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Marriage Abroad

Irish citizens wishing to get married outside of Ireland must produce a certificate stating that they are free to marry. This certificate is known as a Certificate de Coutume. The Certificate issued by the Irish Embassy in Beijing Certificate de Coutume is a trilingual document (English, Irish Chinese) which states that the named person is an Irish citizen who has made a statutory declaration that they are free to marry.

Application forms for the Certificate de Coutume can be downloaded from the Department of Foreign Affairs Website at http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=274 The application has two parts- a questionnaire and a statutory declaration. Please be sure to fill in the correct statutory declaration for your marital status. 

The Certificate de Coutume costs 490 RMB. If applicants wish a Diplomat from the Embassy to witness the statutory declaration, this will cost a further 490 RMB.  However to avail of this service the applicant must be present at the Embassy to sign in front of the officer. An appointment must be made in advance by emailing beijing@dfa.ie.

Fees for the Certificate de Coutume can be paid by cash, postal order or bank draft. In addition to the fee for the Certificate, applicants should include 30RMB to cover the cost of a return courier delivery once the Certificate is issued. If this is not included that applicant will have to pay the fee on delivery.

Completed applications, plus relevant fees should be sent to:

Embassy of Ireland

3 Ritan Dong Lu

Beijing 100600

People’s Republic of China

Advice for those living outside of China but wishing to marry here

Applicants must apply for the Certificat de Coutume in their country of residence. Once the certificate has been issued by the relevant office, applicants should contact the Embassy to request for a translated version which is acceptable for use in China. There is no charge for providing the translated certificat but applicants will have to cover the courier costs involved.