Marriage registration in China becomes easier more romantic than ever

BEIJING - Since May 10, getting married in China is becoming a piece of cake – wedding cake.

Gone are the rules about documenting permanent household registration, or hukou. Gone are the rules requiring that marriages take place in the hukou city of one partner. Star-crossed lovers can now tie the knot anywhere they choose in China.

And it is so much more romantic. They can register at the place where they first met, for example, or where they studied or started a business or pledged their everlasting love. They can even marry during travel to a city they have never visited before.

All they need are their identification cards. They need only affirm that they are unmarried and not related to each other within three generations.

Mr Suo Xuheng, 26, of Wuhan, Hubei province, said he and his fiancee are happy about the new rules. They are planning to get married later in 2025.

“It’s great to experience a policy that truly serves the people, bringing marriage registration back to the essence of love,” he said.

“For example, today I really wanted to register – my girlfriend and I can just bring our ID cards to the civil affairs bureau and get in line for our marriage certificate. There is no need to return to our hometowns or wait for family members to mail household registration documents.”

Marriage is easy now that the old barriers of location and documentation are gone. Some cities have already begun to offer incentives to take advantage of the new rules — not only to fan the flames of love but to lure visitors and their money.

Some cities have moved their marriage registry offices to parks, historic buildings or popular scenic spots. Some offer free tickets or discounts to tourist attractions. Some give