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If you are getting married in China, see Getting Married in China


Documents to bring to interview

The hukou is the Household Registry which contains the information used to produce the white books.

Notarial Certificate of Birth

Most confusion with the Chinese Notarial Documents is with the Notarial Certificate of Birth. Prior to 1996, birth certificates were not issued at birth. A notarial certificate with translation must be generated from the hukou. Note that if the applicant is no longer in their parents' hukou, they may need to provide other certified evidence to indicate the parents' names.

A notarial certificate is NOT necessarily a translation of an existing document. It is a statement BY the notarial official based on the evidence you present as to the facts of the matter. In other words, the Notarial Certificate of Birth will be generated ON THE SPOT at the Notarial Office, or Gong Zheng Chu (公证处). If they demand that you produce a "birth certificate" for them to certify, you may need to get creative, such as by going back to the PSB to get a certified statement of the facts needed for the Notarial Certificate of Birth. If the applicant is no longer on their parents' hukou, they MAY need to go to the hometown PSB where they were originally registered.

The notation on the notarial birth certificate is 出生公证书, or chu sheng gong zheng shu, which is what you need to ask for at the Gong Zheng Chu, or 公证处֤֤֤.

A sample Notarial Certificate of Birth may be found at http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/48295-chinese-essential-documents-white-books/?p=626052

Chinese Notarial Documents - see DOS China Reciprocity Schedule
 

NOTE: If the link is broken, try http://travel.state.gov/ and search for "Reciprocity by Country" (they seem to change this periodically)

 

Most of the documents needed can be obtained from one of China's Notarial Offices (Gong Zheng Chu, or 公证处֤֤). All Chinese documentation to be used abroad is processed through the notary offices and issued in the form of notarial certificates (known as "white books"). Notarial offices are located in all major Chinese cities and in rural county seats

 

Google 上海公证处, substituting the name of your home city.

The documents required are the GongZhengShu (公证书֤) ֤֤ or Notarial Certificate.

Sample application for documents (your province or hukou may vary):

https://bjfy.egongzheng.com/flagship/online//bid/notary.html?notaryCode=223

 - or -

https://www.gongzheng.gov.cn/article/315


A discussion of the huji (or hukou system can be found at Hukou System. Chinese residents should go to their hukou for all notarial documents (birth, divorce, and/or single certificate, and police records). For the police record, one obtained at the hukou will cover all of China.

A notarial document will be in the standard white notarial booklet, have an official red seal, an English translation, and an attestation to the true translation.

Note that police records and single certificates are valid for one year from the date of notarization. Others are valid indefinitely.

Marriage certification for I-130 or K-3 must be in the same format. Only ONE is needed. Your choice as to which. Marriage is bilateral.

If ANY document is unobtainable or the document is unavailable, you should submit a statement of WHY it is unobtainable, and what effort you made to obtain it.

 

Sample letter of attestation (for a non-professional translation of a non-required document (such as a relationship letter):

 

Quote

Telephone:

E-mail:

Qualifications of the translator:


I, hereby, attest that to the best of my knowledge and ability, the translation of the consent and/or other relevant document(s) from [specify language] to English for the attached document is complete and accurate.

__________________________________
Signature of Translator


_____________________________
Date of Translation

 

What police certificates do I need and how do I get them - http://www.avvo.com/...w-do-i-get-them

It is usually not necessary to submit police certificates for a stay in the United States.

On Obtaining an "Unobtainable" Police Certificate (China)Unobtainable police certificate from Beijing, China

(a Visa Journey topic)

Police Certificates for Foreigners Living in China

An excellent write-up on this from the Gary Chodorow law firm - https://lawandborder.com/china-police-certificates/

Quote

United States: “In the event that the immigrant establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer that” a police clearance “is unobtainable, the consular officer may permit the immigrant to submit … other satisfactory evidence of the fact to which such document or record would, if obtainable, pertain.” 9 FAM 504.4-4(F) (emphasis added). Such other satisfactory evidence that a person has no criminal conviction may include, for example, “proof of membership in or affiliation with a reputable religious organization in a religious capacity during periods of foreign residence may be accepted as such evidence.” 9 FAM 504.4-4(B) (emphasis added). In our experience, an individual’s own affidavit or an employer letter may also be satisfactory evidence that a person has no convictions.

 

If you need a police certificate for any reason from having lived in China, it may be possible to obtain one from the local PSB Entry and Exit Bureau. You will need a Chinese work permit and a letter from your employer. Contact the PSB folks for the details of what they need.

A "crazy mixed-up process - mission accomplished" - a detailed account on Visa Journey

You WILL NOT need one for the US visa process, unless you are notified otherwise.

