(Approved by the State Council on August 17, 1983 and
promulgated by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on August 26,
1983)
1. When Chinese citizens and foreigners (including foreign
residents and those who come to China for a short visit, Chinese of
foreign nationality, and foreigners who have settled down in China)
decide to get married of their own free will within the boundaries
of China, both the man and the woman concerned shall appear
together at the marriage registration department, designated by the
province, autonomous region, or municipality directly under the
Central Government, and stationed in the locality where the Chinese
citizen has his/her residence registration and apply for marriage
registration.
2. Both the man and the woman, who apply for marriage
registration, shall abide by the Marriage Law of the People's
Republic of China and the pertinent articles and items of these
Provisions.
3. Chinese citizens and foreigners who apply for marriage
registration shall respectively hold the following
certificates:
A. For Chinese citizens:
(1) certificates of the applicant's residence registration;
(2) certificate signed and issued either by the people's
government at the county level or above which is stationed in the
locality where the applicant has his/her residence registration, or
by a government department, a school, an institution, or an
enterprise at the county level or above, which is the applicant's
place of work; the certificate indicates the applicant's name, sex,
date of birth, nationality, marital status (single, divorced,
bereft of spouse- the same below), occupation, nature of work, name
of the person to marry.
B. For foreigners:
(1) the applicant's passport or other documents certifying
his/her identity and citizenship;
(2) "Residence Permit for Foreigners" signed and issued by the
public security department, or identification certificate issued by
foreign affairs department, or entry permit and residence permit
for foreigners who come to China for a short stay;
(3) marital status certification issued by the notary office of
the applicant's country and confirmed by both the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (or a department authorized by the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs) of the applicant's country and the Chinese embassy
or consulate in the said foreign country; or marital status
certification issued by the embassy or consulate of the said
foreign country in China.
C. For resident foreigners in China:
(1) the applicant's passport, or identification certificate or
nationality certificate used to substitute for passport (those who
have no nationality maybe exempted from presenting their
nationality certificates);
(2) "Residence Permit for Foreigners" signed and issued by the
public security department;
(3) certificate signed and issued either by the people's
government at the county level or above, which is stationed in the
locality where the applicant has his/her residence registration, or
by a government department, a school, an institution, or an
enterprise at the county level or above, which is the applicant's
place of work; the certificate indicates the applicant's name, sex,
date of birth, marital status, occupation, name of the person to
marry. In addition, both the man and the woman applying for
marriage registration shall also present the pre-marital health
check-up report signed and issued by a hospital designated by the
marriage registration department.
4. The following Chinese citizens shall not be permitted to
marry foreigners:
(1) army men in active service, diplomatic personnel, public
security personnel, confidential personnel, and other personnel who
are in charge of important confidential work;
(2) persons who are receiving reeducation through labor or
serving a sentence.
5. Chinese citizens and foreigners, who hold all the required
certificates and accord with these Provisions, may present their
certificates and photos to the marriage registration department and
make an application. The marriage registration department, after
examining the application and confirming through investigation that
the application conforms to the Marriage Law of the People's
Republic of China and to these Provisions, shall give the
applicants the permission to register, and to go through the
registration procedures within 1 month; and then the marriage
registration department shall issue the marriage certificate to
them. The marriage certificate shall be attached with the photos of
both the man and the woman, and be affixed with the special
seal(made of steel) for marriage registration of the people's
government at the county level or above which handles the
registration of marriage between Chinese and foreign nationals.
6. If a Chinese citizen and a foreigner request a divorce in
China, they shall, in accordance with the pertinent provisions of
"The Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China (for
Trial Implementation)", file a divorce suit with the appropriate
People's Court. Those who wish to resume marriage relationship
shall go through the same registration procedures as those for
marriage.
7. Chinese citizens and foreigners who apply for marriage
registration shall pay for the cost of marriage certificates and
also pay registration service charge. The expenses for
interpretation service shall be borne by the applicants.
8. These Provisions shall go into effect upon approval by the
State Council, and all former pertinent provisions shall be null
and void at the same time.