Residents » Certificates & Licences » Birth Certificate & Registration

Foreign parents in Shanghai do not have to worry about any special childbirth laws, including the one-child policy. In fact, the birth and post-birth process is pretty streamlined. It only gets tricky when one parent is a Chinese citizen and the other is not.

Before your child is even born, you should check with your consulate to determine the procedure for granting citizenship and obtaining your child’s passport. Most consulates can supply you with a checklist of necessary documents.

Babies born in Shanghai will receive a Chinese birth certificate from the hospital. Some consulates will require the baby’s western name to be written on the birth certificate in addition to their Chinese name. You should go to your local Public Security Bureau to get a Registration Form of Temporary Residence within a month of the baby’s birth. This is vital for getting a valid endorsement in your baby’s passport, so he/she can leave the country later.

A child with two foreign parents cannot be a Chinese national, so the parents will have to go to their respective embassies or consulates and fill out the required forms to register their child. Each country has different regulations regarding how long you can wait to declare your child’s nationality. Acquiring your child’s passport also differs according to your embassy’s rules, so you should consult with them ahead of time to determine what documents you need and whether your child needs to go with you to the consulate. Consulates often require you to bring the original Chinese birth certificate, your marriage certificate (if you are married), your birth certificate and your passport.

China does not recognise dual citizenship. If a child has at least one parent that is a Chinese national, then the child will be automatically identified as a Chinese citizen (regardless of the other parent’s nationality) unless the child is registered under another nationality. While China’s legalities may seem flexible, choosing a single nationality straightaway for your child will prevent any complications when trying to leave the country. Chinese citizenship will grant your child eligibility to China’s social welfare programs, meaning cheaper education and medical costs, but will deny any rights to consular services.

Each birth certificate comes with a little slip of paper attached to it. If you decide that your child should be a Chinese citizen then you must apply for your child to be entered into the family hukou (registration book), during which time the slip will be taken off at your local Public Security Bureau. Your embassy can write you a ...