Documents Required for Divorce Registration

(1) The applicant's valid passports or other valid international travel documents;

(2) The applicant's marriage certificate;

(3) Divorce agreement signed by both parties.

Registration Location

For a voluntary divorce between a Chinese citizen and a foreigner in the Chinese mainland, both parties shall jointly apply for divorce registration at the civil affairs department of the Chinese mainland citizen's permanent residence.

[For details, please refer to the Regulation on Marriage Registration.]

Tips | Can both parties be foreigners and register for divorce in China?

If both parties are foreigners or stateless persons and apply for divorce in China, and their marriage was contracted abroad, Chinese courts generally do not accept the case. However, there are three exceptions:

First, if it is determined that one of the parties is domiciled or resident in China, the Chinese court shall have jurisdiction;

Second, if the two parties reach a divorce agreement, the Chinese court can accept the case and take jurisdiction. When the two parties have reached a consensus on the divorce issues, generally, the domestic court can accept the preparation of a civil mediation document;

Third, the jurisdiction of the response. According to Article 234 of the Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China: "If in a civil action in respect of a case involving foreign element, the defendant raises no object to the jurisdiction of a people's court and responds to the action by making his defence, he shall be deemed to have accepted that this people's court has jurisdiction over the case."