Getting Married in China

Marriages in China are registered according to the laws of China, regardless of the nationality of those being married. The current Marriage Law of the People's Republic of China was passed in September 1980 and went into force on January 1, 1981. Under this law, marriage registration procedures are administered by the local civil affairs office minzhengju, in each jurisdiction.

Persons planning to marry should visit one of these offices for specific information. If one of the partners is a Chinese citizen, the appropriate civil affairs office will be the one in the jurisdiction in which the Chinese citizen is registered (the location of the hukou). If both are foreigners, it will be the civil affairs office in the city in which they live. In general, at least one of the partners must reside in China. Two foreigners visiting China temporarily on tourist visas are unlikely to be able to register a marriage here.

The Sino-foreign couple must go together, in person to the appropriate marriage registration office and submit a completed marriage registration application form (available at the marriage registration office). Chinese translations must accompany foreign-language documents.

Documents Required by Chinese Partner

• Certificate of Marriageability
• Certificate of Birth
• Household Registration Book (Hukou)
• Health Certificate (obtainable from a regional-level local hospital)
• Letter from the parents of the Chinese partner giving permission for their child to marry a foreigner (this letter should include the index fingerprint of both parents below their signatures and date)

Documents Required by Foreign Partner

• Current Passport
• Chinese Residence Permit
• Health Certificate (from a local hospital designated by the marriage registration office)
• 3 photos of the marrying couple taken together
• Registration Fee
• Certificate of Marriageability

The new marriage law has made the process of getting married faster. It takes the marriage registration office about an hour or so to review the submitted documents and approve the application.

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

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