China

Dual Citizenship China

Not Allowed

The Chinese law strictly applies the principle of ius sanguinis. According to the Nationality Law, which disciplines the modes of acquiring citizenship, any person with at least one parent who is Chinese national shall have Chinese nationality. However, Article 5 states that a person who has acquired a foreign nationality at birth and either (or both) of whose parents have settled abroad, shall not have Chinese citizenship. Therefore, the mere right of blood would not suffice in order to have the citizenship granted, as the parent (or parents) must settle in China, including those that are stateless, or their nationality cannot be determined (Article 6).

The Chinese Nationality law also states that foreign nationals or stateless persons who are willing to become Chinese citizens may be naturalised upon approval of their applications, provided that they are near relatives of Chinese relatives, that they have settled in China or that they can produce other legitimate reasons. Any person who applies for naturalisation has to renounce to his original citizenship.  

The local Public Security Bureaus are the entities appointed by law that are responsible for collecting applications for naturalisation. After they are submitted, it is the Ministry of Public security that approves or rejects the applications for naturalisation.

The Chinese Nationality Law clearly affirms in Article 3 that the People’s Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national. Furthermore, as set down in Article 9, Chinese nationals who obtain naturalisation in a foreign country will automatically lose their Chinese citizenship.