China Passport Information Guide

The Republic of China passport is the national passport issued to citizens of the Republic of China (ROC) and eligible Overseas Chinese. It is more commonly known as the Taiwanese passport, as the ROC has been commonly known as ‘Taiwan’ since the 1970s.

Limitation

The ROC passport is not accepted by the People’s Republic of China(PRC). Taiwan residents must use a “Taiwan Compatriot Entry Permit” to enter the PRC, although a valid ROC passport is required to apply for the Taiwan Compatriot Entry Permit, and may be required to be presented to PRC immigration officials to further confirm its holder’s identity.

Eligibility for holding ROC passport

Republic of China passport issued in 1946
Republic of China passport issued in 1982The Republic of China (ROC) was founded in 1912 governing the whole of China. Since the Chinese Civil War in 1949, ROC has only retained control of the territory of Taiwan and two counties of Fujian, while the rest of the original territory has been controlled by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The ROC constitution does not recognize the PRC so the ROC still legally considers itself as the sole government of China. The territory under ROC control are constitutionally defined as the Free Area (also known as “Taiwan Area”), while the territory outside of the Taiwan Area is defined as the “Mainland Area”.

The ROC constitution allows the ROC government to make laws for one Area of the country without affecting the other Area. ROC citizens who also hold household registration in the Taiwan Area are eligible for the ROC passport. However, the ROC passport is not conclusive evidence that the holder is a citizen of the Republic of China as, according to the new nationality law of ROC,[6] there is no implication of citizenship. Overseas Chinese are eligible to receive the ROC passport. Additionally, not all ROC passport holders have the right of abode in the Taiwan Area. Ethnic Chinese residents in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau are also likely to be considered as ROC citizens, and they may also obtain a ROC passport, provided they have permanent residence status in a country outside the ROC constitutional claims, regardless of whether they have lived or even set foot in the Taiwan Area. (See here for an explanation on its rationale)

The ROC passport does not automatically grant the holders right of abode in the Taiwan Area. Only ROC passport holders who also hold household registration in the Taiwan Area are exempt from immigration restrictions in Taiwan. Other ROC passport holders are issued landing visas upon arrival in Taiwan and are subject to deportation.

It is the Republic of China National Identification Card, which is only issued to ROC citizens with household registration in Taiwan, that is used to exercise citizenship rights such as through voting. Passports of overseas Chinese (as opposed to passports of ROC citizens with household registration in Taiwan) are issued only in ROC embassies, consulates, and Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices and not in Taiwan itself and contain a special stamp indicating overseas Chinese status (which also exempts the holder of conscription). Passports holders with household registration will also include the holder’s national identification number. Similarly, not all British passport holders have the right of abode in the United Kingdom.

The validity of an ROC passport is 10 years for general holders, 5 years for minors aged under 16, or 3 years for young male adults who have not yet served the ROC conscription.