Article 18 Where a person provides a passport which is forged or tampered with to another person, or sells passports, he shall be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law; if the case is not serious enough to constitute a crime, the public security organ shall confiscate his illegal gains, have him detained for not less than 10 days but not more than 15 days and shall, in addition, impose on him a fine of not less than 2,000 yuan but not more than 5,000 yuan; and the illegal passports and the printing equipment shall be confiscated by the public security organ.

Article 19 A person holds or uses a passport which is forged or tampered with, or uses another person's passport as his own for exit from or entry into the country (or across the frontier) shall be punished by the public security organ in accordance with the provisions of the law on entry-exit control; and his illegal passport shall be confiscated by the public security organ.

Article 20 A staff member of the passport issuing authority who commits one of the following acts shall be given an administrative sanction in accordance with law; if a crime is constituted, he shall be investigated for criminal responsibility in accordance with law:

(1) failing to accept an application that should be accepted;

(2) without justifiable reasons, failing to issue a passport within the statutory time limit;

(3) collecting fees in excess of the rates fixed by the State;

(4) asking the applicant for bribes or accepting bribes;

(5) disclosing a citizen’s personal information gained through processing, issuing a passport, and thus infringing upon the citizen’s lawful rights and interests; and

(6) other acts like abuse his power, neglect of duty or engagement in irregularities for personal gain.

Article 21 The ordinary passport shall be designed by the Ministry of Public Security and made under its supervision; and the diplomatic and service passports shall be designed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and made under its supervision.

Article 22 The passport issuing authority may collect fees for the cost of the passports and added notes. And such fees shall be turned over to the State Treasury.

The rates for the cost of a passport and added notes shall be determined and announced by the administrative department for pricing under the State Council in conjunction with the department for finance under the State Council.

Article 23 Where a citizen who goes abroad for a short period of time loses his passport, or his passport is stolen or is so damaged that it cannot be used any more, he shall apply for a Travel Permit of the People’s Republic of China to an embassy or consulate of the People’s Republic of China, or some other mission overseas authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Article 24 A citizen who engages in border trade or cross-border tour service, or participates cross-border tour, may apply for a Entry-Exit Pass of the People’s Republic of China to the entry-exit control department of the public security organ under the people’s government at or above the county level authorized by the Ministry of Public Security.

Article 25 Where a citizen intends to enter or leave the country in the capacity of a seaman or to work in such capacity on board of a vessel flying the flag of another country, he shall apply with the maritime administration authority authorized by the Ministry of Communications for a Seaman’s Book of the People’s Republic of China.

Article 26 This Law shall go into effect as of January 1, 2007. The passports issued before the promulgation of this Law shall remain valid within their terms of validity.

The English translation is for reference only and if there is any discrepancy, the Chinese version shall prevail.