The People's Republic of China Passport (), commonly referred to as the Chinese passport, is a
passport
A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...
issued to
citizens
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
of the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
(PRC) for the purpose of international travel, and entitles its bearer to the protection of
China's consular officials overseas.
On 1 July 2011, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China () is the first-ranked executive department of the State Council of the Chinese government, responsible for the foreign relations of the People's Republic of China. It is led ...
launched a trial issuance of e-passports for individuals conducting public affairs work overseas on behalf of the Chinese government.
The face, fingerprints, and other
biometric
Biometrics are body measurements and calculations related to human characteristics. Biometric authentication (or realistic authentication) is used in computer science as a form of identification and access control. It is also used to identify in ...
features of the passport holder is
digitize
DigitizationTech Target. (2011, April). Definition: digitization. ''WhatIs.com''. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/digitization is the process of converting information into a digital (i.e. computer- ...
d and stored in pre-installed contactless
smart chip
Smart or SMART may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Smart'' (Hey! Say! JUMP album), 2014
* Smart (Hotels.com), former mascot of Hotels.com
* ''Smart'' (Sleeper album), 1995 debut album by Sleeper
* ''SMart'', a children's television ser ...
, along with "the passport owner's name, sex and personal photo as well as the passport's term of validity and
hedigital certificate of the chip".
Ordinary biometric passports were introduced by the
Ministry of Public Security on 15 May 2012. As of January 2015, all new passports issued by China are biometric e-passports, and non-biometric passports are no longer issued.
[
In 2012, over 38 million Chinese citizens held ordinary passports, comprising only 2.86 percent of the total population at the time. In 2014, China issued 16 million passports, ranking first in the world, surpassing the United States (14 million) and India (10 million). The number of ordinary passports in circulation rose to 120 million by October 2016, which was approximately 8.7 percent of the population. As of April 2017 to date, China had issued over 100 million biometric ordinary passports.]
Overview and Contents
Types
Articles 3, 4, 5 and 8 of the ''Passport Law of the People's Republic of China'', which went into effect in 2007, declares three types of passports issued in Mainland China:
* Ordinary passports () are issued to citizens who intend to go abroad for non-official purposes, such as taking up residence in other countries, visiting relatives, studying, working, travelling or engaging in business activities. They are issued by the Exit & Entry Administration of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the foreign missions of the People's Republic of China, or other missions overseas authorized to do so by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
* Diplomatic passports () are issued to diplomats, consuls and their spouses or children who are minor, as well as to diplomatic couriers. They are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
* Service passports () are issued to employees who are dispatched by the Chinese government to work for Chinese foreign missions, the United Nations or its special commissions, or other international organizations, as well as their spouses or minor children. They are issued by the MFA, foreign missions of the People's Republic of China, other missions overseas authorized by the MFA, or the Foreign Affairs Offices under the governments of provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government and cities divided into districts authorized by the MFA.
** A special variation of the service passport, called the Passport for Public Affairs (), is issued to public servants who "lead divisions or equivalents" of county or state-owned companies, and employees of state-controlled companies.
Article 9 of the ''Law'' states that the "issuing scope of diplomatic passports and service passports, the measures for issue of such passports, their terms of validity and the specific categories of service passports shall be prescribed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs".
The ordinary passport is considered a passport "for private affairs" (), while service (including for public affairs passports) and diplomatic passports are passports "for public affairs" ().
The passports for Macau
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
SARs are issued and regulated by the governments of these regions, and are therefore not covered by this law.
In July 2011 the Chinese government began to issue biometric diplomatic passports, service passports and passports for public affairs. The launch date of biometric ordinary passports was May 15, 2012.
File:PRC passport (Diplomatic).png, Diplomatic e-passport
File:PRC passport (Service).png, Service e-passport
File:PRC passport (for Public Affairs).png, Public Affairs e-passport
File:People's Republic of China Biometric passport.jpg, Ordinary e-passport
Passport for public affairs
A different passport for public affairs () was issued until 2006. Unlike the current version, it was classified as a variation of ordinary passport. The abuse of the use of document resulted in its subsequent cancellation. Unlike other passports, it was issued by the provincial or municipal Foreign Affairs Offices, rather than the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Public Security. Chinese ordinary passport for public affairs was used in the ends of 1980s and 1990s. The passport information was written by hands, and these ordinary passports were usually valid for 2 or 5 years.
