在外国出生的华人宝宝回中国都有这样的疑问：办理回国的“中国旅行证”到底是什么东西？也有些宝宝是办理中国签证回国的，那宝宝回国到底是办旅行证还是中国签证呢？

I. What is a Chinese Travel Permit?

一、什么是中国旅行证？

The travel permit is a passport substitute invented by the Chinese government for certain Chinese citizens who are not suitable for issuing passports. The misconception is that it is considered by the Chinese government to be equivalent to a passport, but in fact only the Chinese government recognizes it; other governments only take passports seriously. This means that a travel permit can only be used to enter and leave China, but not to travel to other countries, nor can it be used to obtain entry and exit documents such as visas to other countries.

旅行证是中国政府发明的为某些不适宜颁发护照的中国公民发放的护照替代品。它容易引起误解的地方是，中国政府认为它的作用等同于护照，但其实只有中国政府承认它，别国政府都只认真正的护照。也就是说旅行证只能用来出入中国，而不能去其它国家，也没法用它办去其它国家的签证等出入境文件。

So the only purpose of the travel permit is to enter and leave China, and it is the child's legal identity document (not the only one) while in China. As long as the child enters China with a travel permit, the child is equivalent to an ordinary Chinese citizen within China and enjoys all the benefits of a Chinese citizen. The Travel Permit itself is only valid for two years, but there is no limit to the length of stay in China for a child entering China on a Travel Permit.

所以旅行证的作用只有出入中国，并且在中国境内，它是孩子的合法身份证件（并不是唯一）。只要持旅行证入境中国，孩子在中国境内等同于普通中国公民，享受一切中国公民的待遇。旅行证本身的有效期只有两年，但持旅行证入境中国的孩子在中国境内居留长度没有限制。

1 Applicable circumstances

1 适用情形

According to the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, if both or one of the parents are Chinese citizens and the person himself was born in a foreign country and has Chinese nationality, he should apply for a Chinese travel document when he travels to China. (If both or one of the parents are Chinese citizens and are settled in a foreign country, and the person himself was born with foreign nationality, he does not have Chinese nationality and should apply for a Chinese visa when travelling to China.)

根据《中华人民共和国国籍法》，父母双方或一方为中国公民，本人出生在外国，具有中国国籍，前往中国时应申办中国旅行证件。（父母双方或一方为中国公民并定居在外国，本人出生时即具有外国国籍的，不具有中国国籍，前往中国时应申办中国签证。)

2 Materials required

2 所需材料

1 copy of Application for Passport/Travel Permit/Repatriation Certificate of the People's Republic of China, duly and completely filled in (may be completed and signed by the child's parents on his or her behalf).

如实、完整填写《中华人民共和国护照/旅行证/回国证明申请表》1份（可由儿童父母代为填写并签名）；

Three recent frontal, bareheaded, colour half-body identity photographs on a white background;

近期正面免冠、白色背景彩色半身证件照片３张；

Original and photocopy of the child's birth certificate;

儿童出生纸原件及复印件；

Original and photocopies of both parents' valid passports or other documents proving their nationality (including the page with photo information, the page with previous apostille or extension, the page related to the visa to Canada, the exit stamp of the last departure from China and the entry stamp of the last entry into Canada). If one parent is not in Canada, a copy of the parent's valid passport (or Hukou book, resident card, etc.) and a copy of their country of residence must be submitted.

父母双方有效护照或其他可证明国籍身份的材料原件及复印件（包括带照片资料页、曾办理过加注或延期页,来加签证相关页，最后一次离开中国的出境验讫章及入境加拿大的入境验讫章页）。如父母一方不在加拿大境内，须提交其有效护照（或户口本、居民身份证等）复印件及所在国家居留证件复印件。

Original and copy of parents' marriage certificate (if any);

父母结婚证原件及复印件（如有）；

Original and copies of valid residence permits for both parents in Canada or other countries (if available);

父母双方在加或其他国家有效居留证件原件和复印件（如有）；

Other materials requested from the applicant by the consular officer on a case-by-case basis.

领事官员根据个案要求申请人提供的其他材料。

3 How to apply

3 申请方式

Both or one of the child's parents must bring the child to the embassy or consulate in person, according to their place of residence in Canada and the territorial division of the Chinese Embassy or Consulate General in Canada. If one parent is unable to come, he or she must provide a written statement signed by him or her and notarized by a local notary public (or by a Chinese notary public if in China) agreeing that the spouse will apply for a travel permit for the child to China.

