Q: I am currently in Shanghai and will apply for a residence permit for private affairs as the spouse of a foreign national working and residing here.

Utah County issues an official Digital Certified Marriage Certificate as an original electronic document. Can I print this official digital certified marriage certificate and submit the printout along with the printed e-Apostille? Or do I need to obtain a physical certified marriage certificate originally issued on paper by Utah County?

I am registered in Minhang district. Could you please confirm whether I should apply at the Exit-Entry Administration Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau at No 1500 Minsheng Road, or whether I can apply at its Minhang branch office?

A: If you entered China on an S1 visa, you may be exempt from submitting proof of family relationship.

If you did not enter China on an S1 visa, you must provide the original and a photocopy of the family relationship certificate, such as a marriage certificate. In your case, a printout of the official digital marriage certificate issued by Utah County may serve as proof of family relationship; however, the final decision rests with the staff at the service window.

If the certificate is not in Chinese, a Chinese translation issued by a qualified translation agency in China is also required. For documents issued in a country that is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, an Apostille replaces consular authentication, and a printed version of an electronic Apostille that includes a QR code may also be used. 

Applications can be processed at both the Exit-Entry Administration Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau and its district-level branch offices. As you are registered in Minhang district, you may apply at the Minhang exit-entry administration office at No 4099 Zhongchun Road.

If you have more questions, please call the immigration service hotline at +86-21-12367.

Source: Exit-Entry Administration Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau