The BTCO are absolutely terrible, useless individuals. I got married only last year, and did so by getting the letter from HK. I had a massive argument with them because, i found out about this letter by phoning HK, when originally the BTCO had said the only way was to go back to England, thus providing false information. It worked for me last year, but it seems the policy must have changed, further highlighting the uselessness of the BTCO, because they are giving out this advice based on what i told them last year and not checking if it is current.
The proxy swearing in front of a notary public by a relative seems to have worked for some people, and not for others. When my relatives called they were told no, but as i said it has worked for some.
They can give you a certificate which says according to their records, you are not married, it then has to be notarized by the Taiwan Trade office in London, and maybe even the british foreign office - double check by calling.
First confirm with the Taiwanese authorities that the above step is okay; maybe even hassle them to accept your letter from HK as just last summer it was okay for me.
If you get desparate, both groom and bride can go to Guam or Saipan (USA) and get married on your honeymoon. There are none of the ROC passport visa hassles as these Pacific Islands are US territories which do have their own separate visitor visa programs. However, going for a Hawaiian license would require a “mainland visa”.
The law says you need a Certificate of Non-Impediment to prove you aren’t already married in your home country. However, courts outside of Taipei are known to accept a paper issued by the UK Registry to the same effect. You fill up a form (on the UK website), send it in with a cc number or a bank draft etc. for a tenner, and ask them to perform a search on your name from the time of your 16th birthday until the present date. If you are single they will post you a bit of paper that says they failed to find any marriages during that time, sorry. Get the paper notarized by your local MOFA office, and present it along with your other paperwork to a court OUTSIDE of Taipei, who will in all likelihood accept it in place of a Cert. of Non-Impediment.
This worked for me 2 years ago, I have a JFRV.
YMMV
It might be a bit more problematic if you have been previously married and divorced. Getting the JFRV is a lot easier if you have a marriage license issued by a local court. The process is a bit Moonie-esque (mass ceremony), but my bit of paper has bigger chops than your bit of paper, and is therefore a better bit of paper
Remember to take the missus down to the local Gestapo headquarters to get her household registration changed before applying for the JFRV. (I think it is called the “Household Registration Office”.)
Oh and BTW, it was a trade office staffer that suggested this, off-the-record… I guess it makes a difference how you treat them.
Can’t believe it was sooo long ago I started this thread, anyway got my JFRV this week the declaration of freedom to marry from HK was finally accepted, Taiwan marriage license was accepted too, but i did still have to poo in a cup :shock:
Anyway, once I get my act together I will post some info for other Brits to follow, no guarantee’s it will work but it did for me
Just to flesh out Tony’s point here, I have been in Taiwan almost continuously – only a couple a weeks a year out – on my current passport since 1996, i.e. longer than the 5 years the CCRD is, I think, supposed to cover. So I applied for a CCRD from the Taipei City police (NT$250) and used this and a copy of my entry and exit record (NT$100), obtainable from the Bureau of Entry and Exit while you wait – it’s in Gaungzhou St #15 – in place of any BS from the UK in substitute for the CCRD. This worked fine, a matter of pay the money and come back to pick up your passport in 10 days. Of course all the other documentation was fine too. My point is that IF you have been here legally for a longish time (five years) THEN a Taiwan CCRD will work just fine (at least at the MOFA in Taipei City).
Let me add that if you ask almost ANY MOFA people EXCEPT those on the desk that actually handle the JFRV applications – contrary to popular belief there are three of them – about whether a local rather than the non-existent UK CCRD will do, they do not know. But don’t let that discourage you.
Another tip: I was damned glad we had got our UK marriage cert. validated by the Taiwan rep office in London at the time we got married. It is an odd process and how the devil I found out about it I can’t remember. But what you have to do is
Take your marriage certificate to some Foreign Office outstation in Victoria St (I think) and get them to certify that it is a recognized legal document in the UK.
Then you take it to the Taiwan rep office in London and get them to certify that they recognize the FO certification.
Sounds odd but I suppose the idea is that the Taiwanese can’t be bothered knowing what is and what is not a valid UK legal doc. Rather they will admit that anything is valid that the FO says is valid, hence the two steps. Anyway once you have done all this, back in Taiwan your wife has to go round to her local cop shop and get you registered as her husband, added to her ID card and housing registration. She NO LONGER has to get MOFA here to counter-certify the London Taiwan rep’s certification, which used to be required (basically to say that a recognized UK legal document has the status of a legal document in Taiwan as well). It is NOT a difficult process but you DO have to remember the FO and Taiwan rep certification on the marriage certificate when you are in the UK. Saves you a lot of grief.
