re translation of documents

[joeswuhandream]

hi all  joey as a question for the members living in china
i will be taking my single certificate with my government's apostles and the Chinese legalisation  on it  to Chengdu for my up coming marriage
tell me how long will it take for me to  have this document translated    ??
 ( not that it matters i don't think but i will be in Chengdu for my wedding )
and i do not want any hold ups  what so ever
i look forward to all your responces   regards joey

[Irishman]

About 30 minutes probably.
Ask your lady to call the marriage place where the official translation needs to be done - they wont accept anywhere else.
Sunny works as a translator but they wouldn't take hers in Wuhan. They told us to go to a specific translation place. We waited for about 30 minutes while they did it and put their official stamp on it. Cost about 300RMB I think, obviously the price will vary from place to place. We also got charged a "storage" fee to keep our records for 80 years too. Bring about 1000 RMB with you and you'll have any eventuality covered with change!

[David E]

Joey

I did the same as you...took my Single Certificate with my Governments Apostile, and the Chinese Legalisation that I got from the Chinese Consulate in Perth to the Marriage Office in Chengdu.

They would not accept either document as the basis for my marriage.

They told Ming that they would only accept a Single Certificate that had been issued by an Australian Consulate in China, in my case, either Guangzhou, Shanghai or Beijing.

I had to get over to Guangzhou to get this document and then I had to have it translated by the Translator nominated by the Marriage Office.......about 2 doors away !!!

Getting to Guangzhou, which needed an air flight and back took a full day, getting the Translation done took about 30 minutes and cost 200 RMB.

After that...plain sailing, got married in 10 minutes !!

I think it is essential that you check before- hand with Chengdu Marriage Office what documents they will accept...to avoid last minute panics (like mine)

David

[joeswuhandream]

thanks guys for the info
well my future wife spoke to the civil affairs in Chengdu
and they said the only needed my single certificate and my passport
no mention about the single cert coming from the uk consulate 
here in UK  we get the single cert from the registrar  they  deal with births deaths and marriages  of course they are part of a government department
we do not have any other way of getting this certificate of no impediment done
but thanks  David i shall ask my future wife to check
regards joey 

[Arnold]

they said the only needed my single certificate and my passport

Don't forget the 300 RMB ... you need them too . 

Oh .. and the Photo's with the Red Books are extra too .

[David E]

Joey

Yep...thats what they told Ming when she went to check.

What they did not tell her ( or maybe she did not quite understand ??) was that the single certificate they wanted MUST be issued by a Consulate in China. They did not trust any other certificate that was issued overseas.

I hope that this only applied to Aussie certificates...but I think you better make sure.

If that is what they want in your case, then somehow you gotta get to a UK Consulate in China and get it done.

To be exactly precise, what they insisted upon was a Statutory Declaration of Single Status, obtained from an Australia Consulate in China. I went in with Ming and I showed tham all the documents I had brought with me (these were the same as you mentioned you have got), they confirmed that they did not need any of them...only needed the Stat Dec from Aus Consulate as described.

David

[Jason B]

To be exactly precise, what they insisted upon was a Statutory Declaration of Single Status, obtained from an Australia Consulate in China.

Thanks for clarifying that David, I was going to PM you about this.  I do not want to see the look of disappointment on Xia's face again or go through those feelings either because of another paper stuff up.  I am going straight to Guangzhou when I get to China in Feb and get this piece of paper.  And then if there is a problem said paper maybe stuffed into someones behind......

[David E]

I am sure that is a good move Jason....also I am sure you will have no problems if you have that bit of paper.

BTW, the Aus Consulate in Guangzhou were terrific, they gave me all sorts of advice and were soooo helpful....great people and a little bit of home !!!

They also gave me a document of validity...which is a declaration that any marriage solemnised in China was legal and binding on an Aussie Citizen. I did not really need this document, but I got it anyway !!!

ps...when in Guangzhou...go to the Shangri-La Hotel and get the buffet lunch....spectacular !!!!

The actual "ceremony" in the Civil Office is quite strange...not really an emotional place !!!! But when you walk out of the "Dickensian" Office clutching your red books...then you will look at each other and your smiles will be a mile wide....mine and Mings were 

pps...dont forget your divorce certificate (if you were previously married, the Consulate wants to see this before they issue the Stat. Dec.)