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Uk passport but have a China Return home card but no china passport

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  1. #41

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    I've never flown directly from UK to China but have done from a lot of other countries. I'm not sure if specifically there are automatic gates in Shanghai as I normally fly in and out of Guangzhou but yes they can be used with HRP, not even sure you need to register it anymore.

    When you arrive in China, just follow the signs for Chinese citizens/nationals.

    To re-iterate what other posters have said, don't worry, they already know. If they ask to see your passport then show it, if they don't ask then don't.

    Edit: The automatic gates work with the old version of HRP also.


  2. #42

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    Nov 2019
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    Thanks again Si001. Appreciate the reassurance

    Save myself a trip to the embassy .


  3. #43

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    Nov 2019
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    Sorry for bumping a week old thread, but I registered just to reply to this since it seems there's still a bit of confusion.

    For background I'm a dual HK/Canada national who was born in mainland China. I flew SFO to PVG via YVR on Air Canada in 2016 and this was my experience:

    1. SFO check in: machine initially wouldn't print my boarding pass due to not having a Chinese visa, but after some finagling I somehow got it to print
    2. Got paged at the gate to verify documents; showed gate agent my first gen HRP (non-biometric, no English) and there were no further questions
    3. On arrival at PVG, used Chinese citizen's line and showed HRP; was asked which flight I arrived on but DID NOT need to show any passport
    4. Hotel registration, train ticket purchasing and all other activities of the sort were easily handled with my HRP (hotel registration additionally required HKID)
    5. Flying out from PVG, showed Chinese exit immigration my HRP but was asked for a passport. Showed my Canadian passport and lady was completely unfazed. Proceeded to stamp my boarding pass and cleared me in under 30 seconds. (my HK passport had expired for 2 years already, besides I didn't have a US visa anyway so it wouldn't have done me any good)
    6. On arrival at YVR, went through CBP pre-clearance with Canadian passport. CBP agent asked if I was a dual national since I didn't have any Chinese visa or entry/exit stamps, answered yes and that was it.

    I too was super anxious at the time since there were so many inconsistent stories on the web. But having gone through this once myself (with an expired HK passport no less), operationally it really is quite simple and there's no need to be nervous. My mom who does an annual YYZ to PVG trip once even got an inexperienced/trainee exit immigration agent at PVG who apparently had never seen an HRP before who asked her "what's this??" A senior officer immediately stepped in and told him "she's a Hong Konger, just let her go" and that was that.

    Morrison, shri, hongkong7 and 2 others like this.

  4. #44

    Join Date
    Nov 2019
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    15
    Quote Originally Posted by canmist:
    Sorry for bumping a week old thread, but I registered just to reply to this since it seems there's still a bit of confusion.

    For background I'm a dual HK/Canada national who was born in mainland China. I flew SFO to PVG via YVR on Air Canada in 2016 and this was my experience:

    1. SFO check in: machine initially wouldn't print my boarding pass due to not having a Chinese visa, but after some finagling I somehow got it to print
    2. Got paged at the gate to verify documents; showed gate agent my first gen HRP (non-biometric, no English) and there were no further questions
    3. On arrival at PVG, used Chinese citizen's line and showed HRP; was asked which flight I arrived on but DID NOT need to show any passport
    4. Hotel registration, train ticket purchasing and all other activities of the sort were easily handled with my HRP (hotel registration additionally required HKID)
    5. Flying out from PVG, showed Chinese exit immigration my HRP but was asked for a passport. Showed my Canadian passport and lady was completely unfazed. Proceeded to stamp my boarding pass and cleared me in under 30 seconds. (my HK passport had expired for 2 years already, besides I didn't have a US visa anyway so it wouldn't have done me any good)
    6. On arrival at YVR, went through CBP pre-clearance with Canadian passport. CBP agent asked if I was a dual national since I didn't have any Chinese visa or entry/exit stamps, answered yes and that was it.

    I too was super anxious at the time since there were so many inconsistent stories on the web. But having gone through this once myself (with an expired HK passport no less), operationally it really is quite simple and there's no need to be nervous. My mom who does an annual YYZ to PVG trip once even got an inexperienced/trainee exit immigration agent at PVG who apparently had never seen an HRP before who asked her "what's this??" A senior officer immediately stepped in and told him "she's a Hong Konger, just let her go" and that was that.
    Thanks Canmist. I was considering going to the Visa centre just to avoid the hassle of being stopped at customs questioning my HRP. But after reading your reply i am now assured that I don't need one and can just use my HRP and queue up at the locals line when entering immigration.

    I will post again after my trip to Shanghai and let you guys know of my experience going through using my HRP and having a UK passport.


    Thanks again to all that replied to my thread

  5. #45

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    Wow... what a highly complicated thread for what is actually quite a simple matter. Anyways, hope #43’s assurance allays the fear now.

    Dual nationality for HK passport holders are recognised, and HRP is a valid travel document into Mainland China. Simple as that.

    Immigration & airlines couldn’t give a toss about your nationality, but just your eligibility to cross the border. With airlines, this includes a passport check before your departure from China to make sure you are eligible to enter your destination (USA, Canada, UK, wherever). If not, they are fined.

    You otherwise don’t physically need a passport on you if entering China with an HRP. Again, none of their business and actually they couldn’t care less.


  6. #46

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    Mar 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by tparker:
    Wow... what a highly complicated thread for what is actually quite a simple matter. Anyways, hope #43’s assurance allays the fear now.

    Dual nationality for HK passport holders are recognised, and HRP is a valid travel document into Mainland China. Simple as that.

    Immigration & airlines couldn’t give a toss about your nationality, but just your eligibility to cross the border. With airlines, this includes a passport check before your departure from China to make sure you are eligible to enter your destination (USA, Canada, UK, wherever). If not, they are fined.

    You otherwise don’t physically need a passport on you if entering China with an HRP. Again, none of their business and actually they couldn’t care less.
    You don't even understand the concept of dual nationality.
    And for China, there is no dual nationality, it's Chinese nationality, only.

  7. #47

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    Quote Originally Posted by Morrison:
    You don't even understand the concept of dual nationality.
    And for China, there is no dual nationality, it's Chinese nationality, only.
    What is there to get? You can hold an HK passport and one from another country without any problems (yes... I know there are exceptions and there are a bunch of criteria for what constitutes eligibility of the Chinese Nationality Law - but my point is it's not necessary to over complicate the matter). Unlike PRC passports, where one can be scrutinised for having foreign nationality, there is no reason for such scrutiny to HK passport holders.

    And yes, an HK passport is Chinese nationality. I'm not suggesting anything to the contrary. However, they are different passports... and are treated differently by immigration entities.

    ... but again, an over-complication of the matter as travel into Mainland China with HRP has nothing to do with passport, and therefore it's irrelevant.

    The bigger issue is encountering certain airline staff who don't know what an HRP is, and being questioned at check-in, especially with the old pink versions that contained no English. The UK have been OK with this; oddly enough the only major issue ever encountered was in Malaysia, by an ethnically Chinese check-in lady who (presumably) could read also.

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