Marriage rules have been relaxed in China - now it's easier to start a family!

The Chinese government has decided to simplify the process of officially registering marriages in order to encourage people to get married. The new procedure will come into effect on May 10, 2025. This was reported by the country's official Xinhua news agency.

Only have the necessary documents at hand

Now only three main documents are required to get married:

identification document,
information that the parties have not been married before,
certificate that there are no close relatives up to three generations between the couple.

Previously, in addition, it was necessary to provide household registration books (propiska). The new rules have abolished such requirements.

Convenience for migrant workers

One of the biggest changes is that Chinese people can now get married in areas other than their permanent registered address. This will be a great relief for millions of citizens who have moved to another city to work or live in the country.

Officials say that these reforms will save time and money and encourage young people to get married officially.

The number of marriages has been declining in recent years

In 2024, 6.1 million couples got married in China. For comparison, in 2023 this figure was 7.68 million. Thus, the number of people officially getting married has decreased significantly.

Officials say that they are taking various measures to reverse this trend. In the coming years, promoting family relationships and having children is expected to become an important direction in Chinese policy.

The ways to start a family in China are expanding and the requirements are shrinking. This not only reduces bureaucratic obstacles, but also serves to strengthen family stability among young people.