If you get married in China

[Hui & Gary]

After reading the information on the GuangZhou and Houston Chinese Consulate sites my SO and I are not in agreement on our individual interpretations.

 

After getting all my paperwork todgether, single affidavit, divorce papers, passport and Chinese Visa. Is it absolutely necessary when I go to China to get married that we both have to go a Consulate (probably Shanghi) and fill out a "Certificate of Marriageability" in front of an officer?

Is this something relatively new? When I got married before in Nanjing in 2005 we did not have to do this! If I remember they didn't even ask to see my documents then. All they needed was my passport and the money! I guess I had the easy route that time!

 

I would appreciate a response from anyone who has done this or knows the facts unlike we do.

 

Thank you very much!

[dnoblett]

No, only US citizen needs to get that cert from the US consulate.

 

http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/in...d_in_china.html

 

http://shanghai.usembassy-china.org.cn/mar...e_in_china.html

 

Chinese citizen get theirs at the Notary office having jurisdiction over their residence.

Edited September 12, 2008 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[samsong]

I didn't get a Marriageability Affidavit when I married in China in 2002. We just showed up at the local marriage office and some lady typed out the little red book thingys and that was it. I guess these things are handled however the authorities see fit but it wouldn't hurt to have one on hand. Better safe than sorry!...

[bokiwen]

I didn't get a Marriageability Affidavit when I married in China in 2002. We just showed up at the local marriage office and some lady typed out the little red book thingys and that was it. I guess these things are handled however the authorities see fit but it wouldn't hurt to have one on hand. Better safe than sorry!...

 

When I married last year, I had to go to Shaghai to get a certificate of mariageability. I returned to Wuhan, and then had to have the document translated into Chinese (through an official English / Chinese translation agency in Wuhan), and then I could get a marriage license in Wuhan. So the certificate of marriageability would probably be a two step process --- first get the certificate, then get the certificate translated into Chinese.