TaiBaoZheng, Entry and Exit with Different Passports, Fun!

Legal Dual Nationality
1

Hi guys,

I’ve run some Google searches and pretty much read every relavent thread in the Dual Nationality forum but I haven’t quite found an answer to my specific circumstance. As such, I’d appreciate any help/answers you fine folks can offer.

Let me give a brief on my situation:

I was born in Taiwan but emigrated to the United States when I was about two years old. After some time, my parents naturalized and I was naturalized along with them. Like many others, I have both a US passport and an ROC passport. When I renewed my ROC passport this past year, we also had it stamped to indicate that I am a naturalized US citizen. I imagine this was also done to indicate that I was therefore excused from Taiwanese military service. In either case, it didn’t matter since I have no plans to move back to Taiwan.

Now, the reason why I renewed my passport was in hopes of applying for a TaiBaoZheng. I’m currently working in Shanghai, China with a Z-visa on my US passport. Keenly aware of how incredibly annoying and expensive obtaining a Chinese visa can be, I’m looking into securing a TaiBaoZheng to make things easier on myself in the long-run. From what I’ve gathered (and feel free to correct me on this) off Google searches and this blessed forum of puns is that the TaiBaoZheng allows me to legally enter and exit China much like a PRC citizen, legally work (no need for an employment license, permit, and Z visa), and legally stay as long as I want. I still need to register where I live, however, but otherwise, it is much more advantageous than the usual visas non-Chinese citizens usually have to use.

Next week, I’m scheduled to meet with my parents in Taipei to sort out our “hukou” and ID issues before we hand off my ROC passport to a travel agency to take care of the TaiBaoZheng. I’ll be arriving November 28th and staying until December 3rd where I return to Shanghai. I cannot stay longer due to work. Hence, the following questions:

  1. What passport do I leave China with? My US passport that contains my current Residence Permit (which allows unlimited entry and exit while it is valid until early next year)?

  2. I’m told I need to enter Taiwan with my ROC passport to get the entry stamp in order to sort out the “hukou” and ID matters. However, if I’m leaving my ROC passport with an agency to get my TaiBaoZheng, it won’t be ready before I must return to Shanghai. Therefore, if upon departing Taiwan with my US passport, will anyone care that it does not have an entry stamp?

  3. If upon returning to China with my US passport, will anyone care that it does not have an entry stamp into Taiwan but does have an exit stamp from Taiwan?

  4. Once the TaiBaoZheng is ready on my ROC passport, should I have them mail it to me in China? I’m not particularly confident of the mail service in China, especially if it is coming from Taiwan. Should I opt to have them mail it to my parents in the United States and then have my parents mail it to me? I recall reading about mail coming from Taiwan being stamped with some “Taiwan in the UN” stamp that is pissing off the mainlanders and resulting in recipients having to sign a denouncement or something ridiculous. I prefer not to do that.

  5. Once I have a TaiBaoZheng, I’m uncertain how it affects my situation in China. Do I need to enter WITH it in order for its benefits to legally affect me, thereby allowing me to stay without limit, legally work, etc. etc.? Or does simple possession of a TaiBaoZheng grant me such benefits? I need to know if I need to exit China and re-enter with the TaiBaoZheng once I receive it from the travel agency.

As you can see, a bit of a complex problem with many different issues requiring wise answers. Thanks in advance.

Oh, and my British friend will be joining me to check out the nightlife in Taipei over that weekend as well. If any of you can help me with these questions, I’ll be more than happy to buy you a drink if you’re in Taipei and up for partying as well! Haha! Hey, these questions are killing me and it’s the least I could do, right?

Cheers!
Kai

2

Okay, apparently, I was wrong about having to leave my ROC passport with a travel agency to get my TaiBaoZheng. Apparently, I only need to leave a copy of my ID and a copy of my passport to get the TaiBaoZheng. That probably means I should exit Taiwan with my ROC passport and just re-enter China with the US Passport I exited with. Hopefully, they won’t wonder why I didn’t seem to check-in and check-out of anywhere else while I was away.

