Options for China Nationals
China's prohibition on dual citizenship and strict capital controls make acquiring a second passport a consequential, multi-year process requiring careful structuring of overseas asset transfers within legal quotas. Once foreign nationality is obtained, Chinese citizenship is effectively lost, and individuals must weigh the trade-off between expanded global mobility and any retained ties to China.
Your Passport
Passport Rank
#62
Visa-Free
85
destinations
not allowed
residence based
Key Considerations for China Nationals
- 01China does not legally recognize dual citizenship; Chinese nationals who voluntarily acquire a foreign nationality are deemed to have automatically renounced Chinese citizenship under the Nationality Law of 1980.
- 02The hukou (household registration) system creates deep ties to a specific Chinese locality, affecting access to education, healthcare, and property rights that may persist for family members who remain in China.
- 03China enforces a strict annual foreign exchange quota of USD 50,000 per individual for outward capital transfers, requiring multi-year planning for significant overseas investment.
- 04Capital controls are enforced by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE); attempts to circumvent the quota through aggregated transfers or third-party channels carry significant legal risk.
- 05Chinese nationals naturalizing abroad often do so quietly, as formal renunciation procedures at Chinese consulates are required but not always undertaken immediately.
- 06Several jurisdictions impose enhanced Customer Due Diligence (CDD) requirements for Chinese applicants in banking and investment programs due to AML and beneficial ownership concerns.
Program Restrictions
general: Chinese applicants face enhanced CDD requirements in several banking and CBI jurisdictions due to AML regulations; source-of-funds documentation must clearly demonstrate compliance with Chinese capital control regulations.
Visa Programs Available to You
68 programsPortugal D7 Passive Income Visa
Portugal PRT
Processing
2mo
Min. Income
$820
Citizenship
5y
Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa
Portugal PRT
Processing
2mo
Min. Income
$3,280
Citizenship
5y
Portugal Golden Visa (ARI)
Portugal PRT
Processing
6mo
Min. Income
ā
Citizenship
5y
Spain Non-Lucrative Visa
Spain ESP
Processing
3mo
Min. Income
$2,800
Citizenship
10y
Spain Digital Nomad Visa
Spain ESP
Processing
3mo
Min. Income
$2,800
Citizenship
10y
Italy Elective Residence Visa
Italy ITA
Processing
3mo
Min. Income
$33,000
Citizenship
10y
Greece Golden Visa
Greece GRC
Processing
4mo
Min. Income
ā
Citizenship
7y
Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)
Malta MLT
Processing
6mo
Min. Income
ā
Citizenship
No
Banking That Accepts Your Passport
10 optionsWise (formerly TransferWise)
multi currency account
40 currencies
Free
Revolut
digital bank
36 currencies
Free
N26
digital bank
1 currencies
Free
Chase UK
digital bank
1 currencies
Free
HSBC Expat
traditional bank
19 currencies
$35/mo
Interactive Brokers
brokerage
23 currencies
Free
Charles Schwab International
brokerage
1 currencies
Free
Standard Chartered
traditional bank
12 currencies
$10/mo
DBS Bank Singapore
traditional bank
13 currencies
$7/mo
Emirates NBD
traditional bank
6 currencies
Free
Company Formation Jurisdictions
12 jurisdictionsUK Private Limited Company (Ltd)
Setup: $50
25% (19% for profits under GBP 50,000; marginal relief between GBP 50,000ā250,000)
Banking: moderate
US Delaware LLC
Setup: $200
0% at state level (no Delaware state income tax on out-of-state activity); federal tax depends on election (pass-through by default or C-Corp election)
Banking: moderate
US Wyoming LLC
Setup: $100
0% at state level (no Wyoming state income tax); federal tax depends on entity election
Banking: moderate
Estonia OĆ (Private Limited Company)
Setup: $265
0% on retained earnings; 20% on distributed profits (unique deferred distribution tax model)
Banking: difficult
Dubai DMCC Free Zone Company
Setup: $8,500
9% UAE Corporate Tax (effective June 2023) on taxable profits over AED 375,000; 0% for Qualifying Free Zone Persons meeting substance requirements
Banking: moderate
Dubai IFZA Free Zone Company
Setup: $5,500
9% UAE Corporate Tax on profits over AED 375,000; 0% for Qualifying Free Zone Persons on qualifying income
Banking: moderate
Singapore Private Limited Company (Pte Ltd)
Setup: $400
17% headline rate; effective rate often 8ā10% due to startup tax exemptions (75% exemption on first SGD 100,000 for first 3 years)
Banking: moderate
Hong Kong Private Limited Company
Setup: $500
16.5% standard; 8.25% on first HKD 2 million of assessable profits (two-tiered regime)
Banking: difficult
BVI Business Company (BC)
Setup: $2,000
0% (no corporate income tax, capital gains tax, or withholding tax)
Banking: difficult
Cayman Islands LLC
Setup: $3,500
0% (no corporate tax, income tax, capital gains tax, or withholding tax; 20-year tax exemption certificate available)
Banking: difficult
Portugal Lda (Sociedade por Quotas)
Setup: $1,200
21% standard IRC; 17% on first EUR 25,000 for SMEs; municipal surcharge up to 1.5%; RFAI and other incentives available
Banking: moderate
Georgia Individual Entrepreneur (IE) with Virtual Zone
Setup: $50
1% on turnover up to GEL 500,000/year (Small Business Status); 0% on IT/software exports for Virtual Zone Person status; standard rate 15% corporate + 5% dividend withholding
Banking: easy
Citizenship by Investment
10 programsMalta Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment
Malta
From
$690,000
Processing
14mo
Visa-Free
186
Due Diligence
extensive
St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment
St Kitts and Nevis
From
$250,000
Processing
6mo
Visa-Free
157
Due Diligence
enhanced
Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship by Investment
Dominica
From
$100,000
Processing
5mo
Visa-Free
144
Due Diligence
enhanced
Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment
Antigua and Barbuda
From
$130,000
Processing
6mo
Visa-Free
151
Due Diligence
enhanced
Grenada Citizenship by Investment
Grenada
From
$150,000
Processing
6mo
Visa-Free
148
Due Diligence
enhanced
St Lucia Citizenship by Investment
St Lucia
From
$100,000
Processing
5mo
Visa-Free
146
Due Diligence
enhanced
Turkish Citizenship by Investment
Turkey
From
$400,000
Processing
4mo
Visa-Free
110
Due Diligence
standard
Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment (DSP / VDSP)
Vanuatu
From
$130,000
Processing
2mo
Visa-Free
113
Due Diligence
standard
Egyptian Citizenship by Investment
Egypt
From
$300,000
Processing
6mo
Visa-Free
53
Due Diligence
standard
Jordanian Citizenship by Investment
Jordan
From
$750,000
Processing
9mo
Visa-Free
57
Due Diligence
enhanced