Dual Passport (CHN and SIN)

[sunray]

Hi,

i need some advice from people who have kids with dual passport.

My daughter have both CHN and Singaporean passport as the latter is more convenience for her to travel into contries without visa. This is the initial idea but it doesnt look as simple as we think.

Origin from China, she have to leave china with her chinese passport and she was stopped by the custom at exit as she do not have visa to her destination (eg. Dubai). Singapore passport does not require visa to Dubai as they will be given 30 days visa on arrival. But problem is now she cant even leave China as they are demanding for Dubai visa which she do not have in her chinese passport.

I assumed that she can only leave China with her chinese passport rather than Singapore passport as

1 - She dont have a entrance stamp on her Singapore passport therefore she cant use Singapore passport out.

2- She have to exit with Chinese passport so that she can return with Chinese passport which she have no restriction on duration of stay in China (Singaporean can only stay for 15 days).

Can someone please help and advice..

I believe someone have a solution for this.

Thanks many

[889]

Usually in situations like this, the traveller shows his second passport at check-in and doesn't have any problem.

Your daughter's case is different, however, because Chinese law doesn't permit a Chinese citizen to hold a second citizenship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationality_Law_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China

Thus waving that Singaporean passport around in China could create serious problems for her.

Given this difficult situation, I'd suggest she travel with her Chinese passport to Hong Kong, and from there to Dubai.

[msittig]

The way I understand it (IANAL and all that) is that if you have two passports but one or more of the countries don't recognize dual-citizenship, then you have to travel through a third country whenever you travel. A lot of people with Chinese+other passports travel through HK each time.

[adrianlondon]

China doesn't allow dual nationality. Singapore doesn't officially allow it either, although they do make exceptions if you attempt to renounce Singaporean citizenship in order to aquire another one.

You need to either ... enter and leave China on the Singaporean passport, or enter and leave China on the Chinese passport.

As Chinese citizens need a visa to go virtually everywhere*, you'll need a visa in your Chinese passport in order to leave the country. Singaporeans no longer need a visa for short stays in China, so in this situation I'd use the Sngaporean passport for the China trip.

* Maybe they don't need a visa for HK, in which case fly in/out of China via HK.

[hitmen]

There is something I wish to ask.

How does somebody get 2 passport in the first place.

Sorry if this is not relevant here.

[Daan]

See the relevant Wikipedia article

[imron]

I have two. An Australian one by birth and a British one by ancestry. I simply filled out the relevant forms, provided the correct documentation and paid the appropriate fee, and they were mine.

[hitmen]

Yeah but both Singapore and China does not allow dual citizenship so how does it occur in the first place?

[imron]

Because countries don't cross check with each other or ask for proof that you aren't a citizen of another country, they generally only ask for proof that you are a citizen of their country.

[chrix]

hitmen, did you ask about having two passports or about having two citizenships?

These are two different things. A person can have two passports, even due to slip-ups as imron has alluded to, but can actually have forfeited one of the two citizenships from a legal standpoint. Depending on the law, it could even be a criminal offence to try and use the passport of the forfeited citizenship.

[hitmen]

oops... i never knew it was possible.

[chrix]

As far as dual citizenships goes, a county basically has three different options to choose from:

1. openly recognise dual citizenship of its citizens

2. not recognise dual citizenship but tolerate it

3. prohibit dual citizenship of its citizens

And of course some countries will have exceptions for certain groups, e.g. children from international marriages might be allowed to hold dual citizenship while others may not...