From September 1,
Shanghai residents can get a passport simply by presenting their identity cards and household registration documents to the exit-entry administration, and are no longer required to have the approval of their work unit.
This was announced here on August 29 by the Ministry of Public Security.
Gu Yonghe, deputy director of the Public Security Bureau of Shanghai, said
Shanghai residents can directly go to the exit-entry offices to apply for private passports, or apply for them by sending relevant documents through the EMS (Express Mail Service).They can download application forms from the Internet.
Residents with local household registration status, people from other provinces and cities, who have worked in foreign businesses, joint ventures or private sectors for more than one consecutive year can also apply for a passport in Shanghai.
However, "people with special identity", including some government officials, managers in large and medium-sized state-owned enterprises still have to submit the approval of their work unit.
The above practice is one of the six major reform measures announced last November at a national meeting on exit-entry administration, held by the ministry.
Another change is that before 2005, Chinese citizens living in large and medium-sized cities will be able to get a passport merely by presenting their identity cards and household registration documents to the appropriate police departments.
Hao Chiyong, head of the entry-exit administration under the ministry, said these new policies have been piloted in nine cities in south China's Guangdong Province,
Fushun city of Liaoning Province,
Zibo city of Shandong Province and
Qionghai city of Hainan Province.
Shanghai, a modern metropolis with a population of 13 million, has very complicated population structure and has international influence.
"Using
Shanghai as a trial city is of instructive significance to the implementation of these new practices across the country," Hao said.
Statistics show that more than 8.19 million people traveled across the border via
Shanghai last year. During the year, 300,000 local residents applied for passports and the figure is 180,000 for the first half of this year, up 20 percent on the same period last year.
The trial is a strong support for Shanghai's drive to become a international metropolis, Gu said.
