Registering a foreign marriage in China

I recently married a Chinese woman in my country the Netherlands.

She is still living in China (now visiting me on a tourist visa) and we want to register the marriage in China.
I tried to find information about what we need to register the marriage in China but could not find much (mostly the information I found is about getting married in China).

Can anyone tell me what we need and have to do to register our marriage in China?
(She will go back to China March 12th.)

Hi MartijnR,

Perhaps more info here : http://english.www.gov.cn/services/live … 977697.htm

Hopefully it helps,
Bhavna

Thank you, but it looks like that that is also for getting married in China...

Getting married inside China was really too complicated with too many documents and paperwork to be done for my wife and for myself. Plus needed to have all my documents translated by approved service companies by the Chinese government.
So we got married in Hong Kong, so much more easier.

For your question just make sure you have your marriage certificate or license when you come back to China. This will prove your marriage. The only place you would need to register if you're going to get a marriage visa. Or you can also find out more when to register to the police on your arrival back to China.

For us, we did not register with the China government since I'm not doing a marriage visa. Plus no one asked or seem to care, the police know we are married when I applied for rental and re-entry every two months.

I'm hoping this is of some help for you and your question. The foreign Police station where you register upon your arrival will tell you more and how or if you really need to do.

Hi Controldir,

Thank you for your answer.

My wife will go back to China March 13 (still depending on the corona virus, she is from Wuhan) and wants to register our marriage in China (she is now here on a tourist visa).
Later she will come back to live here permanently.

Oh no.  Your wife and/or you are not coming back on March 13.  Not with the Coronavirus. 

Lucky you guys are not here.  Stay out and God bless.

I married a Chinese wife too. Although we both are based in Shanghai, because of her "Hu Kou" in Jiangsu, that's why we registered our marriage in Nanjing. You need do a translation of your marriage certificate in Netherland into Chinese by notary public, the fee is a few hundred CNY, and for the marriage registration is close to 2k CNY.

zhongshan2018 wrote:

Oh no.  Your wife and/or you are not coming back on March 13.  Not with the Coronavirus. 

Lucky you guys are not here.  Stay out and God bless.


As it is now, we are trying to get her short-term 90day visa extended. Not sure if my country's immigration office will allow it...

roomzasia wrote:

... You need do a translation of your marriage certificate in Netherland into Chinese by notary public, the fee is a few hundred CNY, and for the marriage registration is close to 2k CNY.


Thank you for your answer.