# Taiwan, Honk Kong and passports.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwan-honk-kong-and-passports/267793>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 6, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwan-honk-kong-and-passports/267793 "2004-10-06T03:20:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwan-honk-kong-and-passports/267793/1 "2004-10-06T03:20:02Z")

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Do Taiwanese people have Chinese passports or Taiwanese passports? What about people from Hong Kong. Did passports change after Hong Kong reverted to chinese control?

Are people from these places subjected to the same visa laws as mainland Chinese in other countries or they treated as seperate countries?

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**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwan-honk-kong-and-passports/267793/2 "2004-10-06T06:12:20Z")

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In the US they’re treated as separate countries. I discussed this (briefly) in a recent thread, can’t remember which one though.

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**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwan-honk-kong-and-passports/267793/3 "2004-10-06T06:43:06Z")

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The Republic of China issues its own passport (now with ‘Taiwan’ on the front cover to prevent confusion), while the People’s Republic of China issues its own.

In Hong Kong, discounting the ethnic Chinese who hold overseas passports (mainly Canada, Australia and UK), the majority of those who hold passports hold a HKSAR passport (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China). Some also (or alternatively, but this is very rare) hold a BNO passport (British National Overseas). A BNO passport isn’t very useful because many countries, while recognising it, require the holder to get a visa.

I think the above is accurate but wouldn’t vouch for it. However, you may visit the HKSAR Govt website (Immigration Department) for more - probably mind-boggling! - details.

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**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taiwan-honk-kong-and-passports/267793/4 "2004-10-06T07:15:58Z")

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Thanks **Roger**.