It's true. In 2017, the website of the Ministry of Finance released a notice on clearing and standardizing a batch of policies related to administrative fees. Among the 41 fees that were cancelled or suspended, 6 fees related to personal matters included the suspension of marriage registration fees.
The procedure for marriage registration
1. Newcomers should apply to the marriage registration authority of the county-level civil affairs bureau (or town government) in the area where one party's permanent household registration is located.
2. Each person should fill out a "Declaration of Application for Marriage Registration" and take a 2-inch group photo together (you can also bring a recent bareheaded 2-inch group photo yourself) for use in the application form and marriage certificate.
3. The staff at the registration office will provide both men and women with a physical examination form, which is usually conducted at the local maternal and child health hospital. Marriage examinations are voluntary.
4. The marriage registration authority reviews the application form,
5. When the conditions for marriage are met, registration and issuance of a marriage certificate are allowed; Those who do not meet the conditions for marriage will not be registered and the reasons will be explained to the parties on the spot.