Foreign citizenship for a baby born to a mixed couple

Posted in: Forums > Living in Kunming • 12 posts • Newest

• • Greginchina
    December 15, 2009
    239 posts
  • Does anyone have experience of having a baby born in China to a mixed couple and sorting out citizenship? Has anyone done this recently as I understand the laws have changed?

    If so I'd be very grateful for a chat - greginchina@gmail.com \
    Thanks.

• • sanyiseul
    December 15, 2009
    100 posts
  • Hi Greg,

    I actually have another British friend in the same situation. Child is now one year old. I will tell him to call you.

    Wish you all the best and hope to see you soon!

    Sandra

• • Yongshan
    December 16, 2009
    1 post
  • register your child's birth at the appropriate embassy/ consulate to obtain citizenship, as gaining Chinese citizenship for a child born to a foreign parent is too mcuh of a hassle. the end

• • Greginchina
    December 16, 2009
    239 posts
  • Yongshan, if only it was that simple. Getting the citizenship from the embassy is the easy part. It is useless if it is not recognized by China.

    All children born in China to a chinese parent are chinese. Dula nationality is not recognized.
    we either get an exit permit given by the local PSB (supposedly no longer possible in Kunming) or go through the long process of renouncing Chinese citizenship. Just wondered if anyone else had been through this.

    Sandra -thanks, I'll wait for their call.

• • Greginchina
    December 16, 2009
    239 posts
  • sorry, I meant "dual" citizenship.

• • fogdear
    December 16, 2009
    99 posts
  • as far as I understood it China does not allow dual citizenship. So, regardless of your own country's rules, it's China's rule that its citizens are not allowed dual citizenship. but if you're married and you're wife is chinese then you should be able to get a spouse visa.

• • Greginchina
    December 16, 2009
    239 posts
  • I already said that China doesn't recognize dual citizenship. Hence the problem - the child's foreign passport is not valid until they have entered China on it. To do that they need an exit permit. Kunming is now reluctant to give them without first getting hukou/citizenship and then renouncing that citizenship. It is only once you have entered China on a foreign passport that you are a foreigner.

    My spousal visa/work permit situation is not an issue. I am talking about foreign citizenship for a child.

• • Quester
    December 16, 2009
    52 posts
  • Here is a link to a blog concerning some of these issues:
    http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/[...]
    In that discussion, they state that within the first month to obtain from the foreign parent's consulate a 'Report of Birth Abroad', and then use this to apply for the foreign passport.
    However, that may be before the rule changes that you mentioned, but perhaps something in the discussion will provide you with useful information.
    Wish you all the best in sorting it out!

• • Greginchina
    December 16, 2009
    239 posts
  • Thanks Quester, I dont have any problem getting the foreign passport. I'm heading to the British consulate in Chongqing on Monday and should be done within a week. The real issue is with the Chinese government. A British passport is of no use until it is used to enter the country. We cannot leave the country without an exit permit. Kunming no longer gives out exit permits unless you've first got hukou and then formally renounced chinese citizenship. Apparently!

• • TheSwedishGuy
    December 16, 2009
    64 posts
  • Hope you are able to solve it! I had a friend who had to deal with the local government for ages before he got the exit permit for his son.

    Kunming is a bureaucratic hell hole... I took my pregnant wife with me to Sweden as fast as I could since the government in Kunming wouldn't even recognize our marriage (we got married in Sweden). Sometimes I wish my wife was from Shanghai, Beijing or any other "more civilized" part of China. We had our son the 30th last month and we lucky that he got his Swedish citizenship before China found him ;)

    Good luck mate!

• • laotou
    December 17, 2009
    620 posts
  • For NEWBORNS - register with public security within the 30 day period - that effectively stops the immigration clock while you get your child's foreign passport. AFTER you get the foreign passport - apply to immigration to add your child to your foreign family registry - there is NO NEED for you to leave the country and return. If you are told this - ask to speak to a supervisor. The immigration office will take both passports and STAMP your child's passport with an ENTRY stamp and then issue you the child's visa as your dependent. It will cost a little more than normal visa stuff because of the need for a special entry stamp.

    All this assumes your child is a NEWBORN...if you miss the 30day window - write a letter (and have it translated into chinese) explaining why you were late (blame the embassy and have the embassy issue a letter stating they didn't give you the passport until yada yada date) - have THAT translated and certified...then you should be good to go.

    alternative - the expensive visa assistance guys...but don't pay them upfront - small retainer fee (like ¥100) and balance upon SUCCESSFUL DELIVERY. There should be no argument since they're holding your passports...just make sure they quote TOTAL COST - none of this transportation fees and other crud some companies use to jack up the price...

• • laotou
    December 17, 2009
    620 posts
  • um...register with your LOCAL public security office. THey'll give you a slip of paper for the immigration office. You MUST do this first regardless.

• The Old Theatre Inn
• Lost Garden Guesthouse & Restaurant
• Chicago Coffee
• Kunming Mei's Mandarin School
• As You Like
• Keats School
• Moondog
• GoKunming
• YMCA Club 1933
• Slice of Heaven
• Kingsway Tented Resorts
• Bakery 88
• Camel Bar
• The Mask
• Kunming College of Eastern Language and Culture
• My Favor Restaurant
• Chapter One
• Wonders Of Yunnan Travel
• O'Reilly's Irish Pub
• Salvador's Coffee House
• Wangtianshu Restaurant & Deli
• Tenwest Mandarin School
• Cacao Mexican Restaurant
• Flying Tigers Restaurant
• Kunming Yu-Cong Enterprise Management Company
• Huiying Dental Clinic