Renounce then Reacquire UK Citizenship
Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 7:03 am
I am a British citizen, born before 1983 in the UK, to British parents.
I have been living in Hong Kong for over 14 years. I hold permanent residence here, and my daughters both hold a Hong Kong and UK passport.
For a couple of reasons (the Brexit fiasco, and benefits a HK passport would bring in China), I would like to acquire a Hong Kong passport. The process for this is straightforward, and I have no doubts that my application would not be approved.
As part of the process, I need to be naturalised as a Chinese Citizen, and this will require that I renounce my British Citizenship.
I am also aware that it is possible to regain UK citizenship after renouncing, if the reason for renouncement was that it was a requirement to gain another citizenship. However, renouncing citizenship is not something to be taken lightly, and is clearly not without risks, and there are very few people who are either qualified or willing to provide opinions in a case like mine.
There are 2 main concerns that I would like to have some confidence around before taking the plunge. Firstly, I have a full record of National Insurance contributions, and am on target to receive a full state pension (under the current rules), upon attaining retirement age. Secondly, I would not wish to risk the prospect of retiring back in the UK, as I would undoubtedly receive better medical and social care, than I would in Hong Kong.
So, my questions are - assuming both my renouncement and reacquisition applications were successful, would my National Insurance record remain intact. And secondly, given that the Hong Kong (China) does not recognise dual nationality (although there are countless de-facto cases, including my 2 daughters), would a reacquisition application be successful if it was lodged immediately following a renouncement. What I cannot find, is any information as to how common my situation is, and what are the real risks and consequences (other than my re-aquired UK citizenship no longer being recognised in China and Hong Kong).
Any advice and experience of others would be gratefully appreciated.
I have been living in Hong Kong for over 14 years. I hold permanent residence here, and my daughters both hold a Hong Kong and UK passport.
For a couple of reasons (the Brexit fiasco, and benefits a HK passport would bring in China), I would like to acquire a Hong Kong passport. The process for this is straightforward, and I have no doubts that my application would not be approved.
As part of the process, I need to be naturalised as a Chinese Citizen, and this will require that I renounce my British Citizenship.
I am also aware that it is possible to regain UK citizenship after renouncing, if the reason for renouncement was that it was a requirement to gain another citizenship. However, renouncing citizenship is not something to be taken lightly, and is clearly not without risks, and there are very few people who are either qualified or willing to provide opinions in a case like mine.
There are 2 main concerns that I would like to have some confidence around before taking the plunge. Firstly, I have a full record of National Insurance contributions, and am on target to receive a full state pension (under the current rules), upon attaining retirement age. Secondly, I would not wish to risk the prospect of retiring back in the UK, as I would undoubtedly receive better medical and social care, than I would in Hong Kong.
So, my questions are - assuming both my renouncement and reacquisition applications were successful, would my National Insurance record remain intact. And secondly, given that the Hong Kong (China) does not recognise dual nationality (although there are countless de-facto cases, including my 2 daughters), would a reacquisition application be successful if it was lodged immediately following a renouncement. What I cannot find, is any information as to how common my situation is, and what are the real risks and consequences (other than my re-aquired UK citizenship no longer being recognised in China and Hong Kong).
Any advice and experience of others would be gratefully appreciated.