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Q: How I can enounce Chinese citizenship ?
I am British citizen with a British passport and my wife is Chinese with, of course, a Chinese passport. Our Daughter who is now 1 year old is registered as a Chinese citizen and has a chinese passport. We went to England in the summer to visit my family etc. My wife loved England and we have decided that we want to move to England permantely for our daughter as we went her to enjoy her school life which i think is impossible to do in China. So my question is, i need to know the steps i need to take in order to renounce my Daughter's Chinese Citizenship and for to become a British citizen ? I know the steps i need to take for my wife but not my daughter also my daughter has a right of entitlement visa in her passport so she is seen as being eligble for a British passport.
Many thanks
7 years 30 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
The best thing you can do is apply for a British Passport for your child than fly to Shenzhen, exit China with her chinese passport than enter Hong Kong with the British Passport and exit with the British passport than your child is British and safe. If any thing goes wrong you have 14 days to reenter China the same way. You can get the passport
As for your wife, ask your family to sponsor your wife, that is the fastest and stress free way to get her there.
Now to renounce your kids Hukou (Chinese citizenship Card.) you need to go to the Hukou office and start a very very very long process, lots of paper work and a long wait. Could take 3 months to a year to get approved. Please keep your cool during this whole deal, thats why I'm saying apply in Hong Kong for the British Passport.
Good Luck, as you go through this update us so we can help you with the surprises.
Tom_Pinchen1:
Thanks for your advice. Regarding the Hong Kong things you mentioned, Do you mean i should apply for a Daughter's British passport whilst in China or go to Hong Kong and apply for it there? Plus isnt having two passports illegal in China and likely get found out at immigration and border control when travelling to different countries?
ironman510:
Even if nobody tells and they shouldn't tell you, they also have two passports, yes illegal but it goes with that old saying : "Everyone does that."
I'm telling you that you should apply for your Childs British Passport in Hong Kong, safer is better. You can apply in China for it. I can't be a 100% the British Embassy will be like the U.S Embassy, they should.. Put your mind at ease by listening to this phrase that helps everyone relax: Your country allows dual citizenship, your right the give it to your child, so the embassy shouldn't give you a hard time nor should they ask you if you have canceled the Chinese ID card, Remember your country wants you and your child safe too. They won't rat you out.
ScotsAlan:
Easy to get caught out with 2 passports. A certificate of entitlement in a foreign passport makes the holder a British citizen in Britain. Free school, free health care etc. She can live her whole life in the UK as a citizen on a Chinese passport with entitlement to abode.
ironman510:
@ Scots, you don't get caught if you keep your mouth shut. It's that simple.
BlightyMatt:
"As for your wife, ask your family to sponsor your wife, that is the fastest and stress free way to get her there."
Duff information I'm afraid.
The UK immigration for spouses doesn't work the same as the USA.
There is no family sponsorship.
Two ways to do it.
Go to the UK alone, get a job that pays £19000 per year and hold it for 6 months. Then you can start proceedings to bring the wife over.
So you could be looking at maybe a year apart.
Wife will later have to pass the UK English test or could have her spouse visa revoked.
Or have £64000 in your bank account for at least 6 months and keep it there.
Sucks I know, but the UK is a sucky country...
Tom_Pinchen1:
Hi Matt, thanks for the advice. I have already began the process of applying for my wife's spousal visa. You are correct it is very expensive and time consuming. However, regarding the financal requirements, it is closer 70,000 not 64000 pounds in savings. Thankfully, my mum was able to send me the money 7 months ago so my wife just needs to sit the test and some other things and will be ready to apply. Just wanted to let you know in case you are in the same situation.
The best thing you can do is apply for a British Passport for your child than fly to Shenzhen, exit China with her chinese passport than enter Hong Kong with the British Passport and exit with the British passport than your child is British and safe. If any thing goes wrong you have 14 days to reenter China the same way. You can get the passport
As for your wife, ask your family to sponsor your wife, that is the fastest and stress free way to get her there.
Now to renounce your kids Hukou (Chinese citizenship Card.) you need to go to the Hukou office and start a very very very long process, lots of paper work and a long wait. Could take 3 months to a year to get approved. Please keep your cool during this whole deal, thats why I'm saying apply in Hong Kong for the British Passport.
Good Luck, as you go through this update us so we can help you with the surprises.
