Registering an overseas marriage in Taiwan

Legal Legal - Marriage
1

I am a dual Australian/Taiwanese citizen. My husband is a US citizen.
We were married in Japan and thus have a Japanese marriage certificate.

There is no need for us to register our marriage in either Australia or the US as it’s automatically recognised as being legal in our respective countries.

My question is, is a Japanese marriage automatically recognised in Taiwan?

If not, how would I go about having it registered?

Thanks in advance

2

I searched around and found the Taiwanese embassy in Japan website and on it, I found this:

[quote](四）國人與日本以外第三國籍人士（緬甸人除外）結婚所需證件

  1. 國人持護照、外人登錄證及全姓名印章來處。
  2. 三個月內核發之國內戶籍謄本正本一份（無戶籍者以宣誓書替代）。
  3. 對方使領館簽發之結婚證明書正本二份（英文或日文）。
  4. 對方護照、外人登錄證影本各二份（正本驗退）。[/quote]

Can someone help me understand the Chinese please? Here’s what I understand it to be:

  1. My Taiwanese passport and Japanese foreigner registration document
  2. Something about a household registration. I don’t think I have this, in which case what does 宣誓書 mean?
  3. Something from the US consulate for him (簽發?) and 2 copies of our marriage certificate.
  4. His passport and 2 copies of his Japanese foreigner registration document.
3

You will need to get your marriage certificate authenticated at the nearest representative office in Japan to where the certificate was issued. You will then need to take it to the MOFA/BOCA office in Taipei to get the authentication recognized. Then take it to the district court for your household registration office to get it registered with the court. After all that then you can record your marriage at your household registration office and your marriage will then be recognized here. If your marriage certificate is not in Chinese or English then you will need to provide a translation.

4

thanks jlick!

That seems like an awfully complicated procedure ><

what are the pros and cons of having it registered?

5

If you ever decide to move here it will be necessary for the marriage to be registered in your household registration for Mr. She to get a JFRV ARC.

6

I don’t know.

Previously, registration was not required until/unless the couple decided to divorce (need to be registered in order to divorce). Recently, a law was passed requiring new marriages to be registered (this I think to deal with Taiwanese husbands going off to China and marrying second wives… the registration was/is supposed to protect the Taiwanese wives as well as the unknowing Chinese second wives)…

My wife and I have been married since 1989. Never registered here. Haven’t had any problems. Dunno what benefits we might be missing out on, though. Oh, except for what jlick posted above. But, I’ve never desired one of those.

7

can anyone help me? I am a dual US/Taiwan citizen. I got married in the US in 1986 and live in the US. I plan to come back to Taiwan and live here 3-4 months a year and wants to register our marriage. How do I do it? We have a US marriage certificate.

8

Your marriage is automatically recognized by Taiwanese Law when you have a public wedding in Japan. You don’t have to register it. The registeration is only for known by public and prevent any misunderstanding. (公示作用,讓大家知道以免誤會) However, as the registartion habitually practiced in Taiwan, it is suggestible to do it and prevent misunderstanding.

9

We never got around to registering but are now considering the possibility of moving (back) to Taiwan to live for a year or two a few years down the line.

Will it be an issue that I can’t get it “authenticated at the nearest representative office in Japan to where the certificate was issued” since we no longer live there?

10

Hi,

I’m a Singaporean and my Taiwanese gf and I will get married and registered in Singapore. I will be leaving for Europe and a few mths later, she will be joining me in Europe. No sure when we’ll come back to Taiwan.

Hence, is there a need to register the marriage in Taiwan? Tigerman mentioned that there’s a new law stating all marriage overseas must be registered in Taiwan.

Will we be breaking any law if we do not register.

thanks