Chinese nationality and HKSAR passports: dual passport holders in 2026
Yes — for most globally mobile families, the two documents can coexist. The Hong Kong Immigration Department states on its Travel Documents page (as of October 2026) that a person who remains a Chinese national can keep and travel on a foreign passport, and that the foreign passport "will be regarded in Hong Kong and other parts of China as a travel document only". Holding or having held a foreign passport does not by itself cancel Chinese nationality, and it does not block an otherwise eligible person from holding an HKSAR passport.
What the official page does not do is make nationality automatic. Everything turns on whether you are a Chinese national under the Nationality Law, and the Department assesses that case by case. The sections below follow the order in which the questions usually arrive.
Am I still a Chinese national if I hold a foreign passport?
Usually yes. The Department defines a "Chinese citizen" as someone who has Chinese nationality under the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, as elaborated in the interpretation of that law for application in the HKSAR, passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on 15 May 1996. In general terms, the page says you may have Chinese nationality if you are a Hong Kong resident of Chinese descent and were born in Hong Kong or other parts of China, notwithstanding that you hold or have held any foreign passport.
That single clause carries most of the weight for families who naturalised abroad, or whose children were born with a second passport. The passport is evidence of another state's citizenship, not an election to stop being Chinese.
What do Articles 4 and 5 of the Nationality Law say?
The FAQ sets out the two provisions that decide nationality by descent:
- Article 4 — a person born in China whose parents are both Chinese nationals, or one of whose parents is a Chinese national, has Chinese nationality.
- Article 5 — a person born abroad whose parents are both Chinese nationals, or one of whose parents is a Chinese national, has Chinese nationality. The exception: if the parents are both Chinese nationals and have both settled abroad, or one parent is a Chinese national and has settled abroad, and the person acquired foreign nationality at birth, that person does not have Chinese nationality.
Because the exception depends on where the parents had settled and on nationality acquired at birth, the page states plainly that each case has to be considered individually.
Assume an applicant born in Toronto to two Hong Kong-born parents who had both settled abroad, and who acquired Canadian nationality at birth. On the wording of Article 5 as set out on the official page, that person would not have Chinese nationality — and would therefore not be in the HKSAR passport queue on the basis of nationality by descent, whatever other Hong Kong ties exist.
Does moving back to Hong Kong change my status?
It can, and in the direction most families hope for. The Department's position is that if you have returned to settle in Hong Kong and have not been approved of a change of nationality by the Hong Kong Immigration Department, you remain a Chinese national and are eligible for an HKSAR passport.
Two parts of that sentence matter:
- "Returned to settle." The page defines "settled", in relation to a right of abode claim, as being ordinarily resident in Hong Kong and not subject to any restriction on the period of stay.
- "Not been approved of change of nationality." Approval of a change of nationality is the turning point. If it has been granted, the condition the FAQ sets out no longer holds, and the passport route described here does not apply.
Moving back with the family, enrolling children in school and holding a Hong Kong permanent identity card are consistent with being settled; they are not what the Department says it decides on. The decision runs through nationality law, and then through the separate question of whether a change of nationality has been approved.
What does "a travel document only" mean in practice?
It describes how the two documents are treated inside one jurisdiction, not a rule about which queue to join at the airport.
- In Hong Kong and other parts of China, the foreign passport is regarded as a travel document only. It does not establish that you are a foreign national for Chinese nationality purposes.
- The HKSAR passport, by contrast, states on its face that the holder has the right to return to the HKSAR, and the Department describes it as valid for all countries.
- For entering or departing the Mainland, the Department separately notes that travellers should observe the documentation requirements of the Mainland authorities, giving the Home Visit Permit as the example.
The practical task for a dual-document household is therefore matching the document to the border: a foreign passport that still works for travel, and a Mainland or HKSAR document that carries the status the Hong Kong and Mainland authorities recognise. The official pages describe the documents and their treatment; they do not publish a single routing rule for every itinerary.
This article summarises published official material for general reference and is not advice on any individual case, nor a substitute for the Department's current guidance or for a qualified professional's opinion on your situation.