My uncle mentioned something called “僑胞通行證” that is supposedly available to Chinese/Taiwanese naturalized US citizens that is better than the TaiBaoZheng. Does anyone have any information on this and how it compares to the TaiBaoZheng? The whole reason behind wanting an TaiBaoZheng was to allow me to enter, exit, stay, and work in China easier and cheaper than having to get the normal variety of visas for foreigners.

Again, any help or knowledge is much appreciated. Cheers.

3

Okay, nevermind, apparently 僑胞通行證 is only for Green Card holders, not US citizens. Scratch that.

4

Did you figure out which was the better way?

5

I’m disappointed that no one was able to give any guidance on these issues despite the forum’s reputation, my searches, and the provision of all the pertinent details as I knew them. :frowning:

As a belated follow-up since lily asked…

I exited China with my US passport.
I entered Taiwan with my ROC passport.
I got my shengfenzheng (ID) and even registered to vote.
I exited Taiwan with my ROC passport.
I re-entered China with my US passport.

Only hiccup I encountered was when leaving Taiwan. No problem at the ticket counter but upon heading towards the gates and past the security check-point (immigration? customs?), the computer registered me as not having served my military service. Presenting my US passport was of no use and I had to exit back to the terminal (where the ticketing booths are) and look for the customs office. There, I simply had to show that I was a naturalized U.S. citizen, sign a form, and bring the form back to the check-point to get through to my flight. The friendly lady also simply advised that as long as I don’t stay past a certain amount of time, I was fine.

As for the TaiBaoZheng, I have yet to apply for one though I should do that soon before my China visa expires. Upon inquiry in Taipei, I was simply told that I could have it done easily in Shanghai at a travel agency as well so just do it later. Apart from a few inquiries with some local agencies who said they couldn’t do it, I haven’t yet looked further.

Hope this follow-up helps anyone with similar inquiries. Cheers.

6

I’m disappointed that no one was able to give any guidance on these issues despite the forum’s reputation, my searches, and the provision of all the pertinent details as I knew them. :frowning:

As a belated follow-up since lily asked…

I exited China with my US passport.
I entered Taiwan with my ROC passport.
I got my shengfenzheng (ID) and even registered to vote.
I exited Taiwan with my ROC passport.
I re-entered China with my US passport.

Only hiccup I encountered was when leaving Taiwan. No problem at the ticket counter but upon heading towards the gates and past the security check-point (immigration? customs?), the computer registered me as not having served my military service. Presenting my US passport was of no use and I had to exit back to the terminal (where the ticketing booths are) and look for the customs office. There, I simply had to show that I was a naturalized U.S. citizen, sign a form, and bring the form back to the check-point to get through to my flight. The friendly lady also simply advised that as long as I don’t stay past a certain amount of time, I was fine.

As for the TaiBaoZheng, I have yet to apply for one though I should do that soon before my China visa expires. Upon inquiry in Taipei, I was simply told that I could have it done easily in Shanghai at a travel agency as well so just do it later. Apart from a few inquiries with some local agencies who said they couldn’t do it, I haven’t yet looked further.

Hope this follow-up helps anyone with similar inquiries. Cheers.

7

I would be careful with this.

You say you have re-established Hukou in Taiwan, so depending on your age and gender (under 36, male) you would be subject to military service. You have restrictions on how long you can stay in Taiwan even if you use your US passport before this is triggered.

Also, think about what you are trading off – you may have the convenience of not having to renew your Z-visa every year, but technically you won’t be under the jurisdiction of the US government. You enter with Taibaozheng, you are seen as a Taiwanese and the US can’t do anything. If god forbid something happens (e.g., Taiwan and mainland go to war) and they prevent all Taiwanese from leaving you won’t be able to seek the protection of the US government.

