416,000 couples benefit from cross-province marriage registration

Some 416,000 couples have successfully registered their marriages without the requirement to return to their registered residence by the end of September, a Ministry of Civil Affairs official said on Wednesday.

This achievement, which is part of a nationwide reform aimed at simplifying marriage registrations, began in selected regions in 2021 and expanded to more regions last year.

During a news conference in Beijing, Zhu Yujun, a deputy director of the ministry's social affairs department, said that 21 provincial-level jurisdictions currently provide this service, serving an estimated 78.5 percent of the national population.

"We have been steadily progressing with the 'cross-province registration' of marriage for mainland residents," he said.

The traditional marriage registration rule, requiring couples to register at a location linked to at least one party's registered residence, was temporarily suspended as part of an experimental phase that will end in 2025.

Zhu said his administration has been motivated to establish marriage registration offices in parks and other iconic locations to offer top-notch services in picturesque settings. Presently, there are over 270 park-style marriage registration venues nationwide.

In an effort to promote marriage and family counseling, more than 90 percent of marriage registration offices at or above the county level have set up counseling rooms, he said. This initiative aims to better equip young couples for family life and address domestic conflicts.