China Simplifies Marriage Registration in Nationwide

CorporateNews24, BEIJING, May 11, 2025 – China has implemented sweeping reforms to its marriage registration system, removing bureaucratic hurdles for millions of couples in the country’s first major update to marriage laws in over 20 years.

Key Changes in the New Policy

Effective May 10, 2025, the revised regulations introduce two major changes:
1. No More Household Registration Requirement – Couples no longer need to provide “hukou” (household registration) documents, requiring only their national ID cards and a signed declaration confirming their marital eligibility.
2. Nationwide Registration Flexibility – Partners can now register their marriage at any civil affairs office in China, regardless of their official residence location.

The reforms also extend to cross-border marriages, allowing mainland residents marrying foreign nationals or residents of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan to complete formalities at any authorized office.

A Boost for Migrant Populations

The changes address the realities of modern China, where nearly 500 million people (2021 census data) live away from their registered hometowns. Young professionals, in particular, stand to benefit.

“We both work in Kunming but are from Guangdong. The new rules made everything faster and gave us a stronger sense of belonging here,” said newlywed Ms. Zhu, one of the first to register under the updated system in Yunnan Province.

Legal experts highlight the role of digital infrastructure in enabling the reform. “With real-time ID verification and national databases, we can now ensure security while reducing paperwork,” noted Professor Jiang Yue, a law scholar at Xiamen University.

Marriage Rates Continue to Decline

The policy shift comes amid concerning demographic trends:
– 1.81 million marriages registered in Q1 2025 (8% YoY decline)
– 2024 saw the lowest annual marriage numbers since 1980

While analysts caution that systemic issues like housing costs and work-life balance still deter marriages, the reforms may ease procedural barriers. “This won’t reverse the trend alone, but it removes one layer of difficulty,” said demographer He Yafu.

Pilot Programs Paved the Way

Yunnan Province began testing localized versions of the reform as early as 2021, with nationwide adoption following successful trials. The changes align with Beijing’s broader push to modernize civil services and improve efficiency.

For couples like Qiao Lei and Tang Xin of Beijing, who completed registration in just 12 minutes on the new system’s launch day, the policy delivers tangible benefits. “It’s about freedom and convenience,” said Tang. “Now we can focus on our life together, not paperwork.”

CorporateNews24 will continue tracking the impact of these reforms on China’s demographic and social landscape.

Reported by Huaxia | Edited by CorporateNews24 Team