Traveling in China with a U.S.-born child often comes with all kinds of issues on both domestic and international flights, such as which documents to use for ticket purchase, how to book, what to present for boarding, and how to use documents for immigration. Today I’m sharing my own experience.

Documents a U.S.-Born Child Typically Holds

A child born in the U.S. returning to China usually has these documents:

  • U.S. passport: usually issued at the child’s birthplace in the U.S.
  • Chinese Travel Permit: issued through the Chinese consulate/embassy with jurisdiction over the birthplace in the U.S. This means the child was born in the U.S., and at least one parent is a Chinese national. This travel permit is a simplified passport. It is valid for two years and must be reissued at a consulate, embassy, or overseas office outside mainland China.
  • U.S. birth certificate: hospitals issue an initial certificate, then a formal version is issued later. This can be used to apply for authentication (including the third-level authentication) and is needed for household registration (hukou) processing when returning to China.
  • Chinese household register book, ID card, passport: after returning to China, a child can register for hukou and then apply for a Chinese ID and other items. Whether getting a Chinese passport affects U.S. citizenship, and whether a child can get hukou while holding a U.S. passport, can vary by area and by how each office applies policy.

Generally, the U.S. passport and Chinese travel permit are the key documents to have set. The U.S. birth certificate is usually only needed for hukou processing, not for travel, though we always bring all our documents. Below I’ll break down the required documents for ticketing and boarding for two scenarios.

Cross-border Flights (Outbound and Return)

Only travel permit + U.S. passport (no Chinese passport/hukou book/ID)

U.S. passport holders can enter 185 countries/regions with visa-free or visa-on-arrival arrangements (for example, Singapore, Japan, Korea, etc.). If departing from China to those destinations, this avoids extra visa hassle. For countries that are not visa-exempt for U.S. passport holders, you would typically need to apply through the U.S. consulate or embassy in China; please check current requirements for your specific destination.

Here are the documents needed at each stage:

Outbound: China to another country

  • Buy ticket: U.S. passport, provide passport number and full name on the passport; include the middle name if possible.
  • Airport check-in: U.S. passport/Chinese travel permit
  • Check-in counter: U.S. passport. If the destination is not visa-free or visa-on-arrival, a visa is required. Chinese Travel Permit is for proving re-entry to China (it may be checked for round-trip tickets).
  • Security screening: U.S. passport
  • China departure immigration: Chinese travel permit with entry/exit stamp. If needed, provide the U.S. passport as well—no need to be shy.
  • Immigration in destination country: U.S. passport

Return: Another country to China

  • Buy ticket: usually a round trip. If buying one-way tickets, it is best to use the Chinese travel permit number for the return ticket.
  • Airport check-in: Chinese travel permit/U.S. passport
  • Check-in counter: U.S. passport (if booked with U.S. passport); Chinese travel permit (to verify the right to enter China).
  • Exit immigration in destination country: U.S. passport (so entry/exit stamps are consistent).
  • Entry immigration in China: Chinese travel permit with entry stamp (so China's entry/exit stamps are consistent). If needed, also provide the U.S. passport.

To explain the logic:

  • For ticketing, security screening, and boarding, the document and document number you present need to match.
  • Whether a visa exists is the concern of the airline and the foreign immigration/customs authorities, so make sure the documents used at booking and border control are valid for travel to that destination.
  • For China departure, the authorities mainly care whether you have a valid identity document (Chinese passport, U.S. passport, or Chinese Travel Permit), so provide whichever one you have.
  • Entry and exit stamps must be consistent: every exit needs an entry, and every entry needs a matching exit.

Example:

After we returned to China, we had a chance to take a trip to Singapore. LD and I applied for a Singapore visa online through a friend in Singapore, and since my child had a U.S. passport, no extra visa was needed. We also checked whether applying for a Singapore visa using the travel permit would work; after running into issues with the permit process, we skipped it. Later, this was confirmed in practice: at check-in, the airline reviewed her U.S. passport; at Singapore immigration, the stamp was placed on the U.S. passport. When leaving China, immigration only checked the Chinese travel permit with stamp, and on return to China it also stamped the travel permit.

Travel Permit Expired

This can be very troublesome. If the travel permit has expired, you cannot use it to pass through China immigration. To replace it, processing must be done at a consulate/embassy/overseas office outside mainland China. One workaround is to apply for a one-time Exit-Entry Permit. This is usually done at the local public security exit-and-entry administration office (ask your local public security bureau for exact document requirements).

  • 《中华人民共和国出入境通行证申请表》
  • Receipt for digital photo capture for exit and entry documents from your province, and the applicant photo
  • Original and copy of the front page and last entry-stamp page of the 「旅行证」 or 「出入境通行证」
  • Original passport and copy of the passport’s photo page
  • Original and copy of birth certificate
  • If one parent has local household registration: both parents’ ID cards (original + copy)
  • If parents are non-local household-registered: one parent’s ID card (original + copy), and local residence permit (original + copy)
  • If parents are non-local and one is a foreigner: one parent’s ID card (original + copy), and the foreign parent’s passport photo page and valid entry visa (original + copy)

For exit/entry documents, use the same requirements as above for “U.S. passport + travel permit,” just replace the travel permit with the one-time Exit-Entry Permit. Note that this pass is valid only once, so get your travel permit in time and return safely. Next time, renew the travel permit in your current country before it expires.

Having a Chinese Passport

If you need to handle visas as a Chinese national, first complete household registration (hukou) and obtain a Chinese passport. Then, like adults, you can apply for visas under your Chinese identity. After that, use the Chinese passport for China entry/exit and for third-country travel. So here is the same rule: use the same document that the child uses.

One thing to note: if your child has a Chinese passport, the travel permit is typically collected and canceled. If you continue to use the U.S.-passport route for third-country immigration and use the Chinese passport for China entry/exit, this could cause some complications. China does not recognize dual citizenship. Still, the travel permit + U.S. passport combination is generally tolerated in practice.

Domestic Flights in China

Using a U.S. Passport

Domestic flights are simpler. In short: if you have a U.S. passport, buy the child’s ticket with that passport. Domestic flights in China generally do not question dual nationality.

  • Buy ticket: U.S. passport, provide passport number and full name on passport; include middle name if possible.
  • Airport check-in: U.S. passport
  • Check-in counter: U.S. passport
  • Security screening: U.S. passport

Using a Travel Permit

Recently, the travel permit has quietly been removed from the online booking document list on official airline sites. But in real-world practice, you can still use it to book tickets and clear security. You usually need to book by phone. For children/infants, you need to buy the adult ticket first and then attach the child’s ticket to it. Make sure the travel permit is still valid. Also, airport and security procedures vary by location; I called several times, and not many staff were familiar with this document. In the end, we pushed through and were able to book and fly successfully each time. When the travel permit later expired, flying with only the U.S. passport was very convenient.

Using Chinese Household Book / ID Card / Passport

For booking and boarding, this is the same as an adult. If using a household book, you may need to book by phone. Otherwise, there is not much else to add.

Summary

A U.S.-born child living in China, even for short visits or longer stays, can face a lot of practical headaches, especially when handling documents, hukou, schooling, and travel. But when problems come up, searching online and communicating with local government offices multiple times can still help you build practical experience.

I’m not going to comment on people who go to the U.S. to give birth secretly or those who study there for the purpose of childbirth. My point is simple: I’ve laid out the options for you. If you want China, choose China. If you want the U.S., choose the U.S. After age 18, the child can decide for themselves.