Becoming Chinese

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  1. #11

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    One might wonder what happens if you renounce your citizenship and then apply to get it back the following year...

    Or if one happens to already have dual citizenship and the renounces only one...


  2. #12

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    Can't answer for other nationalities but for UK you can renounce and reapply for citizenship but only once.


  3. #13

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    not so easy for the US - I guess to reapply would be "to (re-)naturalise"

    I know that for some European countries it also depends on why you renounced the citizenship in the first


  4. #14

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    The Chinese are really particular when it comes to what means what here. As Jaykay wrote, if you are born in HK with some percentage of Chinese blood, then you can easily acquire a HKSAR passport (and thereby Chinese citizenship, Hong Kong is not a state and therefore has no citizenship) even if you happen to have already two other passports. Say, Swedish and Canadian. This is because the PRC considers these passports to be travel documents only, not proof of foreign citizenship. They will consider you to be a foreign citizen only if you previously renounced your Chinese citizenship (i.e. you were born in HK to Chinese parents and then emigrated to Germany and got naturalised there). In this case, however, your easy road to a HKSAR passport is also gone. One important consequence is, btw, that if you're dual passport holder and you get into legal trouble either in HK or on the mainland, you will not be considered eligible for consular help.

    About the renounce-and-get-it-back approach, I don't know about any European country where this is easy, but I might be wrong. Countries with high emigration (say, Philippines) allow this. In Turkey it is really easy, you walk into your consulate, sign the renouncing form, go to immigration, get your new citizenship, go back to your (former) consulate, say "I've made up my mind", and here comes your new passport. Got a lot of Turks in Germany into trouble since the German government nullifies your German citizenship if they find out about this.

    I doubt it is worth it, though. It is not like a US citizenship that gives you the right of abode and work and vote anywhere in the US. Even with Chinese citizenship and mainland residency (i.e. PRC passport) you still will need a lot of permits if you wanna move somewhere, work there etc.. Of course they'll most likely be granted, but it is not necessarily less hassle than getting a visa.

    Last edited by er2; 14-11-2008 at 11:28 AM.

  5. #15

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    Presumably though you can't just turn up and expect to get it - I imagine you must have a pretty good reason for asking

    Probably need to have ROA for a start I'd have thought... ?


  6. #16

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    Presumably. Maybe there is a shortcut of you are married to a local. But it is like this - or more difficult - anywhere in the world. Given how easy it is to get ROA here, that shouldn't be too much of a problem.


  7. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by er2:
    One important consequence is, btw, that if you're dual passport holder and you get into legal trouble either in HK or on the mainland, you will not be considered eligible for consular help.
    ..which is why (at least Canadian dual citizens) are strongly urged to enter country X on their Canadian passport, to gain consular help if needed

  8. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by timklip:
    ..which is why (at least Canadian dual citizens) are strongly urged to enter country X on their Canadian passport, to gain consular help if needed
    China does not recognise another citizenship, if you are a Chinese citizen of course, regardless of which passport you use to enter. So they would refuse consular protection.

  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by er2:
    Presumably. Maybe there is a shortcut of you are married to a local. But it is like this - or more difficult - anywhere in the world. Given how easy it is to get ROA here, that shouldn't be too much of a problem.
    No shortcut. You still have to wait 7 years for PR just like everyone else.

  10. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by timklip:
    ..which is why (at least Canadian dual citizens) are strongly urged to enter country X on their Canadian passport, to gain consular help if needed
    seriously tho, if you are standing at the embassy with your passport they would not help you?
    I can understand if one committed a crime (was told when I applied for other nationalities that I would no longer be protected - extradicted - in the event I commited a crime as I would be considered a citizen subject to that country's laws - not that I had any intent to do so!)

    but in the event of an evacuation ?