State of Trance

My SO is a PRC passport holder and a U.S. permanent resident, so she does not have hukou. As an overseas PRC passport holder, she can apply for an Exit & Entry Permit to enter Taiwan online, but it seems that this is only sufficient if not departing from mainland China. From my understanding and TIMATIC, a PRC passport holder departing from mainland China to Taiwan also requires a Mainland Resident Taiwan Travel Permit (大陸居民往來臺灣通行證) a.k.a. Lu Bao Zheng (陸胞證) as TIMATIC calls it. However, this is required to be issued by the Public Security Bureau where the applicant has hukou in, which does not exist in this case. Has anyone had experience applying for one in this situation before, and if so, would it be possible to do so from abroad? Thanks!

tauphi

AFAIK you do not need a Mainland Resident Taiwan Travel Permit if you hold a permanent visa from a third country. If you're still unsure, I suggest that you contact the Border Security people from the port where you will exit China. They should be able to set you straight.

OK I was wrong. The only situation where you can fly direct to Taiwan without a permit is if you have an onward ticket to your country of residence. If you're transiting from Taiwan to a third country or if you're returning to China from Taiwan then you must have a Mainland Resident Taiwan Travel Permit, which as you said cannot be obtained in your case.

The only alternative for visiting Taiwan from China is to travel via a third country, and most people would choose Hong Kong when starting from China.

State of Trance

Thanks for the reply. Do you happen to know where you read that transit via TPE without 往來臺灣通行證 is allowed to the country of residence? At least this would open up BR to us when we are traveling together to/from mainland China.

From what I remember, traveling to HKG also requires a a similar permit for PRC passport holders (Two Way Permit, or 雙程證) unless you are in transit. We've used the transit provision without issues traveling onwards to NRT, but I wonder if either mainland or HKG immigration would object to Taiwan as the third country considering the cross-strait situation?

tauphi

The following response was provided by PVG border control on their own website (http://www.sh-immigration.gov.cn/mail_jb2.aspx):

处理号：18178 留言时间：2018.4.14 姓名：H**
问： 您好我是中国公民持美国绿卡，需经台湾转机（停留台北48小时）飞美国旧金山。有入台许可但没有大陆居民往 来台湾通行证。请问可以正常从上海出境吗？
回复时间：2018.4.20
答： 您好！根据您所描述的情况，大陆居民前往台湾可凭大陆居民往来台湾通行证和赴台签注办理前往台湾的边检手续 ；或凭有效的中国护照和美国绿卡办理经台湾中转前往美国的边检手续。 若有疑问，您可致电上海边检总站（021—31366000，51105100）咨询。

However, if you're leaving from a port other than PVG, I suggest that you contact the border control directly and clarify the requirements with them.

For passengers departing for HKG only a Chinese passport is required. No checks are made by Chinese border control as to onward travel or visa. HKG immigration may ask for evidence for onward travel (although this is extremely rare) but they should have no issues with your wife travelling to Taiwan.

State of Trance

Thanks so much for this. I didn't realize that Shanghai Immigration had their own Q&A form, and it's nice that they also archive previous answers. From this reply, it seems like the exception only holds for onwards transit to the U.S., although immigration may have also misread and classified them as mainland residents.

处理号：19025 留言时间：2019.1.15 姓名：李**
问： 您好，我父母是中国公民（持有中国护照）持有美国绿卡，长期在美国生活并且已经被注销了国内的户籍。春节期 间想从美国回上海探亲，之后去从上海去台湾旅行，我父母有在美国申请的入台证，但没有大陆居民往来台湾通行 证。请问我父母能正常从上海出境去台湾吗？谢谢。
回复时间：2019.1.16
答： 您好！大陆居民前往台湾，须办理好大陆居民往来台湾通行证和签注。根据您描述的情况，您父母仍持中国护照， 属于大陆居民，故须办理好大陆居民往来台湾通行证和签注方可前往台湾。若有疑问，您可致电上海边检总站（0 21—31366000，51105100）咨询。

I seem to remember last time, she was questioned both exiting PVG and entering HKG as to why she didn't have a Two Way Permit. Of course, I can clarify any plans with immigration directly online now, so thanks again for finding that!

alphaod

Just so you know, if your SO is a PRC passport holder she has a hukou. The only way to not have a hukou is if you renounce Chinese citizenship and go to the PSB to revoke your hukou. Yes you must do this manually after renouncing Chinese citizenship. Who in their right mind would voluntarily revoke their hukou is beyond me.

tauphi

This is not true. Plenty of PRC passport holders residing overseas do not hold hukou on the mainland. It is true however that most recent emigrants from mainland China have kept their hukou registration.

tauphi

No this is the whole point of the rule. If you're transiting Taiwan to return to the US then you're fine with just a Chinese passport. However, if you're simply visiting Taiwan and then returning to China (or a third country other than the US) then you must hold the appropriate document.


How long ago was this? Previously Chinese border security did have a role in checking onward visas and such but that practice stopped around two years ago.

alphaod

I have many Chinese friends in the US who have been in the US for 50-60 years who are still Chinese nationals (they chose not to naturalize to US citizenship) who have only recently returned to China after so many years still have their hukou and even got their national ID card renewed. They did "lose" their hukou book, but it was just a matter of getting it replaced.

Such a case as you describe exist just that I have not experience it with anyone I know. I can only offer my experience, perhaps you are right. I am wondering if the the OP's SO can see if she can get a hukou book replaced and get a replacement national ID; the recent real-name authentication for just about everything, having a Chinese ID is so much more convenient. There is a lot of scrutiny when you present a foreign passport or don't have your ID card when you're Chinese in China.

leishi85

did a transit with BR through TPE with my PRC passport holding wife recently. I don't think it's worth the hassle to get the proper documents for this route. We would rather do transit in PVG or PEK with my 10 year chinese visa instead.

State of Trance

You know what, it was just about 2.5 years ago so that makes sense!

Interesting. In her case, she left the mainland before she was even old enough to hold a 身分證, and it is indeed a hassle since most people aren't familiar with a Chinese passport holder who doesn't have one. Granted, she is eligible to naturalize as a U.S. citizen, in which case she would definitely no longer be able to receive one.