How long are statutory declarations valid for?

[Irishman]

Looks like I'm going to marry Sunny next January so might as well start doing the homework now!
The Irish government says to allow 6 months, yes you didn't mis-read that, six months to send out the official declaration that i am indeed single and eligible to marry.

The official website says to apply six months in advance, which i read to take can take any time up to that. So will be applying six months before January. If i get this declaration after two months for example it will be four months old by the time i bring it. I seem to recall that older than two months will not be accepted?

Anyone any experience with this ?

[ttwjr32]

Irishman,

if this is the single certificate then yes China only accepts those at
the 1 to 8 week mark after they are issued. that is the procedure for
states but maybe since your procedure to obtain is quite different then
you might have more time to use. i would check with the chinese consulate
if you have one there in Ireland. if not i would write to the nnearest one to
get the info straight from the horses mouth and dont rely on info here as
it might not be correct. no offense to anyone. its just this stuff can be
confusing and interpreted many ways.

congrats on the wedding plans

Ted

[David5o]

Ronan,

Easier to spend a couple of months in China and do everything there. ...haha!!  How come it takes them 6 months in Ireland and in UK 21 days??
I'd check that when you get home, that sounds like them covering there arse to me...

David....

[Chong]

Congratulations Irish,

I don't know about Ireland but here's a tibit about 'Single Certificate' from Ontario & Canada.

The approval stamp from the Ontario gov't is valid for 3 months. But then the Chinese consulate approves it for 6 months before expiration. So does that mean if you get marry between months 4,5 or 6 ... the Ontario gov't doesn't recognize the marriage

Above all, don't lose your original SC. When I lost mine's, the Chinese Consulate wouldn't issue another one till 6 months after my last application date.

[rockycoon]

Now I'm confused, hey Irishman, congradulations on the upcoming marrage.  If this keeps up, we will be changing this from a
get married blog, to a married man blog...:icon_cheesygrin:

By the way, it probably takes 6 months for them to do it, because they have to wait for someone to sober up long enough to be able
to read it.....:icon_cheesygrin::dodgy:

[Philip]

Hi Ronan,
6 months? I have just received my certificate of no impediment.
In England you just walk into your local registry office, no appointment, and have an interview for about 20 minutes, pay £30, and 30 days later, pick up your certificate. It is valid for 6 months at the registry office I will be getting married in. I am surprised that Ireland is that different.

[David5o]

Philip,

It's normally 21 days or 3 weeks.  The wait time is just the Banns to be posted for anyone to object to you getting married. They do they same thing at the embassies when you apply for a certificate of no impediment. Trouble is in China, you have to be in country for 21 days before you can apply to get married... so in all it takes 42 days before you get your certificate....

David.......

[Irishman]

Hi Ronan,
6 months? I have just received my certificate of no impediment.
In England you just walk into your local registry office, no appointment, and have an interview for about 20 minutes, pay £30, and 30 days later, pick up your certificate. It is valid for 6 months at the registry office I will be getting married in. I am surprised that Ireland is that different.

Yeah, I can barely believe it myself, monumental incompetence and arse scratching by our overpaid civil servants is the reason I suppose.

[Willy The Londoner]

But maybe you were right to ask Ronan.  There is a slight difference between a notice of no Impediment - obtained from the registrar and a statutory declaration that is sworn before a notary.  

You will need both and they are both valid for 6 six months from the date that the Chinese Embassy adds their stamp to them.

You can apply for the papers at your Embassy in China and as David says you have to be in China for 21 days before you can apply.  After another 21 days you will get one piece of paper in English and one in Chinese - that means no translation necessary.  It a lot easier and less hassle to get them done at your Embassy in China.

  However once you have completed your first 21 days you can leave China as soon as you made your application, have the papers sent to your fiancee by courier and return anytime before the end of the next three months and get married.  My paperwork from the Embassy was valid for only 3 months after issue.

Willy

[David E]

I'm a bit confused .........( not unusual) !!!

The so-called "Single Certificate", or "No Impediment to marriage" is obtained here in Aus by going in person to the Dept. of Hatches, matches and Dispatches, where they will issue one on the spot for a fee of $40. It takes about 40 minutes to process.

From this point, it must be taken to the Dept of Foreign Affairs round the corner and given their Official Stamp and attachment, endorsing it for China. This also takes about 40 minutes and costs...yes, $40 !!!

From there it is a 10 minute drive to the Chinese Embassy who will take this paperwork and add their own version, certified that you are free to marry. This takes 2 days to process and...would you believe, costs $40 !!

So...armed with this impressive document, I am led to believe that I can go to China and get married immediately ?...no waiting in China.

We have covered this in depth in other threads...what's changed ??

David

[ttwjr32]

you would think with Ireland being a smaller country it would
be the fastest?? what do they do for 6 months with the papers???

[David5o]

David E,

Nothing has changed, lol!! and yes with that impressive document you can get off the plane and go to your ladies hometown and get married, .....well, get your Red Books anyway!!

I don't know what this ''statutory declaration'' is all about,  I've never known anyone in China need one of those when they got married. When all said and done, there the same thing!!!  Who needs a Notary signature when you have an Official Government stamp and signature, stating and confirming the same thing???

David.....

[ttwjr32]

David,

from the USA you do need it notarized by a notary public that the
stated court document is true and correct

[David5o]

Ted,


Sounds pretty ridiculous to me, ....If a stamped and signed court document is that worthless, why not just have the Notary sign a self declaration of being single!!!

As i stated before, i've never known of anyone getting married in China, needing  this. They don't require this if you get your certificate of no impediment from your Embassy in China, so why are they asking for this when acquiring the same document in your home country???  I think maybe there giving you the ''bums rush'' and yet another piece of paper there going to charge you for, to Stamp!!!

David....

[ttwjr32]

No its not a bums rush it is just a declaration that your swearing that
since your divorce you have remained single. And from the states it is
needed by China ad if you get it translated in the USA to Chinese they
will still do it here so that is a waste of time. Just because you have your
decree of divorce from a few years back doesnt mean that you havent remarried
so they want this. Coming from the usa you do need this and each country is
different. from uk you have to do the rediculous 21 day waiting period and 21 day
residential time so each country has their own little quirks on what needs to be done
for members doing this it is best to see what other members had to complete from the same
country the reside in. it would be a complete waste to come her and find that you need this
and you will not be able to get it here even at the embassy

Ted