Tom_Pinchen1:
Thanks for your advice. Regarding the Hong Kong things you mentioned, Do you mean i should apply for a Daughter's British passport whilst in China or go to Hong Kong and apply for it there? Plus isnt having two passports illegal in China and likely get found out at immigration and border control when travelling to different countries?
ironman510:
Even if nobody tells and they shouldn't tell you, they also have two passports, yes illegal but it goes with that old saying : "Everyone does that."
I'm telling you that you should apply for your Childs British Passport in Hong Kong, safer is better. You can apply in China for it. I can't be a 100% the British Embassy will be like the U.S Embassy, they should.. Put your mind at ease by listening to this phrase that helps everyone relax: Your country allows dual citizenship, your right the give it to your child, so the embassy shouldn't give you a hard time nor should they ask you if you have canceled the Chinese ID card, Remember your country wants you and your child safe too. They won't rat you out.
ScotsAlan:
Easy to get caught out with 2 passports. A certificate of entitlement in a foreign passport makes the holder a British citizen in Britain. Free school, free health care etc. She can live her whole life in the UK as a citizen on a Chinese passport with entitlement to abode.
ironman510:
@ Scots, you don't get caught if you keep your mouth shut. It's that simple.
BlightyMatt:
"As for your wife, ask your family to sponsor your wife, that is the fastest and stress free way to get her there."
Duff information I'm afraid.
The UK immigration for spouses doesn't work the same as the USA.
There is no family sponsorship.
Two ways to do it.
Go to the UK alone, get a job that pays £19000 per year and hold it for 6 months. Then you can start proceedings to bring the wife over.
So you could be looking at maybe a year apart.
Wife will later have to pass the UK English test or could have her spouse visa revoked.
Or have £64000 in your bank account for at least 6 months and keep it there.
Sucks I know, but the UK is a sucky country...
Tom_Pinchen1:
Hi Matt, thanks for the advice. I have already began the process of applying for my wife's spousal visa. You are correct it is very expensive and time consuming. However, regarding the financal requirements, it is closer 70,000 not 64000 pounds in savings. Thankfully, my mum was able to send me the money 7 months ago so my wife just needs to sit the test and some other things and will be ready to apply. Just wanted to let you know in case you are in the same situation.
Since China does not recognize dual citizenship. once your daughter has British passport technically she is no longer consider Chinese by local officials.
I got mine the USA Passport, and did not bother notifying anyone else. She is a USA citizen now, lives in USA and has all privileges onf a natural citizen. Never bother to notify a local official, and when she visits China, enters with a tourist visa without any problems
HappyExPat:
Nope, I do live in South China, and my daughter studies high school in USA. Did not want the "memory" method of studies for her.
If your daughter has a right of entitlement to abode in her passport, she can go to the UK at any time. Border control cannot refuse her entry. My 4 year old has the same in her Chinese passport. Once in the UK, apply for a British passport. It will be granted, as your daughter is "British by decent". Or, if you live close to a UK consulate in China, you can go there to claim a British passport. Leave China on the Chinese passport, or on the British passport on an emergency visa. Bit be aware. A British passport by decent does not allow free entry to the EU. You will need to fly direct.
"British by decent" means that your daughters kids won't be British unless they are born in Britain
Good luck 
ironman510:
What? So if his daughter with a U.K passport, living China has kids say 27 years later, and these kids are born in China won't be allowed to be British? I'm from the U.S so thats why I'm asking.
Tom_Pinchen1:
Thanks ScotsAlan for your advice, very helpful. Regarding going to the consulate and getting a British passport for my daughter, wont they already know that my daughter has a chinese passport , i will of course state on the application that she does not but will they do some sort of background check ? Wont the home office in the U.K know she does as they were the ones who issued my daughter with her right of entitlement visa in her chinese passport?
ironman510:
@Tom Even if they ask you, they will still give it to you, don't worry. Your country recognizes dual citizenship. Remember you're applying in your own embassy, they wanna help you.
ScotsAlan:
Tom. The right of entitlement in your daughters Chinese passport is a right of entitlement to a UK passport. That is the entitlement. The UK recognizes dual citizenship. China does not. So the Uk will issue your girl a passport. Anywhere. She is entitled to it. She has a certificate to prove it :-)
ScotsAlan:
@Ironman. Yup. Entitlement to be British in a non EU country, is only applied to the direct child of a brit citizen. The grandchildren of the original brit have no entitlement to be a brit. There are date of birth limits applied. It is all to do with former British controlled countries gaining independence etc.
ironman510:
@scots, wow, what a system, but I do understand it. Thanks
@Tom. Your best source of info on this is British "immigrant" forums. There are loads of them.
