Certificate of legal capacity to marry in China
Are you a Dutch national planning to marry in China? If you have never lived in the Netherlands, the Netherlands embassy in Beijing or the consulates-general in Shanghai and Guangzhou can draw up this document for you.
Have you ever lived in the Netherlands?
Are you a Dutch citizen and do you live in the Netherlands or have you lived in the Netherlands? In that case, you must apply for a certificate of legal capacity to marry (verklaring van huwelijksbevoegdheid) from the municipality where you live or where you last lived. Were you a minor when you left the Netherlands? Then you must also apply at the municipality where you last lived. The certificate is valid for 6 months from the date of issue.
What documents do you need?
To apply for a certificate of legal capacity to marry, you need copies of the following documents:
- a valid Dutch identity document
- an extract from the register of births
- a civil status extract showing that you are not married. The extract may not be more than 12 months old
- a divorce certificate if you have previously been married
You may need to have the original documents legalised and translated. The rules vary per country.
What documents does your non-Dutch partner need?
When you apply for a certificate of legal capacity to marry, your non-Dutch partner needs copies of the following documents:
a passport or another identity document
- an official document stating his or her address (this document varies from country to country)
- a declaration of unmarried status.
You may need to have the original documents legalised and translated. The rules vary per country.
Certificate of legal capacity to marry in this country or region
If one of the partners is of Chinese nationality, the Chinese authorities do not need a declaration of marital status before entering into a marriage in China. The statement is only needed if it concerns two people who are both not Chinese nationals.
By e-mail
You can scan the documents and send them by e-mail to:
Indicate clearly in your e-mail what you need the certificate for. We mention this in the certificate.
On average it takes 2 working days to prepare a certificate. If you have sent original documents, they will be returned. State your Chinese mailing address in Chinese characters in your message.
In person
You can make an appointment via the online appointment system.
Payment
After receiving your request by e-mail, you will receive a message from the embassy with the payment instructions.
Please check the overview of the consular fees for the costs and payment method.
Any questions?
In case you have a question, you can send an email via the contact form.