Curious on bros here in the forum if holding or thinking or planning on China ID card........?

My reason......`purely for mongering`......

As Visa prices have hiked up and passport pages not enough for a novel...........Its time to apply for one or can i....?

Been told 1 option and the most recent......`to ditch my passport and change over to the HKSAR passport in order to apply.......

Really dont know if a good option and the pros and cons of HKSAR passport....

Add your comments...

What country you from bro?

Think carefully about this.

If you ditch your current passport and get HKSAR one you are basically claiming to be a Chinese citizen.

As I understand this bascially that means you have no "outside" protection in HK and China, as China does not recognise dual citizenship (hence the giving up of your old passport).

I think that basically it should be alright providing you don't get into serious trouble or that China doesn't go overly militant. So bascially you got to weigh up that downside to the upsides.

Anyone else with more insight? I'd be interested cos I have thought about this before.

My dad has something called a whu hurng ching is this related in any way? , he seems to vanish off to China (probably a monger himself) quite frequently, and yet he still keeps his UK passport.

I think bro puffdaddy is talking about the "回鄉卡" right? I think for HK citizens only and maybe some other former western colonies?

that one is pretty useful but 5-6 years ago when i tried to do it, the whole fcuking form was in chinese and they required me to write a HK address in chinese. I was going to use my friends address but he didnt even know how to write his own address in chinese.

Still its good for 10 years makes life easier.

Thanks bros for comments so far........

Hold a UK passport and was born there....
Would never think about ditching it over a HKSAR passport.........hence my reason `purely for mongering`.....
If there is a way in obtaining this ID......i want to try and find out..

The ID is `whu hurng ching` but it comes in a card format now. Ditching the old style booklet form which needed to be stamped at immigration......
Valid for 10yrs on approval and renewable i think.......

I started applying for one quite a few yrs back and got the nono instantly by just looking at my HKID card. I do have 3*  but the person knew i was born overseas with the lettering in the HKID .i.e. lettering AO, AE, AZ etc.....
Failed on 2 seperate occasions back then and didnt pursue it until recently....
This occasion on asking was given to ditch my current passport to switch to HKSAR in order to get the ID.....Hmmm?

I have only enquired through CTSHK branches and maybe try other means or know hows.....

As for visas.......have no problems in getting one but hate carrying my passport around in china and if the inevitable of losing it and reporting and re-applying process...
The best deal on visa prices i recently came across was around $1300 for a `1yr` multiple.......in the commisioners office in wanchai..
Though i may stress that in order to apply for a mutiple.....you need to have applied for a china visa before and shown in your current passport....

I always thought we had duel nationality here ... am I mistaken ?

Yeah I have the same problem bro. My real like brother ;-) got his "whu hurng ching" before/around the 1997 hand over.

Apparently, they have since changed the rules on this. I've heard of some people getting around this but it is a long shot imo.

Stories I heard include going through consultates in the other countries or applying as if you were born in HK. Both basically working on the premise of bad adminstration/lack of checking your documents.

I think it's harder once you've already got your HKID card because they can instantly see you're overseas.

Last time I went, they asked for my UK passport right off the bat.

Now in terms of legislation one of the major things that has happened is that we are no longer considered Chinese citizens.

I used to qualify as both my parents were born in China/HK. But the rules have changed and overseas born Chinese don't qualify... on the whole.

What it seems to come down to is when you were born whether either of your parents was legally still a Chinese citizen who had not naturalised to a new country (the UK).

I know this cos I lost my HKID and when I went to get a replacement, it all kicked off. I lost my 3 * cos I hadn't been back to HK consistently since 1997 (can't remember precisely now, think it's like no absent periods of over 12 months) and because I was no longer a "Chinese citzen" I did not qualify for the 3 * under the new rules.

[ Last edited by  bbbjp at 1-9-2008 12:45 ]

Hmmm.......

Looks like its a 1yr visa and applying for a thicker passport just now then.......

a few years ago,,
anyone with a HK ID card with 3 stars can apply for a 回鄉卡... regardless what passport u r holding..
but now, u must have a SAR or China passport to be eligible for 回鄉卡...

I got my China 'homeland' card, a few yrs ago before they changed the rules.
Hence i still dont hold a HKSAR passport yet.

But i am considering getting a HKSAR passport in addition to my current Australia passport as HKSAR passport is handy for going to developing countries.

China homeland card is indeed very handy. I use to apply for a 1 time visa at Loh Wo. Hence I have multiple 1 time China visas stuck one page after the other. Now save money and time and also no one can actually tell how often i go to China.

oh u can get a HKSAR passport while still holding on to your Aust passport?
i tried doing that last yr... but i was told i had to give up my current passport...

if you get into trouble, and entered on the home return card, the country your passport is from cannot help you because you entered and a Mainland "citizen"  In HK, most of the western counsulates that have large Chinese populations have big warning signs about this inside.

I don't think this is possible anymore. One way around it I did think of was apply for HKSAR and then re-applying for the other passport, as long as the other country recognises dual citizenship.

While this does get you two passports, it doesn't necessarily protect you. Because only one party recogonises dual citizenship. If China find out about the other citizenship then your status will be revoked and if you enter China as a "Chinese citizen" I don't see them backing down in an argument about jurisdiction.

For Australian citizenship, if i remember correctly you can be a dual citizen when applying for Australian citizenship.
But after getting Australian citizenzhip, Australia does not allow you to get another citizenship.

I thought HK doesnt care about dual citizenship thing.
I think my Aussie friend does have a HKSAR passport too. I will check with her.

Hey Puff i can help u out with this subject as i am doing mine right now.....

Firstly i know you was born in UK (british citizenship) so are you a British Born Chinese (BBC)?? was yr dad or mum born in HK??and do u already have a HK ID card with 3 stars on it??

Due to the chinese changing the law now so often this is how it stands...

1. With HK ID card you need to apply for "Duc kui wai jil" same as the HKSAR passpot and you dont need to give up yr UK passport because you was born UK and hopfully yr father was born in HK.... If father born in UK then u are fucked u cant get it... then u shouldnt have HK ID card with 3 stars. U dont have to give up Uk passport (british Citizenship) as HK was a britsh con before so u can have dual nationality as long as you have HK ID card ( as before providing yr father was born in HK)

2. To get "Duc Kui Wai Jil" will take aboout 5 weeks but i hear now that you might have to get a letter from yr father to say that when u was born in UK he was not yet a British Citizen.... but i have never encounterd this when i go my "duc Kui Wai Jil" When u have this you can apply for yr "wui Heng Jing" but here is the main problem.... when u go and apply for this you must bring yr first ever passport with yr first entry to HK.... if you dont have this then you have to submit a letter and explaining why you dont have it...... and then they will only consider yr application....

hope this hellps mate...

Thx bro for verifying.........

I knew the particulars apart from having to give up your present passport thing........someone being BS me......

Need to dig up the big blue hardback passport i guess...

NO PROBS MATE... but just remember you must have yr first passport with yr first entry to HK...

I have heard you must have a "Chinese" name to get a whu hurng ching.  The Chinese name needs to be a legal one - not just one your secretary made up for you.  My wife who is Chinese tells me this - so not sure if it is true - but she seemed quite certain.

Yeah pretty sure it's true. I remember when I got my HKID card even, that my parents made a big deal about me being able to write my name infront of the immigration officer.