In 1996, 77% of persons exiting China held a passport for public affairs. The rate had dropped to 39% by 2002. The reason for the high rate of usage was because the passport for public affairs offered more visa-free countries, such as Russia, than the ordinary passport. Chinese regulations require public affairs passports to be kept in the possession of the holder's work unit
A work unit or ''danwei'' () is the name given to a place of employment in the People's Republic of China. The term ''danwei'' remains in use today, as people still use it to refer to their workplace. However, it is more appropriate to use ''danwei ...
, and they must be surrendered by the individual within one month of returning to China.
Validity
The passport previously had an across-the-board 5-year period of validity. Since 2007, ordinary passports are valid for 10 years for bearers above 16 years of age, and for 5 years for bearers below 16 years of age, and diplomatic or service passports are valid for 4 years. According to the 2006 ''Passport Law of the People's Republic of China,'' renewal of previously issued passports ended on January 1, 2007. However, passports renewed before 2007 remained valid until expiry.
Format
The newest version of the regular Chinese passport is the biometric version, which replaced its predecessors "Form 92", "Form 97-1" and "Form 97-2", but Form "97-2" passport is still being issued for single group tourism to Russia in some Sino-Russia broder cities and valid for only 3 months or after returning to China. It was released to the general public in May 2012. The passport contains 48 pages.
Ordinary Passport - Inside
= Version "1982"
=
The Form "1982" ordinary Chinese passport is a hand-written passport and issued in 1982. Chinese, French and English are used in all pages.
File:82版普通中国护照关照语及护照名称页.jpg
File:82版普通中国护照个人信息页.jpg
File:82版普通中国护照声明页.jpg
File:82版普通中国护照延期和备注页.jpg
= Version "1992"
=
The Form "1992" ordinary Chinese passport is a machine-readable passport, and issued in 1992.
File:YXumbnail2B.jpg
= Version "1997-1"
=
= Version "1997-2"
=
File:Informatin Page of PRC Ordinary Passport (97-2 Version).jpg, Biodata page of the Form "97-2" PRC Ordinary Passport
File:People's Republic of China Passport (97-2 version for Single Exit and Entry).png, The note page and biodata page of the version "97-2" passport for single travel since 2019
The Form "97-2" ordinary Chinese passport is a machine-readable passport, and issued in February 1997.
In "97-2", personal data is on the inside front cover along with a coloured photo printed with inkjet printer, with a protective film covering most of the data page. Details include:
* Passport code (P)
* Country Code (CHN)
* Passport number (G########) - consists of one letter indicating passport type (G = ordinary), followed by eight digits
* Surname
* Given Names
* Sex (M/F)
* Date of birth (DD.MMM.YYYY)
* Date of issue (DD.MMM.YYYY)
* Place of birth (Province, or city/province/state if born abroad)
* Place of issue (Province, or city/province/state of diplomatic/consular authority if issued abroad)
* Date of expiry (DD.MMM.YYYY)
* Authority ("National Immigration Administration, PRC" for single travel or "Exit & Entry Administration, Ministry of Public Security" or the Chinese diplomatic and consular mission)
* Machine Readable Code
=Biometric passport
=
In the biometric Passport, the personal data page was moved to a separate sheet of paper, and the design of personal data page has been amended significantly, adding the full name of PRC in Simplified Chinese and English on top along with an e-passport symbol printed with optically variable ink
Optically variable ink (OVI) also called color shifting ink is an anti- counterfeiting measure used on many major modern banknotes, as well as on other official documents ( professional licenses, for example).
The ink displays two distinct colo ...
. New security features include a second ghost image of the holder and additional holographic graphs including the PRC emblem and the laser-printed world map. The details included are as follows:
* Passport code (P)
* Country Code (CHN)
* Passport number (E########) - consists of one letter indicating passport type (E = e-passport), followed by eight digits. As of April 2017, over 100 million ordinary biometric passports had been issued and old E+8 digits type passport numbers had been used up. So the number format has been extended by using the second digit and replacing it with the English letters in order (except I, O) the third digit is still Arabic numerals, and the total number of digits is still 9. New passport numbers started with EA0000001 (two letters with seven digits).
