The vast majority of this 31 million-strong community have taken citizenship in the country where they reside, and some second and third generation ethnic Chinese have never lived on Chinese soil.
僑委會主任秘書陳哲燦表示，我國採取雙重國籍政策，只要不申請放棄中華民國國籍的海外同胞皆是華僑。至於華僑的後代，不論是否有外國人血統，也不論屬於移居海外的第幾代，只要能提出有中國血統證明者，都視為華僑，並可發給護照。