Dual citizenship, Chinese visas and land crossings

Replies: 9 - Last Post: 14-Jul-2007 01:49 Last Post By: j_b

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j_b

11-Jul-2007 15:32
Posts: 24

Dual citizenship, Chinese visas and land crossings

Hi, just a warning and a query. Today I tried to get a Chinese visa in my Australian passport from the London embassy. I also hold British citizenship. They refused to give me a visa as an Aussie and wouldn't explain why it had to be my British passport - maybe something to do with the price for Brits being higher than others?

Fair enough, rules are rules, but as you can imagine after trekking an hour into London and then queuing another hour, I wish I'd known that before. So dual citizens beware!

Now I'm stuck switching between passports at the Mongolia/China border, since all my other visas for the trans-mongolian trip are already in my Australian passport. I've experienced some hassles with this before and I'm a bit worried. A long shot, but has anyone else switched passports in the Mongolia/China/Vietnam/S.Korea area? Any hassles? Anything I can do to avoid issues?

No choice now I as said, but I'd like to know how worried I should be :/

Thanks,
Jane

James

11-Jul-2007 15:41
Posts: 398

There is nothing to worry about.

http://www.usefilm.com/photographer/28275.html

everbrite

11-Jul-2007 18:13
Posts: 16,252

No problems switching between passports. I do it all the time. You never show both at the same time. Always leave and enter a country on the same passport. Occ I have handed the wrong passport on exiting and then they can't find the entry stamp and that causes some confusion until I dig out the other passport.

Ruth

First check: Everbrite's travel pages, the New RU sticky,and New RU train sticky

Since I have taken the time to answer your question, it would be nice if you took the time to respond as to whether the information was helpful.

woolf135

11-Jul-2007 19:33
Posts: 1,610

They might think you are a spy and imprison you indefinitely.

zhaoyun

11-Jul-2007 23:09
Posts: 733

Kinda surprised they wouldn't give you a visa in the UK. I hear a lot about the London embassy being difficult though, and wouldn't put it past them to just make up rules on the spot. In case I'm wrong though, does anyone know if that's a real rule?

j_b

12-Jul-2007 01:38
Posts: 24

1, 2 and 4 - thanks, I will just try not to worry until it happens.

3 - I really hope you're kidding!

5 - from the patchy conversation I had, I'd say if there is a rule it's a secret one! And it may have been a lot more random than that. Ho hum.

logie

12-Jul-2007 02:06
Posts: 166

It depends on which passport you used to enter UK. If you used your UK passport then the visa will go into the passport that shows you are in the UK at the moment. If you used the OZ one then it will go into the OZ passport. Get the idea?

Keep banging those rocks together, guys.

j_b

13-Jul-2007 10:04
Posts: 24

That does make sense logie, but it's not really an explanation. If they were just worried about my right to be in the UK then viewing my brit passport should be enough. Incidentally, none of the other embassies even asked about that, despite the lack of visa in my aussie passport. Or maybe they did and immigration are planning their raid as I write!!

logie

13-Jul-2007 19:11
Posts: 166

Yeah! watch your back!

I know for getting a visa in HK you have to be in HK to do it and the visa is put into the passport you used for entry. I have two passports the same as you but I can't get a visa in my British passport when I used my Aussie one to enter HK. So it is no good sending an agent or friend while you stay in the Mainland.

Keep banging those rocks together, guys.

j_b

14-Jul-2007 01:49
Posts: 24

Oh they do make it hard. But then I've never tried to enter the UK or Oz with an "undesirable" passport, so I dread to think how hard that is.

Thanks for your advice.

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