China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs has released a revised draft of marriage registration regulations for public comment. Notable changes include the removal of the requirement for a household register and the elimination of regional restrictions for marriage registration, which experts believe will simplify the process and promote a family-friendly society. Public feedback on the draft can be submitted until September 11.
The draft, based on the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China and other laws, aims to enhance marriage management by improving the national marriage information database and establishing an information-sharing mechanism. Compared to the 2003 regulation, the new draft no longer requires marriage registration to occur at the parties’ household registration location.
Jiang Quanbao, a professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University, noted that the original regulation, implemented over 20 years ago, needed updating to reflect changing social habits. The draft aims to standardize marriage registration, protect marriage freedom and equality, and simplify procedures to build a more family-friendly society.
Additionally, the draft emphasizes providing marriage and family counseling services to help prevent impulsive divorces. It also elaborates on the cooling-off period for divorce, allowing either party to withdraw their application within 30 days if they change their mind.
The regulation seeks to promote the importance of marriage and family, reduce impulsive divorces, uphold social stability, and protect the legitimate rights of all parties involved. It also outlines provisions for canceling marriages due to coercion or undisclosed serious illnesses.
Recent efforts by local authorities in China to create a family-friendly society include group wedding ceremonies and cross-regional marriage and divorce registration pilots. Despite these measures, data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs shows a decline in marriage registrations, with 3.43 million couples registering in the first half of this year, a decrease of 498,000 from the same period in 2023.