* Name (Chinese characters on top, Pinyin transcription on bottom, a comma separates surname and given names in Pinyin only)
* Sex (M/F)
* Nationality (Chinese)
* Date of birth (DD.MMM.YYYY)
* Place of birth (Province with romanized transcription, or the country code if born abroad, along with Chinese abbreviation of the country)
* Date of issue (DD.MMM.YYYY, month is transcribed into Arabic numerals)
* Place of issue (Province, or city of diplomatic/consular authority if issued abroad)
* Date of expiry (DD.MMM.YYYY, month is transcribed into Arabic numerals)
* Authority ("National Immigration Administration, PRC" or the full name of the Chinese diplomatic/consular authority,if issuing in mainland China before June 2019 it may be "MPS Exit & Entry Administration")
* Bearer's signature
* Machine Readable Code
Languages
All information is printed in Simplified Chinese
Simplification, Simplify, or Simplified may refer to:
Mathematics
Simplification is the process of replacing a mathematical expression by an equivalent one, that is simpler (usually shorter), for example
* Simplification of algebraic expressions, ...
and English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, except for the "Attentions" page, which is only printed in Simplified Chinese.
Passport Note
* In Chinese
* In English
* In French (On version 82 only)
If the passport is for single travel, a valid notice will printed in Simplified Chinese and English on this page.
On version "97-1" and "97-2", it is on page 1. On the biometric version, it is moved to page 3.
Inner pages
In the biometric version, selected nature hotspots and famous sights of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are printed in the inner pages, each page also contains a transparent watermark of another nature hotspots and famous sights in the same area.
Last page
The last page has the notes for the passport. For e-passport, inside the backcover, a caution for the biometric chip is written in both Chinese and English:
This passport contains sensitive electronics. For best performance, please do not bend, perforate or expose to extreme temperatures or excess moisture.
DO NOT STAMP HERE
Fee and processing time
The fee for a Chinese passport is CNY 120. When applying for a passport overseas, the fee is US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
25 or €
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists ...
20. No extra fees are charged for expedited processing if approved.
Normal processing time is 10 business days when applying from Mainland China, and 15 business days from Chinese diplomatic missions outside Mainland China (including Hong Kong and Macau). In some Regions, processing time is 7 business days such as Shanghai City if application was submitted electronically (online or by cell phone APPs such as WeChat
WeChat () is a Chinese instant messaging, social media, and mobile payment app developed by Tencent. First released in 2011, it became the world's largest standalone mobile app in 2018, with over 1 billion monthly active users. WeChat has bee ...
). Expedited processing is available for 5 business days, but is only available if the applicants have genuine emergencies, such as they have deceased relatives abroad, their first day of school is near, or they have unused visas in old passports that are expiring soon.
Special administrative region passports
Chinese citizens who are also permanent residents of Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Regions
The special administrative regions (SAR) of the People's Republic of China are one of the provincial-level administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China directly under the control of its Central People's Government (State Co ...
of China are issued Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
or Macau SAR passports by the respective immigration departments of the two SARs. In Hong Kong, Hong Kong Immigration Department
The Immigration Department of the Government of Hong Kong is responsible for immigration control of Hong Kong. After the People's Republic of China assumed sovereignty of the territory in July 1997, Hong Kong's immigration system remained la ...
takes charge of issuing passports. In Macau, Identification Services Bureau does the same role. The SAR passports and travel documents are issued solely by the government of the SARs, and the designs differ from that of the regular mainland passport, albeit all three passports bear the same country and nationality code, CHN, meaning that the bearer holds the People's Republic of China nationality, as well as the message from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China () is the first-ranked executive department of the State Council of the Chinese government, responsible for the foreign relations of the People's Republic of China. It is led ...
.
Some countries classify Chinese citizens with SAR passports as Hong Kong citizens or Macau citizens for visa issuing purpose, other than the ordinary Chinese citizens classifications. Holders of SAR passports enjoy visa-free entry to many more countries than holders of regular PRC passports.
While the SAR passports and travel documents are endorsed by China, mainland ports of entry controlled by the Ministry of Public Security do not accept those documents for entrance into Mainland China as both the Mainland and the two SARs are within the same country. MPS requires SAR residents of Chinese nationality to use a Home Return Permit
The Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, also colloquially referred to as a Home Return Permit or Home Visit Permit , is issued to Chinese nationals who are permanent residents of or settled in Hong Kong and Macau as the ...
or Chinese Travel Document
The People's Republic of China Travel Document () is a type of travel document issued by Chinese embassies, consulates, and other foreign offices to Chinese citizens for their international travel to China and other countries. The bearer of the ...
for SAR residents residing overseas. Also, SAR passports are not required when travelling between two SARs, but residents should bring their permanent residence IDs.
