China: Requirements and procedures for the issuance of passports abroad, including whether all embassies require proof of status; instances when a Resident Identity Card (RIC) number would not appear in the passport (2012-September 2013)
Information about the issuance of Chinese passports abroad was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. For information about the issuance of biometric passports in China, see Response to Information Request CHN104415. In correspondence with the Research Directorate, an official at the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto indicated that Chinese embassies and consulates abroad issue standard passports and have not begun issuing biometric passports (China 12 Sept. 2013). An official at the Embassy of Canada in Beijing, in correspondence with the Research Directorate, noted that the Chinese Embassies in the United Kingdom and Australia are issuing standard passports and not biometric ones (Canada 23 Sept. 2013).
Applicants are required to apply for their passports in person at the embassies or consulates (China 12 Sept. 2013; Canada 17 Sept. 2013). The Canadian official noted that this requirement is explicitly stated in the 2006 Passport Law of the People's Republic of China (ibid.).
According to the Canadian official, applicants are required to submit the following:
- a completed application form
- 3 colour photographs that meet the state specifications
- proof of Chinese nationality, original and copy (i.e. passport, hukou, or Resident Identity Card. Birth certificate may be accepted as a last resort.)
- proof of status abroad (i.e. visa, work or study permit, residence certificate, or letter from relevant foreign government authority)
- any other materials as required by the Embassy. (Canada 17 Sept. 2013)
The Chinese official also provided information about passport issuance procedures abroad (China 12 Sept. 2013). He said that the procedure "is first to confirm the applicant's nationality by checking their previous Chinese passport or Resident Identity Card (RIC) or birth certificate" (China 12 Sept. 2013). He noted that this procedure takes time and involves consulting with authorities in China (ibid.). In addition, the official said that applicants are required to fill out an application form, submit passport photographs, and provide information about their employment and how they came to the country (ibid.).
The Canadian official in Beijing said that the procedures for applying for a passport abroad are the same as the procedures for applying for a passport inland, except that applicants additionally require proof of status abroad (Canada 17 Sept. 2013).
Regarding proof of status, the Chinese official said that it is "not a prior condition" for applying for a Chinese passport, but is "useful and helpful" and enables their consulate to handle those applications more quickly (China 12 Sept. 2013). This contrasts with the information from the Canadian official in Beijing, who said that all embassies require proof of status in order to issue the passport and that the "[a]vailable information does not show any exceptions to the requirement of proof of status abroad" (Canada 17 Sept. 2013). According to the website of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Albania, passport applicants are required to provide a "[v]alid certificate of residence issued by the foreign government or other identity certificate of the applicant's lawful status" (China 23 July 2008).
Regarding whether passports contain the applicant's RIC number, the Canadian official said that biometric passports do not contain the RIC number and that in 2007 Beijing stopped issuing passports with the RIC number (Canada 17 Sept. 2013). The Chinese official said that not all citizens in China have RICs, so not all biometric passports contain the applicant's RIC number (China 12 Sept. 2013).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Canada. 23 September 2013. Embassy of Canada in Beijing. Correspondence from an official to the Research Directorate.
Canada. 17 September 2013. Embassy of Canada in Beijing. Correspondence from an official to the Research Directorate.
China. 12 September 2013. Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto. Correspondence from an official to the Research Directorate.
China. 23 July 2008. Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Albania. "Chinese Passports and Other Travel Documents." [Accessed 18 Sept. 2013]
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: Attempts to contact officials at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Ottawa, the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Washington, DC and Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in New York were unsuccessful.
Internet sites, including: China – China Internet Information Center, Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in New York, Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Ottawa, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Washington, DC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Factiva; ecoi.net; United Nations – Refworld.