for granting resident status, the above list of documents may decrease or increase.

According to the information provided on the website of the National Immigration administration Office of the People's Republic of China, after the approval of the candidate for Chinese citizenship, the candidate automatically loses the status of a resident of his/ her native country.

Documents addressed to public security departments (or consulates) must not only be translated into Chinese, but also legalized. But it should be noted that China does not provide for the possibility of simplified legalization of applications and certificates.

Consular legalization of documents

The authorities of the Asian country oblige applicants to comply with the procedure of consular legalization of documents. At the initial stage, they are translated into Chinese and certified by a notary. Then the documents are signed by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after which they are certified by a representative of the Chinese consulate. 

How much does a Chinese passport cost?

Since the legalization of documents required to obtain a Chinese passport is a rather complicated and lengthy procedure, it is better to entrust it to professionals. The cost of a standard set of documents depends on your country. The set includes police clearance certificate, bank statement, marriage certificate, diploma.

The cost of services of intermediary companies often includes: notarization of copies, translation, state fees for notarization and apostille of certificates and extracts in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the Chinese embassy. Courier services are additionally paid. The legalization procedure takes, on average, from 2 to 3 weeks.

In China, there are no programs under which a passport is issued in exchange for investment in the national economy.

Fast Track Status in China

A shorter period for obtaining permanent residence in China is provided for certain categories of applicants. In particular, this rule applies to investors who are ready to invest in local companies from $500,000 in small regions and from $2 million in large cities (Beijing, Shanghai, etc.). For a certain period of time (from 3 to 5 years – depending on the selected location), they must maintain their own capital investments.

As for the purchase of real estate in the PRC, such a transaction cannot be regarded as an extraordinary right to receive permanent residence. But when purchasing expensive housing worth more than $500,000, the Chinese authorities can classify such a transaction as an “investment in the national economy” and speed up the procedure for applying for permanent resident status in the country.