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March 8, 2014
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Immigration arrangements for British passport holders from Hong Kong visiting the Republic of China (Taiwan)

Wikipedia

 		 
cleanup-date|August 2005
Because the Republic of China (ROC) has never renounced its sovereignty over its territories on China mainland, and arguably under pressure of the People's Republic of China (PRC), it does not treat the People's Republic of China as a "foreign country". The ROC partially recognise the "Chinese-ness" of ethnic Chinese people of Hong Kong so it does not fully recognise their British National (Overseas) status. However, the ROC fully recognises their overseas citizenship (including British Citizen, Australia, Canada, the United States etc.) besides British National (Overseas) and PRC Citizenship. In comparison, the PRC Home Return Permit|refuses to recognise British passports of whatever type issued to ethnic Chinese people in Hong Kong.
British National (Overseas)

British National (Overseas)|British Nationals (Overseas) (also known as BN(O)) who was born Hong Kong or has entered Taiwan after 1983 could apply a 14-day landing visa upon arrival. Such travellers will need to produce their Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card, his/her BN(O) passport with validity of at least six months after entry and a confirmed return ticket when they check-in at the special immigration counters in Republic of China|Taiwan.

They can also apply a visa online https://nas.immigration.gov.tw/ here before travelling.

British Nationals (Overseas) who hold foreign passports other than BN(O) or HKSAR passport|HKSAR passports (British Citizen passport is a foreign passport here) are ineligible to use their BN(O) or SAR passport to enter Taiwan. They need to produce their third-country (other than the United Kingdom and People's Republic of China) or British Citizen passport for this immigration purpose.

Not all British Nationals (Overseas) are eligible for the 14-day landing visa (e.g. for persons not born in Hong Kong). Such ineligible BN(O)s need to apply a Taiwanese visa at the Chung Hwa Travel Agency (the de facto Republic of China's consulate in Hong Kong).

Unlike most countries outside the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China never stamp British National (Overseas) passports, implying that ROC does not fully recognise the British status of BN(O)s.

Note: A person can hold both British Citizenship and British National (Overseas) status simultaneously under British Nationality Law.
British Citizen

Some people in Hong Kong obtained British Citizenship (BC) before the handover, most of them registered as a British Citizen under the British Nationality Law#British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990|British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990.

The immigration arrangements for them is the same with that for Britons travelling from the United Kingdom, since the United Kingdom is one of the countries eligible for 30-day visa-free access into the Republic of China.

Unlike BN(O)s, the Republic of China stamps British Citizen passports, implying that ROC fully recognise the British status of all British Citizens.

Visit this http://www.boca.gov.tw/%7Eboca2000/en/exempte.htm website for more information.
Additional Information

  • The Republic of China does not explicitly (but implicitly) indicate that only British Citizens are eligible for the visa-free access programme. From the http://www.boca.gov.tw/%7Eboca2000/en/exempte.htm website, it is only stated that "UK is one of the countries eligible for visa-free access to Taiwan" in the table. Obviously, Taiwan has not taken the complexity of British Nationality Law into account in its immigration arrangements. For British nationals other than BN(O)s and BCs (say British Overseas Citizens), the immigration arrangements for them are not clear. However, http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm Hong Kong and http://www.canada.org.uk/visa-info/visitor/e_brit.htm Canada take the complexity of British Nationality Law into full account in devising their immigration arrangements due to their historical British connexions.


  • ROC does not completely recognise full Portuguese passports issued to ethnic Chinese people in Macau. Holders of such passports cannot enjoy the full visa-free access as the Portuguese visitors from Portugal do and they need a landing visa to visit Taiwan. However, it is interesting to note that British Citizens who obtained their citizenship under the British nationality law and Hong Kong#British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990|British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990 are eligible for the full visa-free access. This difference may also indicate that the complexity of British Nationality Law has not been taken into full account by the ROC when devising its immigration rules.


  • Immigration arrangements for Hong Kongers with HKSAR passports but not BN(O) passports are the same as for BN(O)s. However, instead of their BN(O) passport, their HKSAR passports should be produced when necessary.


  • Hong Kongers holding passports from countries on this http://www.boca.gov.tw/%7Eboca2000/en/exempte.htm list are eligible for full visa-free access to Taiwan on production of such passports. They should not apply for a landing visa on their BN(O) or HKSAR passports.


  • Hong Kongers holding passports from countries not on this http://www.boca.gov.tw/%7Eboca2000/en/exempte.htm list require a visa stamped on such a passport and their BN(O) or HKSAR passport cannot be used for Taiwan immigration purposes.
See also

  • Home Return Permit, People's Republic of China

  • British nationality law and Hong Kong

  • Chinese Nationality Law (People's Republic of China)
External links

  • http://www.boca.gov.tw/%7Eboca2000/en/exempte.htm Regulations of Visa-Exempt Entry and Landing Visas for Foreign Nationals, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China

  • http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1068718131771 BN(O) Immigration, British Trade and Cultural Office, Taiwan

  • http://www.immigration.gov.tw/aspcode/searchMenuDir.asp?directoryID=16 Taiwanese laws regulating immigration arrangements for Hong Kong and Macao residents

  • http://www.boca.gov.tw/~boca3007/foreign/Asia/hkg.htm Chung Hwa Travel Service Hong Kong

  • http://www.mac.gov.tw/big5/twhkmc/faq/index.htm 臺港澳交流答客問, Mainland Affairs Council, Republic of China

  • http://www.immigration.gov.tw/aspcode/show_menu22.asp?url_disno=19 ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????, ???????????????????????????????????? (Immigration Department), the Republic of China


Category:Foreign relations of Hong Kong
Category:Foreign relations of the Republic of China
Category:Hong Kong
Category:Taiwan
Category:Politics of Hong Kong|*
Copyright & Resource Links
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Immigration arrangements for British passport holders from Hong Kong visiting the Republic of China (Taiwan)".


Last Modified:   2005-11-04


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