Chinese citizens who are not permanent residents of Hong Kong ''AND'' are without household registration
Civil registration is the system by which a government records the vital events (births, marriages, and deaths) of its citizens and residents. The resulting repository or database has different names in different countries and even in differen ...
in Mainland China are issued Hong Kong Document of Identity for Visa Purposes
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Document of Identity for Visa Purposes () is a biometric travel document issued by the Hong Kong Immigration Department to residents of Hong Kong who are unable to obtain a national passport. It is ...
, and of Macau Macao Special Administrative Region Travel Permit
The Macao Special Administrative Region Travel Permit ( pt, Título de Viagem da Região Administrativa Especial de Macau; Traditional Chinese: 澳門特別行政區旅行證) is a biometric international travel document issued to non-permanent re ...
or Visit Permit for Resident of Macao to HKSAR.
Non-passport travel documents
The following travel documents are also issued by mainland China to Chinese citizens who may or may not qualify for a Chinese passport for various reasons:
Chinese Travel Document
The People's Republic of China Travel Document () is a type of travel document
A travel document is an identity document issued by a government or international entity pursuant to international agreements to enable individuals to clear border control measures. Travel documents usually assure other governments that the beare ...
issued by Chinese embassies, consulates, and other foreign offices to Chinese citizens for their international travel to China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and other countries. The bearer of the Travel Document is legally defined a Chinese citizen in accordance with the Nationality Law
Nationality law is the law of a sovereign state, and of each of its jurisdictions, that defines the legal manner in which a national identity is acquired and how it may be lost. In international law, the legal means to acquire nationality and for ...
.
The Travel Document is issued to Chinese nationals in situations when it is inconvenient or unnecessary to be issued a People's Republic of China passport.
Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau
The Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau, also known as the Two-way Permit, is issued to Chinese citizens with hukou who only wish to visit Hong Kong and Macau.
Permit for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao
The Permit for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao, also known as the One-way Permit, is issued to Chinese citizens who are settling in Hong Kong or Macau and have relinquished their Chinese residency (hukou). After their initial entry to Hong Kong or Macau, they are considered as SAR residents and are permanently ineligible for an ordinary Chinese passport, and later they will be eligible for SAR passports if they acquire a permanent resident status in the respective SARs.
Travel Permit to and from Taiwan
The Travel Permit to and from Taiwan, colloquially known as Mainland Compatriot Permit or Mainland Resident Travel Permit, is issued to Chinese citizens with hukou
''Hukou'' () is a system of household registration used in mainland China. The system itself is more properly called "''huji''" (), and has origins in ancient China; ''hukou'' is the registration of an individual in the system (''kou'' li ...
in Mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
by Ministry of Public Security, to those who wish to travel directly between Mainland China and Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. Holders of the permit are required to obtain exit endorsements issued by MPS and Exit and Entry Permit issued by Taiwanese authorities prior to traveling. This permit as well as a valid exit endorsement (except for Group Tourist Endorsement) is still required even if only transiting through Taiwan without leaving the sterile area of the airport when departing from airports of Mainland China except for Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
, Nanchang
Nanchang (, ; ) is the capital of Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China. Located in the north-central part of the province and in the hinterland of Poyang Lake Plain, it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east ...
, or Kunming
Kunming (; ), also known as Yunnan-Fu, is the capital and largest city of Yunnan province, China. It is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province as well as the seat of the provincial government. The headquar ...
. Exit and Entry Permit is not required, however, when not leaving the sterile area of Taoyuan Airport on transit to the third place regardless of the city of departure.
Self-Service Immigration System (e-Channel)
Holders of Chinese biometric Passports are eligible to use the Self-Service Immigration System, or e-Channel. E-Channel are located throughout numerous international airports in Mainland China (including these top 10 busiest international gateways: Beijing Capital International Airport
Beijing Capital International Airport is one of two international airports serving Beijing, the other one being Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). It is located northeast of Beijing's city center, in an exclave of Chaoyang District ...
, Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Shanghai Pudong International Airport is one of two international airports serving Shanghai and a major aviation hub of East Asia. Pudong Airport serves both international flights and a smaller number of domestic fights, while the city's othe ...
, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is one of the two international airports of Shanghai and a significant airline hub of China. Hongqiao Airport mainly serves domestic and regional flights, although the airport also serves international fl ...
, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is the major airport of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, in Southern China. Both airport codes were inherited from the former Baiyun Airport, and the IATA code is derived from Guangzhou's historical romani ...
and Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport
Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport is located in Yubei District, Chongqing, China. The airport's IATA Airport code, CKG, is derived from the city's former romanized name, Chungking. Jiangbei airport is also a 128-hour transit visa-fre ...
) as well as land border crossing checkpoints in Shenzhen
Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern province ...
and Zhuhai
Zhuhai (, ; Yale: ''Jyūhói''), also known as Chuhai is a prefecture-level city located on the west bank of Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, on the southeastern edge of Pearl ...
. e-Channel was first introduced for self-entry, i.e. for Chinese biometric passport holders return to China from Outside destinations. In order to use the e-Channel, they must hold biometric passports with their fingerprint data pre-recorded on the biometric chip. If their biometric passports do not contain fingerprint data, they must first register with China Immigration Inspection
China Immigration Inspection (Abbreviation: CII; ) is the government agency responsible for controlling the sea, air and land border checkpoints of the People's Republic of China. It is a child agency of the National Immigration Administration (N ...
(CII) at land border checkpoints or international airports to be eligible.
Starting from August 19, 2016, passengers are able to use the e-Gates in terminal 2 of Beijing Capital International Airport to complete exit procedures from China as well.
Starting from Dec 1, 2017, Shanghai international airports including PVG and SHA both have e-Channel for exit.
Eligibility
The extended list of eligible travelers is:
Registration with CII not required:
* Holders of biometric passports that contain fingerprint data;
* Holders of the new biometric Two-way Permit
The Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau (), colloquially known as a Two-way Permit () or EEP (Exit-Entry Permit) is issued to Chinese nationals with residency in Mainland China as a travel document for the sole purp ...
s with valid entry endorsements that contain fingerprint data.
Registration with CII required:
* Holders of the booklet-style Two-way Permits with multiple-entry endorsements;
* Holders of Travel Permit to and from Taiwan for Mainland Residents booklet with multiple-exit endorsements;
* Holders of Exit and Entry Permits that are valid for one year and multiple entries (only for the specific port of entry that they have registered with);
* Holders of Home Return Permit
The Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, also colloquially referred to as a Home Return Permit or Home Visit Permit , is issued to Chinese nationals who are permanent residents of or settled in Hong Kong and Macau as the ...
s;
* Holders of Taiwan Compatriot Permit
The Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents, also known as Taiwan Compatriot Permit, is a type of travel document issued by Government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the Republic of China nationals (ROC) who hold household reg ...
s;
* Foreign nationals with their passports and Chinese Permanent Resident cards;
* Foreign nationals with their biometric passports and residence permits with a validity of more than 6 months; and
* Flight crew members serving scheduled flights who are either Chinese or visa-exempt nationals, or non-visa-exempt nationals holding crew or work visas or residence permits that are valid for at least 1 year.
Visa requirements
Visa requirements for Chinese citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the People's Republic of China. According to the 1 January 2018 Henley visa restrictions index, holders of a Chinese passport are granted visa free or visa on arrival access to 70 countries and territories, ranking the Chinese passport 68th in the world Chinese passport is also the highest-ranked passport in Communist state
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Comint ...
. Before February 2014, Chinese immigration authorities did not generally allow mainland Chinese citizens to board outbound flights without a valid visa for the destination country, even if the destination country granted a visa on arrival to Chinese passport holders, unless the exit was approved by the Ministry of Public Security. Exceptions were possible if the traveller had a third country's visa and a connecting flight from the destination country to the third country.
The Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) is introduced in 2016 for Chinese passport holder who hold a valid 10-year B1, B2, or B1/B2 visa to travel to the United States.
Travel to and from Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan
Issued to Chinese citizens with Hukou
''Hukou'' () is a system of household registration used in mainland China. The system itself is more properly called "''huji''" (), and has origins in ancient China; ''hukou'' is the registration of an individual in the system (''kou'' li ...
or Chinese citizens not qualified for SAR-issued travel documents, Chinese passports cannot normally be used when travelling directly to Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
, Macau
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
, or Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
from Mainland China.
In order for such Chinese citizens to travel from Mainland China to Hong Kong and Macau, a Two-way Permit
The Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau (), colloquially known as a Two-way Permit () or EEP (Exit-Entry Permit) is issued to Chinese nationals with residency in Mainland China as a travel document for the sole purp ...
is required. Chinese foreign missions, however, do issue visa-like Hong Kong SAR Entry Permits for up to 14 days to Chinese citizens residing outside Mainland China upon request, so PRC passport holders can travel solely between Hong Kong and Mainland with passports. Chinese passports can be used when transiting through Hong Kong or Macau to other countries and can enter Hong Kong or Macau for 7 days without a visa.
