Moving things to China and certificate of being single...

[ITguy]

Hi Folks,

I did not know where to post these questions so hopefully it is ok here.

I need a bit of help on 2 things....

1. Is there anyone here that has experience with moving things over to China from the U.S. ? I'd like to get some info on what is the best way of doing that. I have made the decision to go over to China to see what I can do. I don't have tons of stuff but I do have some things I would like to take. I have seen those big shipping containers of 40 feet and 20 feet, I think what I have would probably fit into something smaller than 20 feet. But I want to know of the possible ways of getting stuff over there, maybe there are smaller palettes that I can ship ? Also, what about storage once it gets over there ?

2. I am single and have never been married but I know I need to have that certificate of being single if I am considering marrying a Chinese, right ? Can I get that ahead of time while there is no pressure on me ? Can I get that without having to get my visa renewed ? Or do you need to have a valid visa first before you can get that document ?

I would appreciate any feedback/ideas you might have.

Thanks a whole bunch !

Mac

[ChinaTraveler]

Maybe be much cheaper and easier to just sell your belongings and buy there....store any really personal articles in a storage unit ...

[Hajo]

Hi Mac,

I am not from the US. But when my time for the move to China comes, I will sell most of my stuff or give it to my son. Only personnel will go to China, like Chinatraveler suggests.

About the single certificate, I am not sure if there is anything on how long it is valid. But the Embassy should be able to answer this question, I think.

[David E]

If you really must take a pile of stuff to China, there are many reputable and competant Freight Forwarders who can handle the whole deal (TNT, Wilsons, Grace Bros...etc).

They will consolidate your freight and use it towards filling a general purpose Sea-Container. This is your cheapest option. If you use your stuff as "dedicated cargo" then you will pay top dollar as a "stand alone" consignment.

Either which way, it is not a cheap move. Freight over this distance will be fairly pricy...and there are Customs and Quarantine charges too...plus forwarding and/or storage to consider. Best put it into storage, and send only those "must have" things by surface mail.

[Mikael_Shim]

If what you want to ship includes stuff like furnitures etc ... i would recommend sell it / give it away or whatever and get new stuff here. I am quite sure it will be cheaper and less hassle.

As for the certificate, i cannot answer regarding US citizens. For Swedish, the best and easiest way is to actually get it from the Swedish embassy in China when you are here. They will also make sure they are validated (in Beijing atleast). My Swedish colleague at work did exactly like this when he got married and a French colleague did exactly the same and had no problems at all.

[Martin]

For question #2, try looking here---->http://www.chinaromance.net/index.php?board=24.0

[ITguy]

Thanks for your replies !

Mac

[Clayton]

Well Mac, I got married in Wuzhou recently but only  after renewing my single certificate witch was over six months old. The bloke officiating the paper work for our marriage was not going to be moved on this matter even though my wife's brother who knew the man was with us in the office. So there you are , no point having a single certificate until you know for sure you are getting married.
Cheers