What else do I need to qualify for an HKSAR passport?
Three conditions, all of them on the Department's page:
- You are a Chinese citizen.
- You have the right of abode in the HKSAR.
- You hold a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card.
Applications can be submitted from Hong Kong or from overseas. Two family details follow from the same page: a child cannot be included in a parent's passport, so each child needs a separate application; and for eligible children under 11 who do not hold a permanent identity card, the identity card application must be submitted together with the passport application, with the card issued alongside the passport.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
The Department pledges to complete an application within 5 working days of receiving all necessary documents, the application fee and the photograph. For children under 11 not holding a Hong Kong permanent identity card, the pledge is 10 working days. Working days are Monday to Friday, excluding general holidays. In general, the new passport can be collected on the next working day after processing is completed.
Applications not submitted in person — for example through a drop-in box — may need an extra 2 to 3 working days for handling formalities. Loss, damage or amendment cases can take longer. The Department also notes that meeting the pledge depends on the circumstances of individual applications and on the number of applications received at a particular time, and advises anyone with travel plans to apply early.
| Validity | Pages | Fee (HK$) |
|---|---|---|
| 10 years | 32 | 430 |
| 10 years | 48 | 520 |
| 5 years (applicants under 16) | 32 | 215 |
| 5 years (applicants under 16) | 48 | 260 |
A passport is normally valid for 10 years from the date of issue, and 5 years for children under 16, unless otherwise specified. Fees are those listed on the Department's page and remain subject to official publication.
What happens to my old passport and its visas?
When you collect a new passport, you must produce the existing one for cancellation. It is cancelled by cutting a corner of its back cover and is then returned to you, so it stays in your records even though it can no longer be used to travel.
If a valid visa, residence permit or entry permit is inside the old passport, you can apply to cross-link the two. Cross-linking means an endorsement is made in both passports to the effect that the previous passport bears a visa still in force; the previous passport is not physically attached to the new one. Three conditions apply:
- The existing passport is still valid on the date the cross-link endorsement is printed.
- The existing passport contains a valid visa, residence permit or entry permit.
- The existing passport has at least one blank page for the endorsement.
The application uses Form ID 879, carries a fee of HK$200, and must be submitted in person or by proxy at the same time as the replacement passport application, so that passport processing is not delayed. Postal, drop-in, online, kiosk and mobile-app submissions are not accepted for cross-linking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep my foreign passport if I get an HKSAR passport?
Yes, if you remain a Chinese national. The Immigration Department states that you can keep and travel on your foreign passport, and that it will be regarded in Hong Kong and other parts of China as a travel document only.
Does holding a foreign passport mean I have lost Chinese nationality?
Not by itself. Nationality is determined under the Nationality Law and the 1996 interpretation for application in the HKSAR; the official page says you may have Chinese nationality even though you hold or have held a foreign passport.
I was born abroad to Chinese parents — do I have Chinese nationality?
Usually, under Article 5. The exception on the official page is where the parents, or the one Chinese-national parent, had settled abroad and you acquired foreign nationality at birth, in which case you do not have Chinese nationality. Each case is considered individually.
Do I have to give up my foreign passport if I move back to Hong Kong to settle?
No. The Department's condition is the opposite: if you have returned to settle in Hong Kong and have not been approved of a change of nationality, you remain a Chinese national and are eligible for an HKSAR passport. The foreign passport can stay in force.
How long does an HKSAR passport application take?
The Department pledges 5 working days after receiving all necessary documents, fee and photograph, and 10 working days for children under 11 who do not hold a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Non-in-person applications may need an extra 2 to 3 working days.
Can my child travel on my passport?
No. Each passport contains only the holder's personal particulars, and a child of any age needs a separate HKSAR passport. For a child under 11 without a permanent identity card, the card and passport applications are submitted together.
What if a valid visa is inside the passport being replaced?
Apply to cross-link the old and new passports at the same time as the replacement, using Form ID 879 with a fee of HK$200, provided the old passport is still valid, holds a valid visa, residence permit or entry permit, and has a blank page for the endorsement.