China Romance

All About China => Marrying A Lady In China => Topic started by: Irishman on March 07, 2010, 01:57:02 pm

Title: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: Irishman on March 07, 2010, 01:57:02 pm
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 ?
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: ttwjr32 on March 07, 2010, 06:36:50 pm
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
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: David5o on March 07, 2010, 06:48:50 pm
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....
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: Chong on March 07, 2010, 09:04:48 pm
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.
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: rockycoon on March 08, 2010, 02:09:33 am
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:
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: Philip on March 08, 2010, 02:18:42 am
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.
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: David5o on March 08, 2010, 10:21:52 am
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.......
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: Irishman on March 08, 2010, 12:54:33 pm
Quote from: 'Philip' pid='33524' dateline='1268032722'

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.
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: Willy The Londoner on March 09, 2010, 01:59:39 am
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
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: David E on March 09, 2010, 03:29:30 am
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
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: ttwjr32 on March 09, 2010, 06:22:31 am
you would think with Ireland being a smaller country it would
be the fastest?? what do they do for 6 months with the papers???
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: David5o on March 09, 2010, 10:09:50 am
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.....
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: ttwjr32 on March 10, 2010, 08:18:35 am
David,

from the USA you do need it notarized by a notary public that the
stated court document is true and correct
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: David5o on March 10, 2010, 12:01:06 pm
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....
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: ttwjr32 on March 13, 2010, 05:10:14 am
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
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: David5o on March 13, 2010, 11:34:39 am
Ted,

The certificate of no impediment is just that, .... it says that you are single and FREE to marry as of the time the certificate was issued. The Divorce niciei is another document altogether, some guys have never been married!!!

As i said before, if you get your certificate of no impediment from your embassy in China, you don't need this Notary thing, So why would you need if the single certificate is issued in your home county?  I'll state again, i've not known anyone getting married in China to need this buckshee certificate, the register office just don't ask for it, only the Chinese embassies in your home countries!!! Just another document to stamp and charge for.....

David....
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: Irishman on March 13, 2010, 12:11:40 pm
Quote from: 'David5o' pid='34273' dateline='1268498079'

Ted,

The certificate of no impediment is just that, .... it says that you are single and FREE to marry as of the time the certificate was issued. The Divorce niciei is another document altogether, some guys have never been married!!!

As i said before, if you get your certificate of no impediment from your embassy in China, you don't need this Notary thing, So why would you need if the single certificate is issued in your home county?  I'll state again, i've not known anyone getting married in China to need this buckshee certificate, the register office just don't ask for it, only the Chinese embassies in your home countries!!! Just another document to stamp and charge for.....

David....

To get the official single cert i need to make the statutory declaration, then the six month clock starts. Joys of living in a small country with big country union public servant ambitions..
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: David5o on March 13, 2010, 12:28:42 pm
Ronan,

That's just crazy, that office has to check the marriage records, so why do they need you to do a self declaration?? Unless the form you fill in for your single certificate will ask statutory questions with a warning of prosecution if you knowingly give or not give false or fraudulent information!!  If so, that's not the Notary declaration that there talking of here for China, .....or Is it ??
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: UK Mark on March 13, 2010, 03:00:55 pm
This Stat dec is needed , dont risk trying to get married without it ! When i got married in Shanghai in Jan its the doc they wanted and the one the offical translator translated !, weird as it may seem the bureau where not interested in the certificate of no impediment, only looked over it briefly before handing it back to me  haha the offical document !  But without the stat dec i could not have married ..
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: ttwjr32 on March 13, 2010, 06:47:42 pm
David,

once again the USA embassy does not issue those docs in China you must bring them with you and ours is the same as yours
it is the no impediment certificate that we call single certificate for short!!  it is not a scam put in place just to collect revenue
it is needed and if you dont bring it from the USA you will not get married. and yes the marriage agency here in Guangzhou did ask for that Buckshee piece of paper and had it translated in chinese while i was there. sorry you seem bothered by this but if any USA citizen comes here
without it they will not be able to marry  just the facts of being an american citizen and what you need to do to get married here. and dont be
led to believe that the embassy will issue one as i just went thru this with someone visiting here and they told him to go home and get it and
have it notarized as true and correct
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: David5o on March 13, 2010, 06:59:29 pm
Ted,

I'm not particularly bothered by it, just that all the guys that i know that have married there, didn't need this and wasn't asked for it. Now i must admit here, that none of those guys were from the US, mainly from the UK, Europe, Aussie and one from New Zealand.....

So, ... you cant get a ''No Impediment Certificate'' from your Embassy/Consulates in China!!  That 21 day wait doesn't seem so ridiculous for us Brits now, if your already in China.... haha!!!

David....
Title: RE: How long are statutory declarations valid for?
Post by: ttwjr32 on March 13, 2010, 07:40:03 pm
no but i just wanted to stress if someone new from the USA comes here sees that
and goes without it. that would be a big disappointment for them. and also if i remember
correctly they wanted 75 USA  dollars to translate it and i didnt do that. i had it translated
at the marriage agency for 60 rmb which is about 8 dollars USA money. so get that done here
in China when you get here. just a food for thought for the guys coming ere in the near future to marry.