How to register marriage at the Chinese embassy or its consulate as a Chinese couple in the UAE? Process and cost explained

You can book an appointment online and go to the Chinese embassy or its consulate in the UAE to register your marriage certificate. Picture used for illustrative purposes. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Dubai: Are you a Chinese couple planning to get married in UAE? You may want to know the process and cost: Here is a detailed guide.

There are different options for you to choose from. You can now get a marriage certificate in Dubai within a day. If you are in Abu Dhabi, you can make an online appointment and go to the Abu Dhabi Civil family court to get your marriage certificate issued on the same day.

Alternatively, you can also register your marriage at the Chinese embassy or its consulate. Here is how.

Prepare all the documents needed in advance

According to the Chinese Consulate’s website, you will need to prepare the documents listed below:

- Both parties’ valid passports and UAE visa (both the original and a copy).
- Three recent, coloured photos of you two, with a red background, showing the upper half of your bodies. The photo size should be 35mm X 53mm.
- In the case of a previous divorce, you will need to offer divorce certificate, or divorce mediation paper, or divorce decree and its effectiveness certificate (both the original and a copy).
- In the case of widowhood, you will need to offer relevant documents proving your widowhood – such as your previous spouse’s death certificate and your marriage certificate with the previous spouse (both the original and a copy).
- ‘Application for Marriage Registration Statement’ form, filled and signed by both of you, in front of the consular officer. You can find the form in this link: http://dubai.china-consulate.gov.cn/lsfw/bgxz/201807/t20180731_5804231.htm.
- Any additional, supporting documents required by the Chinese embassy or the Chinese consulate for your case.

Important note

The identification document type shown on your marriage certificate issued by the Chinese embassy or its consulate in the UAE, is your Chinese passport. When you are required to provide these marriage certificates during some processes and applications in China, you may be asked to provide additional documents proving you, as the marriage certificate holder, is the same person as your Chinese national ID card holder.

After you have all the documents ready, you can follow two steps to apply for your marriage registration and acquire your marriage certificate:

1. Book an appointment through the ‘Chinese Consulate’ app

Starting May 16, 2022, Chinese expatriate couples in the UAE need to book an appointment for marriage registration at the Chinese embassy or its consulate, through the ‘Chinese Consulate’ app, following these steps:

Download the ‘Chinese Consulate’ app

You can download this app from the Apple AppStore, Tencent App Store (which can be used on Android phones), Xiaomi App Store and Huawei AppGallery, by typing ‘Chinese Consulate’ in the search bar.

Register on the app

You will then need to register, if you have not already done so, by following these steps:

- Enter the app and tap ‘my profile’ at the bottom right corner of the screen.
- On the next page, tap ‘log in now’.
- Then tap ‘register a new account’ at the bottom of the next page.
- Afterwards, you will be asked to choose to register an account using your Chinese phone number or your email address. Choose the method that is suitable for you.
- You will then need to fill in your phone number or email address, depending on which method you chose previously, create a password, and confirm it.
- Tap the ‘send verification code’ button next and after you receive the code, fill it in the field of ‘verification code’.
- Check the box ‘I have read, and I agree to the terms and conditions’, then tap ‘Register’.

Fill in both parties’ information and make the appointment

After registration, go back to the front page and select ‘marriage registration appointment’.
On the next page, you will be given two options – ‘marriage registration appointment’ and ‘divorce registration appointment’. Tap ‘marriage registration appointment’.
Then an information page will show up, providing details including an overview of the process of making an appointment. Read all the information carefully, check the box of ‘I have read, and I agree to above statement’ and tap ‘apply for appointment now’.
Afterwards, you will see a reminder page with all Chinese embassies and consulates worldwide that offer this online service. Read the information carefully and tap ‘next’.
You will then be asked to choose the embassy or consulate where you want to apply for your marriage certificate. If you are in Abu Dhabi, choose the Embassy of People’s Republic of China in the UAE. If you are in Dubai and other emirates, choose ‘Consulate General of People’s Republic of China’ in Dubai and tap ‘next’.
On the next page, you need to fill in the husband-to-be’s information, the information can be filled in, in two ways – either by scanning the identification document, or manually filling in details including:

- Given name
- Given name in pinyin
- Surname
- Surname in pinyin

On the same page, select date of birth, place of birth, the type of identification ID card the husband-to-be is currently holding, then fill in the chosen identification ID card number.
Next, fill in the passport number.
If he was born inside China, it is mandatory to fill in his Chinese national ID card number. If he was born outside China and doesn’t have a Chinese national ID, then filling in his Chinese passport number is enough.
Next, fill in his place of residence inside China, select his marriage status, fill in his email address and contact number and tap ‘next’.
You will then be presented an overview of the filled husband-to-be’s information. Check the information carefully and tap ‘confirm no mistake’.
Afterwards, fill in the wife-to-be’s information the same way as filling that of the husband-to-be’s. Check the overview page carefully and tap ‘confirm no mistake’.
On the next page, you can select the date and time for your appointment, from the available time slots. Meanwhile, fill in your contact information, then tap ‘confirm’.
You will then see an ‘appointment made’ message. Tap ‘confirm’.
Next, a notification will be sent to you within the app, providing your appointment details and the documents you need to take with you on the appointment day. Read this notification carefully.

Go to your appointment

After booking the appointment on the ‘Chinese Consulate’ app, you should be at the Chinese embassy or the Chinese consulate on time or earlier than your appointment time, with all mentioned documents.