So I have a HKSAR and US passport. I am currently a US citizen reside in the US. I plan to visit china in a few months, if I enter china with the HKSAR passport then i don't need to apply for a visa. So if I want to use the HKSAR passport to enter china, how do I return back to the US?

Can I leave US with my US passport, enter china with my HKSAR passport, leave china with my HKSAR passport, and return to US with my US passport? Or I can't do that because china would need to know where i am coming from and US would need to know where I am returning from?

What about leaving US with my HKSAR passport, enter china with my HKSAR passport, leave china with my HKSAR passport, and entering back to US with my HKSAR passport? But then would I be able to enter US with my HKSAR passport? I am a US citizen afterall, how would this process work?

I guess I am just trying to get away with paying to apply for a VISA to china... is there anyway I can do this to make it work? if not, then I guess i will just have to apply for a china visa...

Welcome to flyertalk lendbz

You use your HKSAR passport to enter Hong Kong and China and you use your US Passport for returning to the US. When you leave China use your HKSAR passport and for entering the US you user your US passport. I mean you have to use your US passport to enter the US or do you have a visa in your HKSAR passport?

It is always recommended for persons with dual citizenship to use the passport belonging to the country you are entering and a citizen of.

Thanks for the welcome

I am still a bit confused about this whole passport thing

So you say to use my HKSAR passport to enter china. But what about when I leave US in the US side to go to china? Do i have to show my passport when leaving US? I should show my US passport when I leave US?

And you say to return to the US with my US passport. When I enter US with my US passport, would it be a problem at the US custom since there is no record on my US passport where I was coming from (since I am using my HKSAR passport not my US passport when I am leaving china)? Or they don't really care all they need to see is you have a US passport?

I can't speak for China, but I often travel between the two countries that I am a citizen of (Australia and the UK) with no problems.

Basically, at each stage, think about what the passport check is for. So:

• at check-in when leaving the US, you need to show your HKSAR passport (because the airline wants to ensure that you are admissible at the other end of the trip; see also below)
• at security checks in the US, best to show your US passport (see below)
• at the aircraft door, show your HKSAR passport (again, this is the airline checking)
• on arrival in China, show your HKSAR passport (obviously)
• on checking in to return to the USA, show your US passport (same reasons as above...)
• at passport control on leaving China, show your HKSAR passport
• at the aircraft door, show your US passport
• on arrival at the USA, show your US passport

A few extra points:

• US law requires that US citizens must present themselves to US government officials at all times as a US citizen
• therefore, as a US citizen, you must enter the USA on a US passport
• I don't know if the security staff at US airports are US government employees or not, but you might as well show your US passport to them (these are the people, for instance, who conduct the security checks at airports)
• airline check-in staff, however, are not US government employees; however, because they conduct exit immigration control from the USA and because you will not have any evidence in your passport, you might need to explain to them that you are also a US citizen; but I wouldn't volunteer that information until asked, not because you are doing anything wrong, but because some such people get easily confused when something happens that they don't expect
• I don't know what view China takes of people having dual US�HKSAR citizenship; assuming that they are happy with it, then there is no problem
• I have never had anyone question any lack of stamps in my passports, but again I don't know if Chinese immigration people would look for US stamps in your passport �.I suspect not, but if they do and ask you about it, you can always be completely truthful and say that you are also a US citizen (assuming, again, that this is acceptable to China!)

A US citizen can't be denied entry to the USA.

Remember, that plenty of people have dual citizenship, including dual US�other citizenship. Airline staff and immigration officers ought to be used to the concept, should it come up. Some might not be, of course, but as I say bear in mind that you are doing nothing illegal, or even unusual. That said, don't volunteer your dual status unless it is relevant, not because it is a problem but because officials often become confused when people do things that they are not expecting!

The US requires all US nationals to enter and leave the US with their US passport. At checkin for your flight leaving the US, you should present your US passport as your primary document and only use your HKSAR passport to prove that you are entitled to enter your destination country. Returning to the US, present your US passport at checkin.

bolding mine
Are you referring to TSA? If so, you don't need to show a passport at all to clear TSA, but you are less likely to be given a hard time if you show a US passport. You could show a drivers license or any other documentation on the acceptable list.


I was not aware of any outbound Immigration for the US.

Please also see this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...-question.html

I see I see. Thanks for the reply it is clear now

What about entering another country that I am not a citizen of (say a country in africa), can I use my HKSAR passport over my US passport when entering that country even though I am flying from the US? The reason that I might want to use my HKSAR over my US passport for some countries is because some countries you don't need a visa with your HKSAR passport but need a visa if you use the US passport..

No, outbound immigration, such as it is, is conducted by the airline. It probably doesn't impinge on US citizens at all.

As a non-US citizen I have always simply shown my passport to the TSA people, but it may well be possible to show another form of acceptable photo ID.

Yes, that is not a problem. Again, you must use your US passport to re-enter the USA (and perhaps also when checking in � see soitgoes' post above, although actually I'm not sure that it's necessary; however, it can't hurt, I guess).

Thanks so much for all the replies! it is all clear to me now

But first you have to prove that you are a US citizen. Yes I know that this can be done with other documents besides your US passport or if you can somehow show proof of your citizenship. Still showing the passport is the easiest and most simple way.

Also this wouldn't work with the airline. They want either see a US passport or a visa before you can check-in or board a plane to the US.

Would the chinese passport control require that I show them proof that I can get into the US when i am leaving china? If so, that might run into a problem because then I will have to show them my US passport and I am not sure how the chinese government takes of people having dual citizenship with them.. Hmmm

I don't know. I've never been to mainland China. (I've been to Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, but never to China itself.)

All I can say is that no immigration officer that I've encountered on leaving a country has ever shown the remotest interest in whether I had the necessary documents (suitable passport, visa, whatever) for my next port of entry. I think they see that as the airline's problem, not theirs: their concern is that you're not an illegal immigrant or an overstayer and, perhaps, that you're not on a "wanted" list for some other reason, and then to do anything that they need to do from a passport control point of view (stamping the passport, scanning it, entering details into a computer database, etc).

What is China's view on HKSAR passport holders being dual citizens? If China is happy with that arrangement, then if you are asked about your next port of call, you can simply say that you are also a US citizen as well, and produce the passport if necessary. If China is not happy with that arrangement, then I'd question whether the plan of using the two passports is workable because you'd be holding the HKSAR passport illegally. But as I say, I don't know what Chinese law says about dual citizenship for HKSAR people.

When leaving mainland China, your passport is checked 3 times.
1) at the check-in counter [airline staff]
2) at (exit) immigration [immigration staff]
3) At the gate as you board [immigration staff]

I would show your US passport at 1 (to ensure you have the right to enter the US)
Show your HKSAR, which you used on entrance, at 2 (as they place an 'exit' stamp next to your 'entrance' stamp)
Show your US passport at 3 but I think you can get away with either as (I believe) they are just making sure Chinese citizens have the authorization to leave the country.

Regaring the question about entering/leaving a third party country (a country you are not affiliated), I would choose the passport (be sure to use the same in and out) that give you the most flexibility (i.e. less paperwork) and the country that you would want representing you should something bad happen. An American is always American but it might pose an issue if there is no formal evidence the American-you entered the country in question.