A marriage certificate (结婚证) is the official document issued by a marriage registry of the Civil Affairs Bureau when a couple registers their marriage in mainland China. Each spouse receives a red booklet with photos, names, ID or passport numbers and the registration date. Under the PRC Civil Code, a marriage is established when the couple completes marriage registration; a wedding ceremony alone has no legal effect.
Why it matters
The marriage certificate is the key proof of marriage for divorce, property registration, inheritance, visas and residence permits. It also determines practical options at divorce: a registry divorce generally requires a marriage registered in mainland China, so couples who married abroad generally must divorce through the courts. For use outside China, the certificate usually needs a notarial certificate and an apostille or legalisation, with translation. For use in China, a foreign marriage certificate from a Hague Apostille Convention member state generally needs an apostille and a certified Chinese translation.
How it works in practice
An Irish man and his Chinese wife registered their marriage at a designated registry in Guangzhou. Years later they moved to Dublin and needed to prove the marriage for his wife's visa. They obtained a notarial certificate of the marriage from a Chinese notary office with an English translation, had it apostilled, and submitted it with the application. When they later separated, the fact that the marriage was registered in China meant they could choose a registry divorce there if both could attend in person.
Common mistakes
- Holding only a wedding ceremony and assuming the couple is legally married
- Losing the certificate and not knowing that a replacement can be applied for at the registry
- Sending the original booklet abroad instead of a notarised and apostilled copy
- Assuming a foreign marriage certificate automatically allows a registry divorce in China
- Forgetting that the certificate records identity details that must match passports and other documents