Two Nationalities, Two Passports, Asking for Trouble?

[Alex Whiteman]

Hi,

I'm bound for China early next year. I'll be studying 6 months or a year. So far, so good.

I could stay even longer but my passport (the one of my country of residence, with the visas) will expire in early 2014.

I could try to renew it but the process can randomly take a lot longer than expected and screw up my plans.

I have another passport - corresponding to my second citizenship and that will take longer to expire.

Can I try getting a visa or residence permit on that other passport (while I renew the first one, for example) ?

I suppose it can be confusing - in mainland China - to ask for a visa or residence permit on a passport that has no prior visas nor any record of entry into the country. Also Chinese people don't have dual citizenships themselves so it'd be even harder to explain.

Not sure if I could do it through HK. Or how. If anyone bothered to look, it'd still not have any stamps showing how got there to start with.

I did do tricks of this kind closer to home but I think China may be a little bit more complicated.

[fanglu]

Can I try getting a visa or residence permit on that other passport (while I renew the first one, for example) ?

You can try, but I doubt it will be sucessful. The reason is that China does not recognise dual nationality - not just for its own citizens, but for anyone. You can not enter China on one passport and leave on another, for example.

[liuzhou]

It isn't going to work. Get a new visa in your longer lasting passport.

[gougou]

So you still have two months before leaving? Why don't you get a visa in the second passport before leaving (instead of waiting till your in China)?

[roddy]

The reason is that China does not recognise dual nationality - not just for its own citizens, but for anyone. You can not enter China on one passport and leave on another, for example.

That's surely because your visa is going to be in the passport you came in on, no? I halfway suspect they'd actually be quite pragmatic about it if it ever came up - ie, lose your US passport, I reckon they'd give you a new visa in your Irish passport if you wanted to do that rather than wait for a replacement US document.

For the OP - I suspect you could actually do it, just submit both passports and a note explaining the situation. However, assuming you don't want to be a guinea pig for my admittedly unfounded suspicions, you're probably better off sticking to one passport for simplicity's sake.

Anyone got any actual case studies?

[Silent]

I've no clue or it would work to switch passports/nationality but my gut says it is indeed asking for trouble. But why would you want to do that?

You won't be the first expat/student where the passport expires, this should be a quite common thing and their should be a solution for that. If you really feel that an extension while in China is a risk the alternative solutions are to get your visa in the longer valid passport or to extend your passport early.

[Vandalaar]

I also would say just use one passport. why take the risk?

[Alex Whiteman]

I was going to ask if I could do the trick once in Hong Kong (i.e. get a visa on the 2nd passport) but I guess I'd should just renew my 1st passport at my country's embassy/consulate.

I'll address my questions directly to them when the time comes but. . . I suppose that, until I'm all set with the new passport, they shouldn't keep my original one with the residence permit on it - as I need the later to move around.

Then I should take the two passports (old and new) somewhere (police?) and have the/a permit attached to the new one. . . right?