This thread from 2016 covers the (ultimately successful) efforts by a couple of foreigners - Police (criminal record) report process is broken


from the British embassy

http://ukinchina.fco...-other-services

 

Quote

If you wish to obtain a criminal record clearance from the Chinese authorities, you will need to apply for a Certificate of No Criminal Record ֤

* To apply for a certificate while you are resident in China, you should apply to your local Public Security Bureau.
* To obtain a certificate after you have left China you should contact the local PSB. However you can also try service companies that offer services to help foreign residents.
* In Shanghai's district (Including municipality of Shanghai, provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui and Zhejiang), the local Notary Public is responsible for issuing such a certificate.
* In Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the local Notary Public is responsible for issuing such a certificate.
* In Chongqing's district (Including municipality of Chongqing, provinces of Sichuan, Yunan and Guizhou), the nearest police station (to be visited first) and the local Notary Public are both responsible for issuing such a certificate.
* In Beijing, the Shuang Xiong company offers this service for current or former residents of Beijing

Their contact details are:

No.3 Dongdajie (100m east of Public Security Bureau), Andingmen, Dong Cheng District
Tel: +86 10 6402 7616 / 6402 7596; Fax: +86 10 6402 7596
website: www.shuangxiong.com.cn (not current - 9/7/2011)
Email: shuangxiong516@sina.com

 

A report on their services Jan., 2016 - http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/48344-translation-of-documents/?p=626584


Cost of Notarial Certificates

One member reported this in 2013. Cost varies, of course, by province, and over time.

Quote

Additional copies the day of are only 20 RMB per. If I return to get more copies later, I have to pay the base fee of 210 again.

So, two copies today would cost 230; three 250 RMB, etc. One today and one tomorrow would cost 420 RMB.

Getting Married in China

Edited by Randy W (see edit history)
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A discussion of some confusion surrounding an incorrect document is at

Birth Certificate Question - Is Certified/Translated Hukou Enough?

 

The wife of one of the posters had a document which showed her birth information, including date and place of birth and parents. This document was used to produce a Gong Zheng Shu, or Notarial Document, which was not accepted, even though she had used it as a birth certificate in China.

 

It came out through the discussion that her document used to produce the Gong Zheng Shu was actually a Permanent Resident Population Information Sheet, which could NOT be accepted by the Consulate as a Birth Certificate.

 

The notation on the Notarial Birth Certificate is 出生公证书, or chu sheng gong zheng shu, which is what you need to ask for at the Gong Zheng Chu, or 公证处. It will be produced from the information in the hukou, or Household Record. The chu sheng gong zheng shu is a statement by the notarial official as to the facts of the birth, and NOT a translation of an actual birth certificate.

 

If the applicant's hukou is still with his/her parents, it may be possible to take the hukou book to ANY Gong Zheng Chu. If the applicant has acquired their own hukou, then it may be necessary to supply additional information which identifies the parents. Some have found it necessary to go to the hometown PSB where his/her parents hukou is administered, or where the old records showing the parental relationship are kept.

 

The notation on the cover sheet of a Notarial Document or Certificate is Gong Zheng Shu, or 公证书. This simply refers to the fact that it IS a Notarial Document issued by the Gong Zheng Chu.

 

Notarial Documents or Certificates are most often NOT actually COPIES of a Chinese document, but a statement from the notarial official.

Edited by Randy W (see edit history)
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The first page identifies it as a Gong Zheng Shu (Notarial certificate).

 

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The second page is the Chinese document, in this case, a 出生公证书 or Notarial Certificate of Birth.

 

gallery_1846_733_113071.jpg

 

The third page is the English translation.

 

gallery_1846_733_166235.jpg

 

. . . and the fourth and fifth pages are another Gong Zheng Shu (Notarial Document) certifying the English translation.

 

gallery_1846_733_160663.jpg

 

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  • 6 months later...

This is an actual birth certificate - the notation is Medical Certificate of Birth - 出生医学证明 (chu sheng yixue zheng ming). You generally will NOT want one of these, unless you know that one was issued at birth - AFTER 1993.

It's not clear WHY the Consulate is still insisting on the white book format for the Medical birth certificates, but apparently they are.

 

Ask for a 出生医学证明公证书, or Chūshēng yīxué zhèngmíng gōngzhèng shū at the Gong Zheng Chu, or 公证处.

 

Chenxi BC.jpg

 

 

Ask for a Notarial Document or Certificate based on the Medical birth certificate. The designation for the Notarial Certificate is Gong Zheng Shu, or 公证书.

 

They should be able to generate a Notarial Certificate from ANY document, not just those based on the hukou. Ask for a 出生医学证明公证书, or Chūshēng yīxué zhèngmíng gōngzhèng shū.

 

If they still refuse, then I would simply turn in the birth certificate as is, along with an explanation that the Notarial Certificate could not be generated, and identify the Gong Zheng Chu, or 公证处 that declined it.

 

The Guangzhou consulate REQUIRES the notarial certificates of medical birth (出生医学证明公证书), but the USCIS in the United States MAY NOT need it. The birth certificate is already in English AND Chinese.

Edited by Randy W (see edit history)
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  • 2 months later...

