China - Register a Marriage

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Procedure

• Get singleness certificates from both parties' companies or residence committees.
• Show ID cards and residence certificates.
• Conduct pre-marriage medical examinations at appointed hospitals by the marriage registration office.
• Fill in the marriage registration application form.
• Get the marriage licenses after successfully passing the consideration of the marriage registration office.

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Required Documents

• Residence certificates of both parties.
• ID cards of both parties.
• Singleness certificate issued by both parties' employing companies or residence committees.
• Medical certificates that prove you're medically suitable for marriage.
• Four 2-inch photos of each party; photos of both parties should be in the same background color.
• Provide divorce certificate if any party of the marriage is divorced.

Office Locations & Contacts

People's Republic of China Ministry of Civil Affairs
Address: 147 Main Street, Dongcheng District No. Beiheyan
Zip Code: 100721
Tel: (010) 58123114
Getting There

Links of Local Governments Websites

Eligibility

• The persons married must reach the required minimum age: for men that is 22 years and for women 20 years old, except that persons may marry younger with parental permission.
• Persons must not be married to another person who already has a husband or wife: having more than one husband or wife in any country is not permitted under Chinese law.
• Only a male and a female, not two persons of the same gender, can get married in China.

Fees

Explain the fees structure which is required for obtaining the certificate/document.

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

Application form

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

After the establishment of the new marriage law, it now takes the marriage registration office about an hour or so to review the submitted documents and approve of the application.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
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e.g In the following url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M" Video ID is "Y0US7oR_t3M". 
	

Instructions

• Both parties register the marriage at the local marriage registration offices in their local areas with residency certificates, ID cards and marriage certificates issued by their companies or residence committees.
• The office processes the marriage application.
• The office issues the marriage licenses to both parties after their application has been processed.

Required Information

• Your name
• Sex
• Date and place of birth
• Nationality
• Personal identification document number
• Marital status (never married or divorced or widowed)
• The name of your fiance/fianc
• Names of witnesses
• Place where the marriage took place
• Date of marriage

Need for the Document

Marriages in China are registered according to the laws of China, regardless of the nationality of those being married. Marriage registration procedures are administered by the marriage registration office of the local civil affairs bureau (Minzhengju) in each jurisdiction.

People planning to get married should visit one of these offices for specific information. There may be a fee for this visit. The appropriate civil affairs office will be the one in the jurisdiction in which the Chinese citizen is registered (the location of his or her hukou).

Information which might help

In case of divorce, the original credentials of divorce are required: Certificate of Divorce, Certificate of Disengagement of Matrimonial Relationship and written conciliation statement or court judgment (accompanied by certificate of validity); The testimonial of divorce issued by a marriage registry office of a foreign country shall be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of such country or a competent authority authorized by it and the embassy or consulate of China in such country; The judgment or written conciliation statement by a foreign court shall not be valid until an intermediate court of China orders the recognition.

The Single Status Certificate (also known as: Affidavit of Single Status, Certificate of No Record of Marriage, Certificate of No Impediment, Single Status Statutory Declaration, Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage, etc). This is intended to show that you are not currently married. Each country has its own way of providing this, and some countries offer the service via an embassy or consulate in China, so you should check your own country' s websites to find the relevant procedures.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Once the marriage registration office approves of the application and registers the marriage, it will issue a marriage certificate to be picked up by the couple.

External Links

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/marriage-registration.htm

http://english.gov.cn/2005-08/31/content_26742.htm

http://www.mca.gov.cn/

Others

Upon receipt of an application to register a marriage, the civil affairs office will ascertain that both parties are of minimum marriageability age (generally 22 for men and 20 for women, though a higher minimum may be established by the local civil affairs office) and that both parties are single and otherwise free to marry. People who have been married before will be asked to submit original or certified copies of final divorce or annulment decrees, or of death certificates if widowed.

Application requirements may vary from office to office. When an individual visits the appropriate marriage registration office to pick up an application form and find out which local hospital(s) the foreign partner must get checked at, he/she should also check to see if the office's requirements differ from those listed here.