NEWS / China removes residency requirement for marriage certificate applications

The People’s Republic of China has allowed couples to register their marriage at any qualified civil affairs registry in the country. The measure removes the previous requirement for the couple to register their marriage in the locality of their household registration, Xinhua reports.

The Chinese government has further facilitated the process by setting up hundreds of marriage registration / marriage certificate application sites at stadiums, music festivals, university campuses, parks, and other easily accessible locations. The government is also taking a range of measures to promote marriage, childbirth, and raising children.

Couples can now register their marriage at various sites that reflect their passions and interest. For example, soccer fan Wu Jingyu married her husband outside football stadium in the City of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, exchanging vows and receiving their marriage certificate on the spot, with the crowd cheering in the background.

“It was truly unforgettable,” Wu recounted. “The passion of watching football blended with the joy and romance of getting married.”

In China’s erstwhile capital Nanjing (formerly known as Nanking), couples can wear Han-style wedding robes and phoenix crowns. In other cities, marriage registration booths are set up during local festivities.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs reports that a total of 1,330 outdoor certificate presentation and 525 outdoor marriage registration sites have been set up around the country.

In addition to making it easier to apply for marriage certificates, local governments around China have also introduced measures to encourage marriage and childbirth. In Beijing, a pre-marital health center was set up inside a local district marriage registration office, allowing couples to complete their pre-marital health check and register their marriage the same day. In Chengdu, newlyweds were given legal handbooks on marriage/family and Civil Code brochures, including briefings on spousal rights, joint property, and family dispute resolution.

In many regions, childbirth-related medical expenses are either free or largely free, and Jiangsu has introduced childcare service vouchers.

The efforts are made as part of China’s attempts to avert a population crisis, as, despite having a population of over 1 billion people, birth rates have plummeted to under 1 child per woman, a result of the country’s previously enforced 1 child policy and more global urbanization trends that make it economically disadvantageous to have children. If the trend does not change, China faces the prospect of having a large elderly population supported by a significantly smaller number of working-age individuals

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