Sample police report from 2009 (Kyle) - see http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/41297-police-report/page-2

 

This is what my wife had. The first part may not be used consistently throughout China, but it may give you an idea for what to look for. The first few (2 sheets) sheets were what my wife took to the PSB to get filled out. Afterward, she took them to get them processed for a white book. You will take the documents completed by the PSB to the same place you'll get your wedding certificate and her birth certificate translated and notarized. She got the forms to be filled out by the PSB at the office that does the translating and notarizing. Personal information has been redacted:

 

 

The title on the notarial certificate is

 

未受刑事处分公证书Wèi shòu xíngshì chǔfèn gōngzhèng shū) or "No criminal sanction public certificate"

 

 

 

 

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gallery_1846_775_171932.jpg

 

gallery_1846_775_62455.jpg

 

gallery_1846_775_27801.jpg

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  • 2 years later...

China reciprocity table - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/China.html

From checking out the Internet Archive Wayback Machine on the Reciprocity Schedule, it looks like the State Dept. inadvertently DROPPED the reference to the Medical Certificate of Birth when they reformatted the page in Nov or Dec 2018.


See old page (Nov., 2018) at https://web.archive.org/web/20181118212311/https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/China.html

and new page (Dec., 2018) at https://web.archive.org/web/20181209114824/https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/China.html

It now says:

One of the following three documents:

Birth certificate (Chu Sheng Zheng Ming Shu) or medical certificate of birth (Chu Sheng Yi Xue Zheng Ming) issued by the hospital
Initial Birth Record issued by the Household Registration Department of the local Public Security Bureau
Proof of birth issued by the sub-district office or the Personnel Department of Work Unit

 


Based on the information currently on this page, someone with a Medical Birth Certificate may be requested to produce a Notarial Birth Certificate is 出生公证书, or chu sheng gong zheng shu, even though a 出生医学证明公证书, or Chūshēng yīxué zhèngmíng gōngzhèng shū should be exactly what they need.

See Chu sheng gong zheng shu needed if born after 1996

Edited by Randy W (see edit history)
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  • 4 months later...

The red book Chinese marriage certificate is a 结婚证 or Jiéhūn zhèng


The notation on the white book issued at the Gong Zheng Chu, or 公证处, is 结婚公证书 or Jiéhūn gōngzhèng shū

There's this bit of news about 2 foreigners marrying in China


Dept. of State - Living, Working, and Marriage in China



As of April 1, 2019, two foreigners are not allowed to register their marriage at Civil Affairs offices in China (marriages between a foreigner and Chinese national are still permitted.) This means that two foreigners can no longer obtain a Chinese marriage certificate. This new regulation was published on March 29, 2019, and went into effect nationwide as of today. The details of this announcement can be found here: http://www.mca.gov.cn/article/xw/tzgg/201903/20190300016006.shtml (in Chinese only) or you can call the Civil Affairs hotline at 962200.

 







gallery_1846_733_8884.jpeg

Edited by Randy W (see edit history)
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  • 1 month later...

On Visa Journey, a case where a parent was blocking access to document "required" by the notarial official -

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/765899-problems-getting-birth-certificate-for-china-interview/?do=findComment&comment=10496216

The notary accepted a  document called a "huji dang'an" (户籍档案) instead

Quote

the notary said we could go to the public security bureau (PSB) in her parents' neighborhood and apply for a document called a "huji dang'an" (户籍档案), which lists similar information as the hukou (notably the family members' names, birth dates, and relationships to each other).

My guess is that the information was pulled from the parents' hukou, and they could have also gotten the white book there.

Edited by Randy W (see edit history)
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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...
On 7/1/2016 at 12:31 AM, Randy W said:

This is an actual birth certificate - the notation is Medical Certificate of Birth - 出生医学证明 (chu sheng yixue zheng ming). You generally will NOT want one of these, unless you know that one was issued at birth - AFTER 1993.

It's not clear WHY the Consulate is still insisting on the white book format for the Medical birth certificates, but apparently they are.

 

Ask for a 出生医学证明公证书, or Chūshēng yīxué zhèngmíng gōngzhèng shū at the Gong Zheng Chu, or 公证处.

 

Chenxi BC.jpg

 

 

Ask for a Notarial Document or Certificate based on the Medical birth certificate. The designation for the Notarial Certificate is Gong Zheng Shu, or 公证书.

 

They should be able to generate a Notarial Certificate from ANY document, not just those based on the hukou. Ask for a 出生医学证明公证书, or Chūshēng yīxué zhèngmíng gōngzhèng shū.

 

If they still refuse, then I would simply turn in the birth certificate as is, along with an explanation that the Notarial Certificate could not be generated, and identify the Gong Zheng Chu, or 公证处 that declined it.

 

The Guangzhou consulate REQUIRES the notarial certificates of medical birth (出生医学证明公证书), but the USCIS in the United States MAY NOT need it. The birth certificate is already in English AND Chinese.

What I hadn't considered here is that although the certificate itself is bilingual, the fields filled in are all in Chinese characters. That is why you will probably need to submit the white book version (出生医学证明公证书, or Chūshēng yīxué zhèngmíng gōngzhèng shū) of the Medical Certificate of Birth.

Edited by Randy W (see edit history)
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