Trip 3

[JamesM.Roberts]

Congrats Jason!!! If anyone can tame the dragon...... I am sure it's you Don't forget to shave before you take-off

[Paul Todd]

Yes , Jason I would like to add my best wishes too. Time to get those little red books! Best of luck to you both!

[shaun]

Happy Red Book on your next trip.  I am sure you will figure out how to carry the ball and chain without difficulty, in fact with a smile on your face. 

[Jason B]

I have no ball and chain at the moment  .  Due to a missing piece of paperwork I was unable to get married recently and Xia and I have agreed to wait now until February when I have my annual holidays.  No problems just some miss communication between departments and China about what they required for us to be married.  Just need to get one paper translated into Chinese after being told it was not required by the consulate here.  But the wedding registry place said it was required, and therefore their rules applied.  Everything else was correct just this one translation and we have been told it will take a week to be translated.   I suppose all good things to those who wait.

[Arnold]

  I suppose all good things to those who wait.

" YES " ... that is certainly one thing we all learn here 

[JamesM.Roberts]

Sorry to hear of the paper snafu ( means a lot more shaving before the taming) Please let us know which paper ....so I don't repeat it. I hate shaving also! 

[David E]

Sorry about the paper stuff-up Jason

I had a similar issue. We went to the registry office to ask them what paper we would need, I had brought every piece of paper, suly translated, that was suggested  A) by the local Chinese Consulate, B) By the Australian Foreign Affairs Dept, and C0 By all the info on the net.

The Office in Chengdu did not want to see any of this, the only piece of paper they wanted was a translated copy of a Stat. Dec...made in the Aus Embassy in Guangzhou, proving my single status !!!

So off to Guangzhou we went and got said document and were married next day !!

[Jason B]

Yes the paper stuff up (single certificate) was a big disappointment, but nothing that can not be fixed and nothing that is a problem to not enable us to marry.  The only real disappointing thing was that I did not have enough time to rectify anything.  With me being there for only 5 days and 2 of them the weekend and we all know the government will not do anything on a weekend, plus travel to HK for trip home last day not enough time to rectify anything.

But as Xia said to me "In my heart we are already married, it is only one piece of paper that Governments want to make it official.  As far as I am concerned you are my lao gong and I am your lao po".  Boy did it really touch my heart to hear her say stuff like this.

All will be fixed in February as I will have 6 wonderful weeks with her and then onto Guangzhou to submit the visa application.

[Vince G]

This should teach guys to have everything translated whether needed or not. Better to have it then not. 

[Neil]

Ok, how or where do you get stuff like this translated?  I live at least 6 hours from the nearest consulate and I won't be driving in the winter, and I can't take time off work anyway. 

[David E]

Neil

I found that it was difficult and expensive to get documents translated in Aus, from English to Chinese, not many translators here to do this !!!

So I got all the original documents in Aus and went to Translation services in Chengdu. There are many Chinese translators and Notaries in China and they are quick and cheap !!!

So make sure you have original documents with you when you go, and get them translated and Notarised in China.

However, as I said, all the documents I got from Aus were useless. In my case, the only document that the Wedding office wanted was the translated and Notarised copy of the Single Status document that I had to get from an Australian Consulate in China. Guangzhou was the nearest !!!! Please note, I had already got this document in Aus from the Department of Foreign Affairs....but the Wedding office in Chengdu insisted that I get the same document from the Aus Embassy in Guangzhou !!!...they did not accept the Aus Document.

In fact, the Wedding Office told me which Translator/Notary to use....I guess they get a kick-back from them 

[David E]

I think it wise to add a comment here about the marriage process in general, when you go to China.

Whatever you read in various places about what documents you need to satisfy the Chinese Authorities, I STRONGLY recommend that you go to the Local Wedding Office in China (where you plan to be married)...take a box of chocolates with you, smile sweetly at the Dragon ladies who operate the Office and ask THEM what documents you will need....or should I say, get your Lady to ask them, because they wont speak a word of English !!

Despite what we read, and the lengths we go to to get all our paperwork done before we go, it seems that each Wedding Office or Province or City has their own way of doing things that is not often visible before we head off to China.

Make sure you have with you...Passport, marriage and divorce certificates, single certificate and any thing else you can think of !!!

It is easy to get any document Translated into Chinese while you are in China. Also, their system requires that any translated document is "Notarised"...there are also many Notaries in China who do this.

Prices for translations and Notarisations are cheap there.

Be prepared to find out that the Local Wedding Office will ONLY accept a single Certificate issues by your own Embassy IN CHINA....but I cant say this as a cast-iron rule....they all seem to have different rules ! You MAY need to head off to the nearest Embassy of your home Country and get a document from them...be prepared for this.

I realise that there are so many variables in this process....but Hey Ho...this is China !!!

[shaun]

Neil,

I agree with David.  I took my papers to Shaoguan and had them translated in a lawyers office there.  Took them in the morning and got them back that afternoon; and cheap.

[Neil]

Thanks for the answers guys, great advice as always.  What could go wrong?