China citizenship 2026 — naturalisation, marriage & descent

Becoming a Chinese citizen is selective and document-heavy, but feasible for the right profiles: long-term residents who are settled and integrated, foreign spouses in genuine marriages, and children who qualify through descent. If you are still building eligibility, secure the right residence pathway first to keep your timeline clean — explore China residence 2026 — work, study & family permits and avoid gaps that delay citizenship.

Key terms

Nationality Law of the PRC: the legal framework defining how Chinese nationality is acquired, lost or restored.

Naturalisation: acquisition of Chinese nationality by a foreign national who has settled in China, has close relatives, or other legitimate reasons.

Public Security Bureau (PSB): municipal/provincial authority handling nationality applications and interviews.

Ministry of Public Security (MPS): national authority that reviews and approves naturalisation and restoration decisions.

Dual nationality: China does not recognise dual nationality; holding another nationality can lead to loss of Chinese citizenship.

Hukou (household registration): record created after approval; grants access to services and defines local residence rights.

Citizenship types

• Naturalisation (residence-based): for foreigners who have settled in China, usually after long-term lawful residence, stable income, and demonstrated integration (language, work or business, community ties).
• Marriage: foreign spouses of Chinese citizens who have lived in China for a qualifying period, cohabited genuinely and maintained good conduct may register for citizenship via marriage-based naturalisation.
• Descent (by blood): children born to at least one Chinese parent typically acquire Chinese nationality by descent; registration formalities depend on parental status at birth.
• Birth in China: stateless children or those of unknown parentage born in China acquire Chinese citizenship.
• Adoption: minors legally adopted by Chinese citizens gain nationality upon registration of adoption in China.
• Restoration: former Chinese nationals who lost nationality may restore it upon renouncing foreign citizenship and meeting public-order checks.
• Merit / special contribution: rare, discretionary grants for exceptional service to China, approved at central level.

Routes & timelines

Step-by-step

1. Eligibility audit: confirm your route (naturalisation, marriage, descent/birth, restoration) and check residence history, hukou links of relatives, and marital records.
2. Document harmonisation: align names and dates across languages; obtain long-form civil records for marriage/descent; gather tax and social insurance records for residence-based files.
3. Translations & legalisation: prepare certified Chinese translations and legalise foreign documents as required.
4. Application filing: submit at the PSB Entry-Exit division with full dossier; pay statutory fees.
5. Interview & verification: demonstrate integration (basic Mandarin, community ties, employment/business) and confirm personal history.
6. National review: file escalates to the MPS for background and security checks.
7. Renunciation (if applicable): provide proof of renouncing foreign nationality; dual nationality is not recognised.
8. Oath & registration: take the oath of allegiance, receive the nationality certificate, register hukou and apply for national ID and passport.

Documents

Core set: passport, Chinese residence history, police registration, photos, employment or business evidence, tax/social insurance statements, and clean criminal record certificates as requested.

Marriage route: Chinese marriage registration (or recognition of a foreign marriage), joint lease or property, joint finances, spouse’s ID and hukou, evidence of cohabitation.

Descent route: long-form birth certificate, Chinese parent’s ID and hukou, proof of parental status at birth, and any renunciation documents if the child previously held another nationality.

Need certified translations or apostille wording? Use our legal & business translation support to match local filing requirements (B).

Costs

Government fees for registration and certificates are modest. Budget for translations, notarisation and legalisation, plus optional legal assistance. For route comparisons and planning templates, see our Residency & Citizenship section with tools and checklists (C).

Integration

For residence-based and marriage files, authorities look for sustained life in China: basic Mandarin in daily contexts, uninterrupted address and residence records, tax and social insurance contributions, lawful employment or business, and positive community references. Children’s school records, volunteer activities, and published work can support integration narratives. Consistency of names across scripts and stable financial behaviour also matter.

What changed in 2026

2026 updates strengthened digital verification of residence and tax histories and streamlined descent registrations for births recorded abroad. Authorities now require documented proof of foreign-nationality renunciation before the oath, and new citizens complete hukou registration through a digitised municipal workflow.

Did you know?

Naturalisation applicants who maintain continuous residence without long gaps, and who file spotless translation/legalisation sets, typically progress faster through national review.

Common mistakes

• Assuming marriage grants automatic citizenship without residence and cohabitation proof.
• Submitting short-form certificates instead of long-form records with parents’ data for descent.
• Inconsistent transliterations of names across languages and documents.
• Gaps in residence or tax/insurance records that undermine “settlement”.
• Ignoring the renunciation requirement under the dual-nationality policy.
• Filing with expired police or medical certificates where requested.
• Under-documenting community and employment ties in naturalisation files.

FAQ

Expert opinion

Strong citizenship files read consistently: one residential timeline, one identity across scripts, one financial story. Build a clean, bilingual document trail and treat each renewal or registration as a future exhibit for your case.

— Wei, Asia Immigration Consultant, VelesClub Int.

Next steps

Thinking long-term? Get a free consultation with VelesClub Int. and map your path from residence to citizenship. Start on our main platform or review step-by-step checklists in the Residency & Citizenship section — and continue to the companion residence article when you are ready.