The translator and I have decided to get hitched. Having looked at the shite involved at getting wed here, I thought we might just do the ceromonial stuff here and do the official wedding when we move back to the UK. We are planning to move back next summer when my contract here ends. Does anybody who has done this have any advise (or anyone else)?
One worry is that though we’re not poor, having two incomes would certainly help, especially as we plan to live in London for a while. If you arrive as a fiancee you are prevented from working. After you get married then you apply for an extension and permision to work. Any experience with this and how long it takes? Can you apply for jobs whilst waiting for this to be processed, or even before you apply? Also, does this mean paying the somewhat extortionate visa fee twice?
Also if you have no job lined up for when you return to the UK, do the BTCO folk give you grief?
Finally, do the registry offices get arsey when you walk in 7days after arrival and say hi we’d like to get wed asap?
I think technically you do have to be resident in a certain jurisdiction for something like 14 days before you apply to get married but in practice they don’t check. We expected to have to wait three week and were married in 10 days. Nor was there any problem about marrying a foreigner on a tourist visa
Just thought I’d mention, I married in Taiwan while I was a couple of years of overstay, no problem. A couple of years later, all I had to do was leave for a few weeks then everything was fine and dandy!
Just curious, why can’t the BTCO here in Taipei issue a certificate of no impediment? Got one from the Canadian Trade Office in two days. As for all the JFRV stuff, I had my ARC transferred over after we were married with no trouble at all. Of course, I did let the wife go down to foreign affairs and handle it all.
I just got married in December 2004. I spoke to the General Records Office (GRO) in London and used my credit card. They did a search and passed the document onto the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (extra fee) for authentication and then by registered post (extra fee again) to my mate in London. Cost about 60 squids in all.
He then took it to the Taiwan reps office in Victoria (for extra fee! (2 pints)) and they put some semi-high tech chop/laser/hologram type thingy on it. Finally he sent it to me…Phew!
It has more chops and stamps than a museum of chops and stamps in chopandstampville!
Anyway…it works. Took about 2/3 weeks…good luck.
PS. The marriage office in TienMu also verified it by adding some more chops n stamps for good measure.
Despite what I said earlier in this thread, I ended up doing the marriage in Taiwan. I am now back in the Uk and she who must be obeyed will be joining me soon. She has a spouse visa but is now giving me earache about the fact that we cannot register the marriage in the UK, nor can we participate in the ‘Delivery of overseas certificates’ system that seems to be available to ever other country in the world.
What is the point of either registering or this ‘Delivery of overseas certificates’ scheme? Does it make any difference?
If this thing is as crucial as SWMBO’s sources tell her, how did people get around the problem? do we have to get married again? (that would be the third time if you count court and church so far).
All help apreciated - skype is good but my ears are taking a bit of a bashing over this one
What is the point of either registering or this ‘Delivery of overseas certificates’ scheme? Does it make any difference?
If this thing is as crucial as SWMBO’s sources tell her, how did people get around the problem? do we have to get married again? (that would be the third time if you count court and church so far).
A1. Apparently the UK recognises marriages done in Taiwan. So it makes no difference
A2. I dont know what ‘Delivery of overseas certificates’ scheme is, please explain
I assume you mean having your marriage certificate deposited at the General Registry Office. See here: gro.gov.uk/gro/content/marri … agec4e.asp
You can’t do that for a marriage in Taiwan because of course the UK does not recognise Taiwan.
The point of doing this is that you can then ask the GRO for a copy of your marriage certificate whenever you need to prove you’re married. However, it has no legal standing - you are ‘depositing’ a copy, not ‘registering’ your marriage … check out this description: gro.gov.uk/gro/content/marri … agec4d.asp
[quote]Is our overseas marriage legal at home?
As long as the marriage was conducted in accordance with the local law of the country in which it took place then, generally speaking, there is no reason to suspect it would not be valid in England and Wales
Thanks David. That all seems to make sense. And good on your father too - I’m sure it kept a good few mandarins annoyed which is never a bad thing :bravo:
Martin, I hope you don’t mind if I refer you to David’s reply - far clearer and more eloquent than I could ever manage.
the declaration of freedom to marry from HK was finally accepted, Taiwan marriage license was accepted too, but i did still have to poo in a cup :shock:
