Do you see the couple in the image above? That’s me (Stephan) and my wife Reylita 10 years ago just before getting married in Hong Kong.
Marrying in Hong Kong was the key to our dream: Finally living together in one place as fast as possible – after our marriage in Hong Kong, I was able to get Reylita’s visa to stay in Germany with me as a married couple.
In this article, I answer all questions customers have asked me ever since helping them to reach the same goal.
Getting married in Hong Kong: Who is it for?
Short answer: Anyone (yes, literally anyone!)
Anyone can actually get married in Hong Kong
- without citizenship,
- without visa or
- without living there.
This means whether you are from Europe (Netherlands, Germany etc.) or Asia (India, Philippines etc.) as long as you can enter Hong Kong on a tourist visa and fulfill the basic requirements (age limit, documents), you are eligible to marry.
Why foreigners like getting married in Hong Kong
There can be many different reasons, but generally there are these reasons:
- overcome the bureaucracy in their home countries (western countries are strict when you marry a wife from the East)
- have a faster process
- make a marriage possible where it wouldn’t (Islamic countries don’t allow you to marry a non-Muslim womam, but acknowledge your marriage if it has happened in a foreign country)
Let us go through some examples.
Example 1: Two filipinos getting married in Hong Kong
Problem:
The government in the Philippines makes the marriage process very complicated and there are many documents involved.
The process sometimes can take up to 6 months and couples cannot move forward with their lives (wedding, living together, etc.).
Solution:
A Hong Kong marriage solves this problem because it requires:
- less documents (passports, single status for marriage)
- get married within a month of application
- it is fast (the process in Hong Kong takes 5 days)
Further, Filipinos don’t need an additional visa to visit Hong Kong (14 days visa-free entry).
Example 2: Foreigner and Filipina getting married in Hong Kong
Problem:
Very similar to above: Marrying a Filipina in the Philippines is already hard as a filipino. Imagine how hard it must be as a non-Filipino (foreigner) like a German, an American or an Australian.
Very hard to say the least: Been there, done that.
Me (Stephan Pinou) and my wife tried it. The process is even more complicated than in Germany.
Solution:
So for the same reasons, foreigners and Filipinas choose Hong Kong to marry in order to skip the queue.
Furthermore, in case the Filipina wants to move over to the boyfriend’s home country this is also very inconvenient.
This was actually our case as I wanted my wife to come over to Germany and the process in Germany takes many months.
After 10 months I simply gave up, and we found Hong Kong as the solution for us.
We leave it here for the examples, although there are other use cases – we will write more about them in future blog articles or simply book a call with us, so we can see whether a Hong Kong marriage can also help to solve your problem.
Note:
No discrimination intended when we said “Filipina” instead “Filipino”, but we just looked at the most common cases which involved a foreign man and a Filipina.
And who can blame them? Filipinas are very sweet (talking from experience)!
When Getting married in Hong Kong
In Short: 365 days in a year – every day in a year.
This is why we love Hong Kong – no breaks, no pauses.
Weekdays? No problem.
Weekends? No problem.
Cost of getting married in Hong Kong
If you choose to do it all by yourself, it will cost around 300 USD (calculate additional costs for authentication of documents and witnesses if friends don’t travel with you).
Make sure to read all our guides before you go ahead with it, so you don’t make any mistakes during the process (documents needed, application process, registration, requirements during ceremony).
In case you want a smooth process and leave your headaches at home, feel free to buy one of our wedding abroad packages.
We also have a special honeymoon package where we also plan your honeymoon trip to Hainan (island close to Hong Kong).
In case you want more information on this honeymoon package, please ask us during your consultation call. (this package is not displayed on the website)
Getting married in Hong Kong: Do it yourself vs. do it with an agency
Short answer: It depends.
It is the usual question concerning time versus money.
Just like everything in life, you can learn to do it yourself (fix your bicycle, repair the electricity at your house).