Travelling to Taiwan from Mainland China requires the Travel Permit to and from Taiwan as well as Exit and Entry Permit issued by the Taiwanese government. Although Chinese passports are accepted as valid travel documents by the National Immigration Agency (NIA) and Taiwanese diplomatic missions, the NIA does not allow Chinese citizens with hukou to travel to Taiwan when departing from Mainland China unless holding the Mainland Resident Travel Permit with valid exit endorsement.
Cross border travel statistics
These are the numbers of mainland Chinese visitors to various countries or territories:
Gallery
File:Passport Cn 20s.jpg, A Republic of China passport booklet issued during the Beiyang-era in the 1920s.
File:Republic of China Passport 1946.jpg, A Republic of China passport issued in 1946.
File:Passport Cn 50s.JPG, 1955 (left) and 1951 (right) versions of the PRC passport.
File:Passport Cn diplomatic 55.jpg, Type "55" diplomatic passport
File:Passport Cn diplomatic 80s.jpg, Type "82" diplomatic passport
File:Chinese 1982 passport hu zhao.jpg, A Type "82" passport issued from early 80s to 1992
File:Passport Cn dip0001.JPG, 1992 version of diplomatic passport
File:Passport PRC 92 cover.jpg, Cover of Type "92" passport, issued until early 2000s
File:Passport PRC 97.jpg, Type "97-1" passport, issued from 2000 to early 2007
File:Chinese Diplomatic passport 1997 version.jpg, 1997 version of diplomatic passport
File:Chinese Public Affairs passport 1997 version.jpg, 1997 version of public affairs passport
File:Chinese Service passport 1997 version.jpg, 1997 version of service passport
File:People's Republic of China passport (97-2 version).jpg, Type "97-2" passport, issued from early 2007 to May 2012
File:PRChina Passport for Public Affairs.jpg, The old passport for public affairs, issued before 2007
File:People's Republic of China Biometric passport.jpg, Biometric passport, issued since May 2012
File:Macau Biom Passport.jpg, Current version of Macau SAR biometric passport
See also
* Chinese Travel Document
The People's Republic of China Travel Document () is a type of travel document issued by Chinese embassies, consulates, and other foreign offices to Chinese citizens for their international travel to China and other countries. The bearer of the ...
* Hong Kong SAR passport
* List of passports
A passport is a booklet issued by countries to their citizens, permitting the person to travel to other countries. In some cases countries issue travel documents similar to passports to their residents. International organizations also issue travel ...
* Macau SAR passport
The Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China passport (; pt, Passaporte da Região Administrativa Especial de Macau) is a passport issued to Nationality law of the People's Republic of China, Chinese citizens wh ...
* Nationality law of the People's Republic of China
Chinese nationality law details the conditions by which a person holds nationality of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The primary law governing these requirements is the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, which came into ...
* Taiwan passport
The Republic of China (Taiwan) passport () is the passport issued to nationals of the Republic of China (ROC), commonly known as Taiwan. The ROC passport is also generally referred to as a Taiwanese passport. As of September 2020, approximately ...
* Resident Identity Card
The Resident Identity Card () is an official identity document for personal identification in the People's Republic of China. According to the second chapter, tenth clause of the ''Resident Identity Card Law'', residents are required to apply ...
, the national identification card
An identity document (also called ID or colloquially as papers) is any document that may be used to prove a person's identity. If issued in a small, standard credit card size form, it is usually called an identity card (IC, ID card, citizen ca ...
for Chinese citizens.
* Visa requirements for Chinese citizens
Visa requirements for Chinese citizens are administrative entry restrictions imposed on citizens of China by the authorities of other states.
Chinese citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 80 countries and territories, ranking the ...
* People's_Republic_of_China_Marriage_Certificate
People's Republic of China Marriage Certificate(中文:中华人民共和国结婚证;''Zhōnghuárénmíngònghéguó Jíehūnzhèng'')A marriage certificate is a legal document issued by the marriage registration authority to prove the v ...
References
External links
Text of the 2006 Passport Law of the People's Republic of China
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chinese Passport
Passports by country
Chinese passports
Passport
A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...