8

Regarding military service, I definitely inquired about this and unfortunately, I don’t remember the exact duration details. I believe it was something along the lines that I’d become obligated to serve military duty IF I stay in Taiwan for over 3 months over 3 times. I clearly remember the immigration officer even emphasizing that even if this happens, it isn’t a sure thing that I’ll be required to serve. In short, so long as you’re only temporarily visiting Taiwan, you’re fine. If you’re planning on moving to Taiwan and staying longer term, then yes, you’ll be required to serve your country (oops, renegade province).

As for US citizenship protection, you are technically correct and I’m definitely aware of it. It is, for all intents and purposes, a calculated risk. A Z-visa takes thousands of RMB to get and renew each year along with a ton of bureaucratic formalities that wastes more time, energy, and money.

A Taibaozheng costs a few hundred RMB to get (though this does not include the costs associated with re-establishing your Hukou in Taiwan if you’ve lost it), which gets you into China. Once in China, you have 30 days to get a residence permit which is good for at least one year…for 100 RMB. You can renew each year without leaving China…for 100 RMB. As far as simply being legally allowed to stay in China goes, the Taibaozheng is infinitely easier and more flexible than any normal China visa.

The caveat is that a Taibaozheng itself does not allow you to be legally employed in China. You still need a work permit, which is where additional costs may be involved. Those are unnecessary, however, for my purposes here in China.

Should all hell break loose, would I be protected by the US government? This is hard to say. I’m inclined to believe that simply showing up at the US embassy and waving my US passport will get me in. I doubt the United States is keen on handing over a national to the Chinese government in a situation like that, regardless of what visa I got into China with.

That said, war between Taiwan, China, much less the United States is an incredibly unlikely scenario.

Take what I’ve been able to accomplish for what it’s worth. It may or may not apply to anyone else’s circumstances but I came back to post these follow-ups despite not getting any useful help the first time around simply so others could benefit. That’s the nature of a forum, right? To help each other out?

9

China doesn’t recognize dual citizenship, it requires former Chinese citizen to relinquish Chinese passport and obtain a visa to visit China. What is the implication if the Chinese government knows you also hold a US passport?

10

China just considers you a citizen of whatever passport you used to enter China with.

11

With a US passport, Taiwan passport and a Taibaozheng , how would one get pass the airlines to fly from US directly into China? Taibaozheng itself is not a visa, where can the the visa for Taibaozheng be obtained in USA?

12

With a US passport, Taiwan passport and a Taibaozheng , how would one get pass the airlines to fly from US directly into China? Taibaozheng itself is not a visa, where can the the visa for Taibaozheng be obtained in USA?

13

The Taiboazheng is a travel document issued by the PRC government for Taiwan travellers to enter China on.

You must apply for this from within Taiwan afaik. IF you are holding one you can fly directly from the USA into China if there is a flight say from NY to Shanghai.

14

Tainese are exempt from this. Taiwan not really being a part of China an all… just yet lol

15

TaiBaoZheng does not contain any verbiage in English, how would the airline know it is a valid document for entry into China?

16

Where are you flying from? Within Asia, I’ve never had a problem with it.

17

Flying from Chicago, airlines check in counter folks do not read or speak Chinese.

18

The Taiboazheng is a travel document issued by the PRC government for Taiwan travellers to enter China on.

You must apply for this from within Taiwan afaik. IF you are holding one you can fly directly from the USA into China if there is a flight say from NY to Shanghai.[/quote]

As victor222 mentioned, Taiboazheng is only a travel document, it is not a visa. You still have to get visa stamp on Taibaozheng before you enter China everytime. Also, you can not stay in China forever, each visa stamp allows you to stay for a certain period of time depending on what kind of stamps you apply for.

19

Do you not think the airline staff are not trained to see the different travel documents. Let alone that many airlines with flghts to CHina have CHinese staff at the airline counters?

Immigration in China sometimes ask me am I really unemployed lol. Says so on my Taibao lol

You get your Taiboa and Visa from the Chinese Embassy.