Marriage & Adoption

Marriage Registration

The Foreign-Related Marriage Registration Office of Hubei Provincial Civil Affairs Department and Marriage Registration Office of Wuhan Civil Affairs Bureau register marriage and divorces involving any party with permanent residency in Wuhan. All marriages and divorces must be voluntary. To get married, a man should at least be 22 years old while a woman should at least be 20 years old; the man and woman should have no other current spouse (which means that both should be single, divorced, or widowed at the time they are applying to register their marriage) and should not be lineal relatives by blood or collateral relatives by blood up to the third degree of kinship.
A man and woman both of foreign nationalities may also register their marriage in Wuhan. To do so, they should produce certificates and documents as required by The Regulations on Marriage Registration, as well as a certificate proving that their home countries recognize foreign marriage registration. They should register their marriage at the Foreign-Related Marriage Registration Office of Hubei Provincial Civil Affairs Department.
The marriage registration authority reviews certificates and statements provided by a man and woman seeking local marriage or divorce registration and immediately registers the marriage or divorce and issues a marriage or divorce certificate if all conditions have been found to be satisfied.

Ⅰ   Marriage Registration
The local citizen should provide:
1.   Permanent household registration book (original version) and ID card (original version);
2.  A signed statement indicating that the couples are not lineal relatives by blood or collateral relatives by blood up to the third degree of kinship (to complete the statement form with the unified format at the Registration Office).
Foreign nationals should provide:
1.  Valid passport or other valid international travel documents;
2.  Proof issued by his/her country of origin and attested by the Chinese embassy (consulate) abroad that the person has no spouse, or proof issued by the embassy of his/her country in China that he/she has no spouse (Valid for six months after the date of issuance).
3.  Three large 2-inch recent color joint photos (full face without hat) with two parties on the photo for registration.

Ⅱ   Divorce Registration
To register a divorce, the condition precedent is that both parties have full civil capacity. The following documents must be provided:
1.  Both parties’ permanent household registration book, ID card, passport and other valid international travel documents (all should be the original version);
2. Marriage certificates issued to the parties by the Chinese marriage registration authority;
3.  The divorce agreement signed by both parties indicating that both parties agree to divorce of their free will and agree on the arrangements for the rearing of children and disposition of assets and debts (three copies);
4.  Two large 2-inch recent color photos (full face without hat) of each party.
Foreign-Related Marriage Registration Office of Hubei Provincial Civil Affairs Department
Tel: 027-87582092
Add: NO. 399, Xiongchu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan
Marriage Registration Office of Wuhan Civil Affairs Bureau
Tel: 027-85765674
Add: NO. 105, Gaoxiong Road, Jiang’an District

Ⅲ   Foreign-related Adoption
A foreign national who intends to adopt a Chinese child may go to the China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA). A prospective parent should send relevant documents to CCCWA.  If the adoption application is approved, CCCWA will send a notice to the adoptive parent, who should later get registered in the Hubei Provincial Civil Affairs Department.
Hubei Provincial Civil Affairs Department
Tel: 027-50657549; 027- 50657500
Add: No. T1, South Zhuodaoquan Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan

Source：Guide for Foreigners in Wuhan