儿童父母双方或一方须携儿童，根据在加居住地，中国驻加拿大大使馆、总领馆领区划分，亲自到使领馆办理。如父母一方不能前来，须提供由其签署并经当地公证机构（如在中国境内，须经中国公证机构）公证的同意由配偶为该儿童办理旅行证赴华的书面声明。

4 Processing time

4办理时间

Normal processing takes 4 business days. Expedited (2 to 3 business days) or special (1 business day) services are available.

正常办理需要4个工作日，可提供加急（2至3个工作日）或特急（1个工作日）服务。

II.There is no choice between getting a visa or a Chinese travel permit

二、是办签证还是办中国旅行证是没得选的事儿

According to the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China:

根据《中华人民共和国国籍法》：

Article 4: Both or one parent is a Chinese citizen who was born in a foreign country and has Chinese nationality.

第四条 父母双方或一方为中国公民，本人出生在外国，具有中国国籍；

Article 5: Two parents or one of them is a Chinese citizen who was born in a foreign country and has Chinese nationality; but both parents or one of them; a person who is a Chinese citizen and is settled in a foreign country and who has foreign nationality at birth does not have Chinese nationality.

第五条 父母双方或一方为中国公民，本人出生在外国，具有中国国籍；但父母双方或一方

为中国公民并定居在外国，本人出生时即具有外国国籍的，不具有中国国籍。

In addition, according to the official webpage of Chinese consulates abroad, "If both or one of the parents is a Chinese citizen and the person was born in a foreign country and has Chinese nationality, he or she should apply for a Chinese travel document when travelling to China. If both or one of the parents are a Chinese citizen and are settled in a foreign country, and the person has foreign nationality at birth, he or she does not have Chinese nationality and should apply for a Chinese visa when travelling to China."

另外根据中国驻国外领事馆官方网页的表述：“父母双方或一方为中国公民，本人出生在外国，具有中国国籍，前往中国时应申办中国旅行证件。父母双方或一方为中国公民并定居在外国，本人出生时即具有外国国籍的，不具有中国国籍，前往中国时应申办中国签证。”

According to the current policy published by the Chinese Consulate General in Houston:

根据目前中国驻休斯顿总领馆公布的政策：

Both parents hold foreign passports and children should apply for a Chinese visa to travel to China.

父母双方均持外国护照，儿童赴华应该申请中国签证；

Both parents hold Chinese passports and both hold foreign residency (e.g. US Green Card, Canadian Maple Leaf Card), and children should apply for a Chinese visa to travel to China.

父母双方均持中国护照，双方持有外国居留权（如美国绿卡，加拿大枫叶卡），儿童赴华应该申请中国签证；

Both parents are Chinese passport holders, neither of whom holds foreign residency (e.g. US green card, Canadian maple card), and the child should apply for a travel permit.

父母双方均持中国护照，双方均不持有外国居留权（如美国绿卡，加拿大枫叶卡），儿童应该申请旅行证；

Both parents are Chinese passport holders and one of them has foreign residency (e.g. US Green Card, Canadian Maple Leaf Card) and the child should apply for a visa.

父母双方均持中国护照，其中一方持有外国居留权（如美国绿卡，加拿大枫叶卡），儿童应该申请签证；

If one parent has a Chinese passport and one parent has a foreign passport, the child should apply for a visa if the Chinese passport holder has foreign residency (e.g. US Green Card, Canadian Maple Leaf Card). Otherwise a travel permit is required.

父母一方持中国护照，一方持外国护照，若持中国护照的一方有外国居留权（如美国绿卡，加拿大枫叶卡），儿童应该申请签证，否则要申请旅行证。

So for example, although American babies are born in the U.S. and obtain U.S. citizenship, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. still consider American babies to have Chinese citizenship and should apply for a Chinese travel permit when they travel to China. Therefore, before returning to the U.S., U.S. babies apply for an U.S. passport and a Chinese travel permit. The China Travel Permit is valid for 2 years. U.S. babies can enter and exit the U.S. with their U.S. passports and entry and exit China with their China Travel Permits.

所以比如美宝虽然出生在美国获得了美国国籍，但是中国驻美使领馆还是认定美宝具有中国国籍，前往中国时应申办中国旅行证。所以美国宝宝回国前都是办理美国护照和中国旅行证回国。中国旅行证是2年有效期。美国宝宝凭美国护照出入境美国，凭中国旅行证出入境中国就可以了。

Mabel must have a Chinese travel permit to return to China, and trying to apply for a Chinese visa at a Chinese consulate with a US passport will not work.

美宝回中国必须要中国旅行证，想拿美国护照去申请中国领事馆中国签证是行不通的。