Key practical points:
• Marriage becomes legal through official registration, not merely by holding a ceremony.
• A foreigner's marriage to a Chinese national is registered at offices designated for such cases.
• You typically need your passport and a single-status certificate, sometimes translated and notarised.
• Additional documents may be required depending on your nationality and the registry city, so check in advance with the relevant office.
• Divorce by agreement has a 30-day cooling-off period during which either party may withdraw the request.
• Property acquired during the marriage is generally treated as community property, alongside each spouse's separate property.
• Spouses may agree in writing to a different arrangement for their property if they wish.
• On separation, child custody and support are decided in the best interests of the child.
👪 Family law
Civil Code: Marriage & Family · Yalla China
民法典 婚姻家庭编 / Civil Code — Marriage & Family
Enacted: 2020-05-28 ✅ Effective: 2021-01-01
📝 Overview
This book governs marriage and family: marriage registration including foreigner–Chinese marriages, the required documents, the cooling-off period for divorce by agreement, marital property, and child custody and support.
This is general information only, not legal advice. For your specific case, consult a licensed lawyer.
📜 The law text / key provisions
💬 Practical reading
💬 This is a general reading/opinion for orientation — not the official legal text nor legal advice.
If you plan to marry a Chinese partner, start early by preparing your passport and single-status certificate, and confirm with the relevant registry exactly which documents are needed, as this can vary by nationality and city and often requires certified translation and notarisation. Remember that divorce by agreement is not immediate but follows a 30-day cooling-off period meant as time to reconsider. It helps to understand in advance how community and separate property are viewed, especially if you owned assets before marrying. Where children or complex finances are involved, consulting a family-law lawyer is wise. This is general orientation, not formal legal advice.
📎 Official source
Ministry of Civil Affairs / mca.gov.cn
🕒 Updated: 16 March 2026