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Is it possible for non Chinese to hold BNO and SAR passport at the same time?

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  1. #1

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    Is it possible for non Chinese to hold BNO and SAR passport at the same time?

    Dear Mates,
    I am a bit confused. I am not a Hong Kong born nor my parents are chinese. I have been living in Hong Kong for the past 25 Years. I am a holder of SAR Passport and got Hong Kong Permanent ID Card.
    My Question is can I get SAR Passport while having BNO?
    Many Thanks


  2. #2

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    let see if i am understanding you correctly - you have HKSAR passport but no BNO and is thinking about getting a BNO passport?

    i think the biggest difficulty is that you are late by about 15 years - you cannot get a BNO anymore since 1st july 1997


  3. #3

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    If you have the BNO, getting an SAR passport really makes no sense. In reality, the BNO offers you visa free access to more countries (Fact), and since you cannot get a home return permit, even that benefit is not available. Many Locals hold both passports, but if you are not CHinese, then just keep the BNO.

    However, what other passport do you have? If you only had the BNO, you might qualify for full British Nationality.


  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by packy_crusher:
    If you have the BNO, getting an SAR passport really makes no sense. In reality, the BNO offers you visa free access to more countries (Fact),
    Are you sure about that as I heard that people with SAR passport can get visa free access better than the BNO for example like Europe, if they have a visa for a certain country they can assess other EU where as the BNO needs to apply for each individual country. Well this is what my friend told me when she was in EU, she said the BNO sucked, she rather go back to HK to pick up the SAR and go back to EU.

    I just checked seems having both is better
    Last edited by wtbhotia; 18-06-2012 at 08:06 AM. Reason: just both visa free status
    star-anise likes this.

  5. #5

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    Sir,
    what am saying is I have got BNO, is it legally allowed by HK immigration to get SAR as well.
    Thanks


  6. #6

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    are you a chinese citizen?


  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by packy_crusher:
    If you have the BNO, getting an SAR passport really makes no sense. In reality, the BNO offers you visa free access to more countries (Fact), and since you cannot get a home return permit, even that benefit is not available. Many Locals hold both passports, but if you are not CHinese, then just keep the BNO.

    However, what other passport do you have? If you only had the BNO, you might qualify for full British Nationality.
    BNO is not the same as a full British passport from what I gathered. SAR passport is more useful.

    A friend of mine holding BNO passport was told by the British High Commission to seek assistance from Chinese Embassy since he is technically a Chinese citizen. Upon seeing the BNO passport, the Chinese Embassy told him to seek assistance from British HC instead. He was being thrown around and waited until both Embassies reached a common solution to help him. Upon arrival in HK, he immediately applied for HK SAR passport and ditched his BNO.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by chen2012:
    Sir,
    what am saying is I have got BNO, is it legally allowed by HK immigration to get SAR as well.
    Thanks
    It is legal and common. Chinese national residents of Hong Kong are permitted to hold non-Chinese passports as "travel documents." Chinese nationality law, as applied to Hong Kong, is different from the law as it is applied to the mainland in that Chinese nationality needs to be affirmatively lost - you don't lose it by naturalization, but have the renounce it.

    see the second and fourth items of the NPCSC's interpretation of the Nationality Law: GovHK: Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China

  9. #9

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    Jun 2012
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    Extremly sorry for repeating Question, but please do reply
    Dear Mates,
    I am a bit confused. I am not a Hong Kong born nor my parents are chinese. I have been living in Hong Kong for the past 25 Years. I am a holder of BNO Passport and got Hong Kong Permanent ID Card.
    My Question is can I get SAR Passport while having BNO?

    Many Thanks


  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by carbacca:

    i think the biggest difficulty is that you are late by about 15 years - you cannot get a BNO anymore since 1st july 1997
    your question have already been answered.
    Last edited by dumbdonkey; 18-06-2012 at 11:00 AM.

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