Hong Kong Passport Application

[KnowItAll]

Has anyone here applied for a Hong Kong SAR passport?

Just curious to figure out what the schedule was...

From what I gather, you apply for Chinese citizenship / naturalization and then apply for the passport once approved?

How long does the naturalization take?

[Native.Code]

Procedure and timing is:

- Naturalization as Chinese citizen will take 3-4 months depending if you have all the needed documents at hand

- Cancellation of old nationality. Depends on what nationality you have. Mine took 4 months.

- Apply for three-star HKID (2 weeks)

- Apply for passport (2 weeks)

What nationality do you hold?

[Aritaurus]

Procedure and timing is:

- Naturalization as Chinese citizen will take 3-4 months depending if you have all the needed documents at hand

- Cancellation of old nationality. Depends on what nationality you have. Mine took 4 months.

- Apply for three-star HKID (2 weeks)

- Apply for passport (2 weeks)

What nationality do you hold?

I'm just wondering - did they ask you for proof that you have renounced your former nationality before granting you Chinese citizenship ? Were you required to send to them a loss of nationality certificate ?

I plan to apply for citizenship in the future but I'm really wondering if you have to formally renounce your citizenship through your consulate. I know some governments will just make you sign a statement that you renounce all ties to your former country of citizenship which really has no effect to your citizenship status in the other country at all.

[Native.Code]

Yes.

They do want you to show the proof of cancellation of old nationality before they issue you certificate of Chinese nationality. They just send you a letter saying that your application for naturalization will be approved if you cancel your old nationality.

Also I guess they verify the cancellation certificate with your consulate in HK. And given that people from only few countries want HK passport, they know how the cancellation certificate from a particular country looks like

[KnowItAll]

Native Code - Indian passport here..

[mmsG]

KIA,

1) Apply for Chinese naturalization.
Processing time varies but expecting between 2-6 months.
2) HKIMMD will send a letter saying that you have to renounce the existing nationality and produce proof to them for issuing Chinese naturalization certificate.
3) Take this letter to Indian Consulate and renounce your Indian nationality. CGI will issue affidavit.(take 0.5-1 hr) Better do it in morning.
4) Take this affidavit to HKIMMD on same day afternoon. You need to sign a form to let HKIMMD requests your personal particulars in CGI. The HKIMMD will contact CGI by fax. (This could be done on same day. CGI will reply very quick. Just stand near the IMMD counter. For fastest trace, you can directly call CGI and tell them to reply back the HKIMMD's fax)
5) CGI will respond back by fax
6) The HKIMMD will call you to collect the naturalization Certificate.(If you stand near by, just by sign language).
7) The HKIMMD will issue the certification
8) Apply HKSAR passport(Same day also ok)
9) Apply HKID for ***. (You should have a chinese name for apply for China Home Return Card as the Chinese name is mandatory)
If you do pt-9 first then your HKSAR pp shoul also have Chinese name.
-----------------------------------------------
Apply for OCi (Overseas Citizenship of India)
Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI)

1) Call CGI and make appointment
2) Ask them what supporting docs need to submit.
------------------------------------------------
Apply for (China) Home Return Card

You cant carry your HKSAR pp to enter China. So you should apply this in CTS.
After you collect HKID ( the original one, not the paper one), you can submit the appln for HRC in CTS. Normal process time is 10 working days.
But in may case(for all naturalized chinese), it almost more than 3 months still not ready. And advised by CTS staff, it will take 120 days. I think its because of Olympic.

For my case:

1) Naturalization - 2~3 months
2) Renounce existing nationality - 0.5 day
3) Issue Chinese naturalized certificate & apply HKSAR passport - 0.5 day
4) HKID - depends on availabilty. (3 hrs)

[Native.Code]

Wow.. didn't Indian consulate was too quick to issue nationality cancellation certificate at the spot. I thought they needed to check with Home Affairs department back in India...

It took me 4 months to cancel my nationality. They had to check back home things like I am not wanted for a crime and if I owed anything to government.

Which kind of makes sense.

[KnowItAll]

>> You should have a chinese name for apply for China Home
>> Return Card

Now this sounds like the hardest part!

mmsG - thanks for the detailed reply. Looks like I now have to think about the whole renouncing the Indian citizenship part.

[mmsG]

KIA,

"Looks like I now have to think about the whole
renouncing the Indian citizenship part."

You can go head with HKSAR passport. You can have OCI too. I dont have chinese name in HKSAR pp but I should have one in HKID for China return card.

[mmsG]

Wow.. didn't Indian consulate was too quick to issue nationality cancellation certificate at the spot. I thought they needed to check with Home Affairs department back in India...

If the Indian PP issued in HKG, itz very quick. Normally, no checks with home affairs dept back in India.