BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China's revised marriage registration rules, which simplify paperwork and offer greater flexibility for couples, came into effect on Saturday.

The updated regulations eliminate the need for household registration books, which have long been necessary for marriage applications.

Mainland couples now only need to present their identification cards and sign a declaration affirming that they are unmarried and not closely related by blood within three generations.

Additionally, under the new rules, couples can register their marriage at any eligible registry nationwide, regardless of their household registration location.

The change also applies to couples in which one partner is a mainland resident and the other is a foreign national, or a resident of Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, or an overseas Chinese community, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

These couples can now marry, divorce, or apply for reissuance of marriage certificates at any authorized registration office, without being restricted to the mainland partner's household registration location.

The overhaul is part of China's broader push to streamline public services and ease the burden on citizens, particularly the increasing number of people living and working away from their place of household registration.

According to official data, China recorded 1.81 million marriage registrations in the first quarter of this year, marking an 8 percent drop from the same period in 2024.

After nine consecutive years of decline, China's marriage registration numbers saw a brief rebound in 2023. However, the downward trend resumed in 2024, with registrations falling to their lowest level since 1980. ■