People who want to get married in Beijing will no longer have to pay the 9 yuan registration fee starting this month, according to the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau.

The change will further simplify the marriage registration procedure and promote work efficiency in the bureau, said Li Hongbing, spokesman for the bureau.

Exemption of the fee also applies to those who file for a divorce, according to the bureau.

A total of 163,650 couples got married last year in Beijing, and 54,520 couples filed for divorce during the same period.

The bureau made marriage easier last year, allowing people who want to marry to choose any marriage registration center in Beijing, instead of registering in the same district as their household registration.

It pledged to further simplify the marriage process for foreigners and overseas Chinese in the future.