Baby Registration - HK vs M'sia Citizenship?

M

mutt2020

Registered User
hi all,

this might be an old topic but i didn't find an answer so I am asking my fellow forum members.

Background; i am a Malaysia in HK on a dependent visa tied to my wife who is a PRC citizen working here in HK as well. She is another 2 years away from converting to HK PR

we just had a baby (yay!) & planning to have him registered in the coming weeks. We understand the whole process of registration but having a dilemma on Msia vs HK citizenship

Baby qualifies for HK because he is a Chinese citizen born in Hong Kong before or after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. His mother is of Chinese descent. This also gives him ROA

Baby qualifies for M'sia because father of the child is a Malaysian Citizen

I would like to give him an option later in life (18 years old) to choose citizenship. So i know that Malaysia doesn't allow dual nationality. Would the best way be as per below :

Register birth cert at HK dept of registration. Take that to Msia embassy & have his citizenship done. He is entitled to a HKID (3 stars) when he turns 11. However he will be a Malaysian citizen and have a Malaysian passport. When he is an adult, he can choose to take up a HK passport and give up his Malaysian passport. He will still have the option to change as he will have a HK BC & of Chinese descent
 
My hubby is Malaysian and I'm HK Chinese with British citizenship. Both of my children are HK citizens + british.... When we applied for my son's HK passport, the people at the passport service warned us about M'sia not allowing dual citizenship. We thot HK + British was better and we don't plan to move to M'sia so we never applied for M'sian citizenship.....

I guess having 2 passport won't hurt. My hubby didn't serenader his M'sian passport when he got his British..........
 
me and my other half were born over in the UK and hold Brit Citzs.

For years ive been trying to get a PRC passport, but failed every time. As far as im aware your only allowed to hold one citizenship with the PRC, so they said unless i gave mine up im not allowed one.

Now that our little one is born, in HK. Im hoping he can get a PRC passport first, then when we get back to the UK we'll apply for the Brit one which he'll automatically get.

Our British Immigration law/rule allows us to have dual nationality.

This way hopefully we'll skirt round the PRC rules.
 
pobox557 said:
me and my other half were born over in the UK and hold Brit Citzs.

For years ive been trying to get a PRC passport, but failed every time. As far as im aware your only allowed to hold one citizenship with the PRC, so they said unless i gave mine up im not allowed one.

Now that our little one is born, in HK. Im hoping he can get a PRC passport first, then when we get back to the UK we'll apply for the Brit one which he'll automatically get.

Our British Immigration law/rule allows us to have dual nationality.

This way hopefully we'll skirt round the PRC rules.
Click to expand...

Not sure why you would want a PRC passport. Do you mean the home return permit? As your baby is born in HK, I believe he/she wont be able to obtain a HK passport unless you or your spouse have Chinese nationality (i.e. one of you are Chinese).
 
with a PRC passport you can apply for a return home permit. without one you can't apply....... Well it wouldn't approve.

Also if you have a PRC passport you don't have to come to Hong Kong every 3 years. As well as the next generation wouldn't have to be born in Hong Kong can be born abroad and still get HK ID with 3 stars on.

On other hand if no PRC passport then he she will have to come to HK every the years of they have a 3 star id card. plus they can't get return home permit. The next generation will be like us baby will have to be born in hk to get id card. Keep in mind we don't know what will have happen when the 50 year no change rule lapse
 
When you say you want to apply for a PRC passport, are you confusing it with a HK Passport? If you have a PRC passport, then you are not eligible for a home return permit (only HK Passport holders are). Assuming at least one of the parents are Chinese, and your kid is born in HK, then he/she is entitled to a HK passport (Not PRC), and they can then apply for a home return permit.
 
I would suggest applying for Malay passport first, then coming back to HK to apply HKSAR later on, with 3* HKID.

My (HKID 3*) friend had a baby, who's father is malaysian, and that's what they did/going to do, since he can't get Malay if he got the HKSAR passport first, but since the baby's born in HK, and Mom is HKID 3* resident (and return home permit holder), he is eligible for HKID 3*, and with that, he can apply return home permit & HKSAR passport regardless.

It's just if you weren't born in HK, even if your parents are HKID 3*, they will challenge you further, and may reject your claim to the return home permit.

In your case, you need to ask, since you (the mom) is PRC National, and father is Malaysian, so in HK terms, the baby is '雙非' (neither parents are HK resident when he's born), he is entitled HK residency (1*), but not 3*. It might be OK, because by the time your baby registers for HKID, Mom will be 3*, so baby can inherit the 3* from Mom. Return home permit will be another story though...

I know it's a bit confusing, but i've been through the system too, and its very annoying!!! Hope my 2 pence worth of knowledge is useful =)
 
going back to OP... any advise?

Register birth cert at HK dept of registration. Take that to Msia embassy & have his citizenship done. He is entitled to a HKID (3 stars) when he turns 11. However he will be a Malaysian citizen and have a Malaysian passport. When he is an adult, he can choose to take up a HK passport and give up his Malaysian passport. He will still have the option to change as he will have a HK BC & of Chinese descent
 
Hi mutt2020,

Just wondering if you made a decision on the best course of action. I am in a slightly similar situation - only difference is my wife is Hong Kong-nese. We're thinking what the best course of action would be for my baby who is coming at the end of April.

I like your idea of registering him at the HK dept of registration first and then have his Malaysian citizenship done. However, on the other hand, I don't mind him having a HK passport either.

DK
 
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