Nationality of Holders
A home return permit constitutes proof of PRC citizenship; however, not all PRC citizens in Hong Kong or Macau have a home return permit. Unlike a compulsory Hong Kong identity card, application for a home return permit is voluntary.
They are still eligible for an HKSAR passport issued by the Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Government, or an MSAR passport by the Macau Government. The SAR passports are only issued to PRC citizens with the Right of Abode in Hong Kong or Macau. The HKSAR passport allows travel to foreign countries and regions. Note that the HKSAR passport may not be used for travel to Macau; and while it is not to be used as a travel document for travel to Taiwan, it is nonetheless used in conjunction with the entry permit issued by the authorities in Taiwan so to prove the identity of the holder. PRC citizens holding an HKSAR passport cannot use the SAR passport to enter the Chinese mainland. The HKSAR Government has once stated that "in line with the one country principle, it was considered inappropriate to adopt HKSAR passport as a travel document to enter the Mainland".
Likewise, the home return permit cannot be used to enter Hong Kong or Macau.
Read more about this topic: Home Return Permit
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—Jane Grey Swisshelm (1815–1884)