(Source: Ministry of Public Security. The English translation is not official.)
| NATIONALITY LAW OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (Adopted at the Third Session of the Fifth National People’s Congress, promulgated by Order No. 8 of the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on and effective as of September 10, 1980) | 中华人民共和国国籍法 １９８０年９月１０日第五届全国人民代表大会第三次会议通过 １９８０年９月１０日全国人民代表大会常务委员会委员长令第八号公布施行 |
| Article 1 This Law is applicable to the acquisition, loss and restoration of nationality of the People’s Republic of China. | 第一条 中华人民共和国国籍的取得、丧失和恢复，都适用本法。 |
| Article 2 The People’s Republic of China is a unitary multinational state; persons belonging to any of the nationalities in China shall have Chinese nationality. | 第二条 中华人民共和国是统一的多民族的国家，各民族的人都具有中国国籍。 |
| Article 3 The People’s Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national. | 第三条 中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。 |
| Article 4 Any person born in China whose parents are both Chinese nationals or one of whose parents is a Chinese national shall have Chinese nationality. | 第四条 父母双方或一方为中国公民，本人出生在中国，具有中国国籍。 |
| Article 5 Any person born abroad whose parents are both Chinese nationals or one of whose parents is a Chinese national shall have Chinese nationality. But a person whose parents are both Chinese nationals and have both settled abroad, or one of whose parents is a Chinese national and has settled abroad, and who has acquired foreign nationality at birth shall not have Chinese nationality. | 第五条 父母双方或一方为中国公民，本人出生在外国，具有中国国籍；但父母双方或一方为中国公民并定居在外国，本人出生时即具有外国国籍的，不具有中国国籍。 |
| Article 6 Any person born in China whose parents are stateless or of uncertain nationality and have settled in China shall have Chinese nationality. | 第六条 父母无国籍或国籍不明，定居在中国，本人出生在中国，具有中国国籍。 |
| Article 7 Foreign nationals or stateless persons who are willing to abide by China’s Constitution and laws and who meet one of the following conditions may be naturalized upon approval of their applications: (1) they are near relatives of Chinese nationals; (2) they have settled in China; or (3) they have other legitimate reasons. | 第七条 外国人或无国籍人，愿意遵守中国宪法和法律，并具有下列条件之一的，可以经申请批准加入中国国籍：一、中国人的近亲属；二、定居在中国的；三、有其它正当理由。 |
| Article 8 Any person who applies for naturalization as a Chinese national shall acquire Chinese nationality upon approval of his application; a person whose application for naturalization as a Chinese national has been approved shall not retain foreign nationality. | 第八条 申请加入中国国籍获得批准的，即取得中国国籍；被批准加入中国国籍的，不得再保留外国国籍。 |
| Article 9 Any Chinese national who has settled abroad and who has been naturalized as a foreign national or has acquired foreign nationality of his own free will shall automatically lose Chinese nationality. | 第九条 定居外国的中国公民，自愿加入或取得外国国籍的，即自动丧失中国国籍。 |
| Article 10 Chinese nationals who meet one of the following conditions may renounce Chinese nationality upon approval of their applications: (1) they are near relatives of foreign nationals; (2) they have settled abroad; or (3) they have other legitimate reasons. | 第十条 中国公民具有下列条件之一的，可以经申请批准退出中国国籍：一、外国人的近亲属；二、定居在外国的；三、有其它正当理由。 |
| Article 11 Any person who applies for renunciation of Chinese nationality shall lose Chinese nationality upon approval of his application. | 第十一条 申请退出中国国籍获得批准的，即丧失中国国籍。 |
| Article 12 State functionaries and military personnel on active service shall not renounce Chinese nationality. | 第十二条 国家工作人员和现役军人，不得退出中国国籍。 |
| Article 13 Foreign nationals who once held Chinese nationality may apply for restoration of Chinese nationality if they have legitimate reasons; those whose applications for restoration of Chinese nationality have been approved shall not retain foreign nationality. | 第十三条 曾有过中国国籍的外国人，具有正当理由，可以申请恢复中国国籍；被批准恢复中国国籍的，不得再保留外国国籍。 |
| Article 14 Persons who wish to acquire, renounce or restore Chinese nationality, with the exception of the cases provided for in Article 9, shall go through the formalities of application. Applications of persons under the age of 18 may be filed on their behalf by their parents or other legal representatives. | 第十四条 中国国籍的取得、丧失和恢复，除第九条规定的以外，必须办理申请手续。未满十八周岁的人，可由其父母或其他法定代理人代为办理申请。 |
| Article 15 Nationality applications at home shall be handled by the public security bureaus of the municipalities or counties where the applicants reside; nationality applications abroad shall be handled by China’s diplomatic representative agencies and consular offices. | 第十五条 受理国籍申请的机关，在国内为当地市、县公安局，在国外为中国外交代表机关和领事机关。 |
| Article 16 Applications for naturalization as Chinese nationals and for renunciation or restoration of Chinese nationality are subject to examination and approval by the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China. The Ministry of Public Security shall issue a certificate to any person whose application has been approved. | 第十六条 加入、退出和恢复中国国籍的申请，由中华人民共和国公安部审批。经批准的，由公安部发给证书。 |
| Article 17 The nationality status of persons who have acquired or lost Chinese nationality before the promulgation of this Law shall remain valid. | 第十七条 本法公布前，已经取得中国国籍的或已经丧失中国国籍的，继续有效。 |
| Article 18 This Law shall come into force on the day of its promulgation. | 第十八条 本法自公布之日起施行。 |
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