Interim travel document during Chinese naturalisation in 2026
Yes. If the passport you are renouncing is expiring, or has already been handed back to the relevant diplomatic representative for cancellation, while your naturalisation application is still being processed, the Hong Kong Immigration Department says you may apply for a HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes and use it as an interim measure for urgent travel outside Hong Kong. That position comes from the Immigration Department's "Frequently Asked Questions about Chinese Nationality" page, as of October 2026.
This article summarises published official information for general reference only; it is not advice on any individual case, and an outcome that turns on your own documents, timing and destination needs to be checked against the latest official publication or a qualified professional.
Who actually needs an interim travel document?
The problem is a timing gap between two processes that rarely finish together. On one side, the Immigration Department has issued a confirmation letter saying it will grant the "Certificate of Naturalisation as a Chinese National" once you produce documentary proof that you no longer hold, or have already renounced, your foreign nationality, and have paid the application fee in full. On the other side, the consulate handling your renunciation has not yet issued its result.
Take a hypothetical applicant: the renunciation is pending, the foreign passport is weeks from expiry or has been surrendered for cancellation, and a trip outside Hong Kong cannot be postponed. By then the applicant has no usable passport for the journey, and no Chinese travel document yet, because the certificate itself is conditional. The Department's answer to that exact question is the HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes.
Why can't the foreign passport simply be kept?
Because of how the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China treats dual nationality. Citing Article 3 and Article 8, the Department's FAQ states that the People's Republic of China does not recognise dual nationality for any Chinese national, and that a person whose application for naturalisation as a Chinese national has been approved shall not retain foreign nationality.
For restoration cases the same non-recognition rule applies, with the FAQ citing Article 3 and Article 13 instead. So the foreign passport is not something the applicant can hold on to alongside the new status — which is precisely why the passport's expiry or cancellation creates a travel problem rather than a minor inconvenience.
What does the HKSAR Document of Identity do in this window?
It fills the travel gap. The FAQ describes it as an interim measure to facilitate urgent travel while the naturalisation application is being processed, and directs applicants to the Department's own page on the Application for HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes for details of the document. The FAQ also notes that applicants who run into further travel difficulties during the interim period may consult their case officer.
What the nationality FAQ does not do is set out the application mechanics — the form, supporting papers, and how long the document remains valid are matters for the Department's Document of Identity page, and official pages do change. Treat the current official publication as the controlling version.
Does the same arrangement cover restoration of Chinese nationality?
Yes, with the same condition. The FAQ gives restoration applicants the same route: if the passport of the nationality being renounced is expiring or has been returned to the relevant diplomatic representative for cancellation, and an urgent trip outside Hong Kong is needed during processing, the HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes can be applied for as an interim measure.
The underlying scenario is slightly different from naturalisation — the confirmation letter refers to a "Certificate of Restoration of Chinese Nationality" rather than a Certificate of Naturalisation — but the travel fix is the same one.
What if you are a Chinese national who simply holds a foreign passport?
Different situation, different rule. According to the FAQ, Hong Kong residents of Chinese descent born in Chinese territories, including Hong Kong, are Chinese nationals even if they hold or have held a foreign passport for travel. Such Chinese nationals of the HKSAR with a right of abode abroad may use the relevant foreign government documents for travelling.
The trade-off is consular protection. The FAQ is explicit that holders are not entitled to consular protection in the HKSAR or other parts of the People's Republic of China on account of holding those documents. British citizenship acquired by Chinese nationals in Hong Kong through the British Nationality Selection Scheme is not recognised either; those holders remain Chinese nationals and are not entitled to British consular protection in the HKSAR or the rest of the People's Republic of China.
A person who wants to be treated as a foreign national in the HKSAR may, with valid supporting documents, apply to the Immigration Department for a change of nationality. Approval means the person is no longer regarded as a Chinese national and can enjoy consular protection from the country of the changed nationality, but the FAQ warns that the change may affect the right of abode in the HKSAR, and refers readers to questions 4 and 12 of its Right of Abode FAQ for details.
What to line up before you book the trip
- Check the actual status of your current passport: expiry date, or proof that it has been returned for cancellation.
- Keep the Department's confirmation letter, since it records the conditions attached to your certificate.
- Keep whatever your consulate issued when you filed the renunciation, pending or not.
- Apply for the HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes through the Department's Document of Identity page.
- Confirm that your destination will accept that document for entry, and whether a visa is needed on top of it.
- Allow time in the itinerary for the document to be issued before departure.
If travel difficulties persist during the interim period, the FAQ's own suggestion is to consult your case officer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep using my foreign passport during the application?
Chinese nationals of the HKSAR with a right of abode abroad may use foreign government documents for travelling, but they are not entitled to consular protection in the HKSAR or elsewhere in the People's Republic of China on that basis. Once a naturalisation application is approved, the Nationality Law as cited by the Department means foreign nationality cannot be retained.
Is the Document of Identity only for naturalisation cases?
No. The FAQ gives the same interim measure to applicants for restoration of Chinese nationality, citing Article 3 and Article 13 of the Nationality Law for those cases. The trigger is the same: an expiring or surrendered passport plus urgent travel during processing.
What if my passport is still valid and has not been surrendered?
The FAQ frames the interim document around two situations: the passport of the nationality being renounced is expiring, or it has been returned to the relevant diplomatic representative for cancellation. It does not describe other scenarios, so those sit outside what the published answer covers.
Do I have to pay the application fee before the certificate is issued?
Yes. The confirmation letter described in the FAQ makes the grant of the Certificate of Naturalisation conditional on documentary proof that you no longer hold, or have renounced, your foreign nationality, and on full payment of the fee for the application. No specific amount is given on the nationality FAQ.
Will a change of nationality affect my right of abode in Hong Kong?
It may. The FAQ states that a change of nationality may affect the right of abode in the HKSAR and points readers to questions 4 and 12 of the Department's Right of Abode FAQ. Those two questions are the place to look, not a general assumption either way.
Does the FAQ cover how long the Document of Identity takes to issue?
No. The nationality FAQ sets out whether the interim measure applies, not processing times, fees or validity periods. Those details belong to the Department's page on the Application for HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes, and the latest official publication governs.