Laws

How Could a Foreigner with Little or No Knowledge About Chinese Language Get Legal Aid If He/She Happens to Have a Query About Chinese Laws?

If you are an overseas visitor in Beijing and happen to have a query about Chinese laws, answers are now just one call away.

According to sources with the Beijing Bureau of Justice, English-speakers should dial 1600148 and then follow the instruction for legal consultations provided in English.

Follow-up legal services can also be arranged for foreigners if they find the consultation satisfactory.

"We hope that the English-language hotline will provide foreigners in Beijing with effective legal help," said Deng Jiansheng, who is responsible for the hotline. "We hope that our efforts will make them feel at home during their stay in Beijing."

Sixteen lawyers who Deng's bureau said have “high caliber (experience) in law and are fluent in oral English" will be at the other end of the hotline to answer questions. More than half of them have doctorates or master's degrees.

The 1600148 hotline is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. The number remains a nationwide hotline where people can get free and handy legal advice in Chinese.

What are the regulations regarding foreign marriage or divorce with Chinese nationals?

1. Marriage registration is a necessary procedure for a legal marriage.
If a foreigner marries a Chinese national within the Chinese territory, in line with China' s Marriage Law, both parties should register with the Division of Foreign-Related Marriage Registration of the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau. The foreign party should produce the following documents and materials:
(1) Valid passport or other valid international travel documents;
(2) Proof issued by his/her country in China that s/he has no spouse.

2. If a foreigner and his/her Chinese spouse voluntarily decide to divorce in China, both parties should go to the Division of Foreign-Related Marriage Registration of the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau to register for divorce. The foreigner should produce the following documents and materials:
(1) Marriage Certificate.
(2) Divorce Agreement signed by both parties;
(3) Valid passport and other valid international travel documents.