It will cost you less money if you do it yourself, but it may:
a) Take more time
b) Errors in between because of inexperience (which amounts to more time or stress/effort)
c) Worst-Case: You travel to Hong Kong and are not fully prepared for your wedding ceremony
In case you do decide to do it yourself, read also through the requirements needed to marry in Hong Kong to be fully ready.
In case you do it yourself, also read through the Hong Kong marriage on the government page.
FAQ about getting married in Hong Kong
1 – Can I get married in Hong Kong as a foreigner?
Yes, any nationality can get married in Hong Kong – you don’t need to live there or be from Hong Kong.
Just make sure that you can enter Hong Kong as a tourist.
Getting married in Hong Kong as a foreigner is just as easy as being a Hong Kong-nese.
2 – Can I get married in Hong Kong with a Filipina?
Yes, a Filipina can get a visa-free entry for 14 days.
Make sure you can also enter Hong Kong as a tourist. The rest is not a problem.
3 – Can I get married in Hong Kong as a Filpina?
Yes.
You can even travel there visa-free for 14 days – that is more than enough to get married in Hong Kong as a Filipina.
The usual process takes 5 days.
4 – Can I get married in Hong Kong as an American?
Yes, you can get married in Hong Kong as an American (without restrictions).
The question is why do you want to marry in Hong Kong and what is your goal.
Contact us so we can see whether a Hong Kong marriage is really suitable for you.
5 – Can an American marry a Filipina in Hong Kong?
Yes, 100%.
But also think about where you want to move afterwards and live together.
A Hong Kong marriage is acknowledged in most countries, but just to be safe, contact us so we look over your case again and whether we had similar cases in the past and we can share some tips with you.
6 – How to get married in Hong Kong?
Simple.
Step 1: Decide whether you want to go through the process yourself or hire an agency.
Step 2: If you have hired an agency, relax and just focus on your special day.
If you are going to do it yourself, then we will soon make a breakdown of the whole process.
Meanwhile, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and we let you know once we are ready.
But here is a short breakdown:
- File a Notice of Intended Marriage: This can be submitted online or in person at any Marriage Registry in Hong Kong.
- Submit Required Documents: These include passports, proof of marital status, and any necessary consent forms.
- Attend the Marriage Ceremony: The ceremony can take place at a Marriage Registry or be officiated by a civil celebrant at a venue of your choice.
Afterwards, comes the legalization:
- Getting it High Court authenticated, immediately after the wedding: The marriage certificate must be authenticated by the High Court in Hong Kong. The High Court is an authentication center that guarantees that your marriage is valid and legal for use outside Hong Kong.
- Embassy Legalization: Take the authenticated certificate to the relevant embassy (or consulate) of your home country. This is very important if you intend to apply for visas, residence permits, or any other legal recognition of your marriage in your home country. While this all sounds like a lot of work, it goes without saying that it is crucially important for couples marrying overseas. In its absence, your marriage may potentially be invalid for visa purposes, or indeed in other matters to the law beyond Hong Kong.
7 – Is a Hong Kong marriage recognized in my country?
Most countries: Yes.
Please contact us so we can see whether it suits your country – we have many use cases and know for which it has worked.
If working with us, we will give you access to our network to take the next steps on getting the marriage visa based on your Hong Kong marriage.
8 – Is a marriage in Hong Kong valid in the Philippines?
Yes, 100%.
We have had many cases already, let alone that our founder (Stephan) and his Filipina wife also got their marriage accepted in the Philippines.
Book a consultation call, and we let you know how it works after the marriage.
9 – Is a marriage in Hong Kong valid in the USA?
We are currently evaluating this with partners and some test cases.
Please contact us so we can share with you more details and the status of the process.
10 – Is a marriage in Hong Kong valid in the EU?
Yes, 100%.
We have already accompanied many couples where the groom was from Germany and helped them until it was fully accepted in Germany.
If it is accepted in Germany, then it is also accepted in the entire EU.
If you need us to help you with the complete process (from Hong Kong marriage until recognition in the EU), ask us for a price.
We have not included this full package on the website as most customers were not interested and wanted to do it themselves.
