Registration of hukou, or permanent residency permit in China, for infants will become much easier in Fujian province, according to authorities on April 28.

Starting on May 1, all newborns will be eligible to obtain their hukous regardless of their parents providing a birth certificate.

Under China’s birth policy, couples can have only one child. Those who violate the rule can be penalized, and previously, their “extra” children could not get a hukou, which could pose a hurdle in many aspects of life.

But now, the new regulation says that no matter whether an infant is born in violation of the birth policy, he or she will be granted a hukou to guarantee his right to enjoy public services, said an official from the provincial public and security bureau at a press conference on Monday.

They can sue the local public bureau turns down the hukou registration for their children, he added.

But parents will still receive punishment for breaching birth rules.

The announcement marks a historical improvement and shows more humane touches in Fujian’s birth regulations, insiders said.

Fujian adopted the so-called second-child policy earlier this month, allowing couples to have a second child if one of them is a single child.