A Guide to Marriage Leave Policy in China

This one goes out to all those beautiful newlyweds-to-be in China! Today we’re covering Marriage Leave, or 婚假 Hūnjiǎ, in the Middle Kingdom.

To be clear this is about Marriage Leave, which is also known as Wedding Leave. This is separate from, and sometimes confused with, other benefits such as Maternity Leave, Paternity Leave, and Parental Leave in China.

First off, let’s get the big question out of the way…

Are Employees in China Entitled to Marriage Leave?

On a national level, China's minimum paid marriage leave is three days. Many provinces choose to extend this, and some have extended marriage leave up to 30 days.

Marriage Leave in China By Province (or City)

Listed alphabetically, updated 2/2024

Province or City	Marriage Leave (in days)
Anhui - 安徽 (Ānhuī)	3
Beijing Municipality - 北京市 (Běijīng Shì)	10
Chongqing Municipality - 重庆市 (Chóngqìng Shì)	15
Fujian - 福建 (Fújiàn)	15
Gansu - 甘肃 (Gānsù)	30
Guangdong - 广东 (Guǎngdōng)	3
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region - 广西壮族自治区 (Guǎngxī Zhuàngzú Zìzhìqū)	3
Guizhou - 贵州 (Guìzhōu)	13
Hainan - 海南 (Hǎinán)	13
Hebei - 河北 (Héběi)	18
Heilongjiang - 黑龙江 (Hēilóngjiāng)	25
Henan - 河南 (Hénán)	28
Hubei - 湖北 (Húběi)	3
Hunan - 湖南 (Húnán)	3
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region - 内蒙古自治区 (Nèi Ménggǔ Zìzhìqū)	18
Jiangsu - 江苏 (Jiāngsū)	13
Jiangxi - 江西 (Jiāngxī)	3
Jilin - 吉林 (Jílín)	15
Liaoning - 辽宁 (Liáoníng)	10
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region - 宁夏回族自治区 (Níngxià Huízú Zìzhìqū)	3
Qinghai - 青海 (Qīnghǎi)	15
Shaanxi - 陕西 (Shǎnxī)	13
Shandong - 山东 (Shāndōng)	3
Shanghai Municipality - 上海市 (Shànghǎi Shì)	10
Shanxi - 山西 (Shānxī)	30
Sichuan - 四川 (Sìchuān)	3
Tianjin Municipality - 天津市 (Tiānjīn Shì)	3
Tibet Autonomous Region - 西藏自治区 (Xīzàng Zìzhìqū)	10
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region - 新疆维吾尔自治区 (Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ěr Zìzhìqū)	23
Yunnan - 云南 (Yúnnán)	18
Zhejiang - 浙江 (Zhèjiāng)	3

(data source)

More Details on Marriage Leave in China...

Is Marriage Leave Paid in China?

Yes, the mandatory national and province/city-level marriage leave times (outlined above) are paid. Marriage Leave is considered paid leave in China.

Leave for Second Marriages +

The country’s Labor and Social Security Department has stated that those getting remarried in a second, third, etc. marriage are treated the same and enjoy the same benefits as in a first marriage.

From the Department:

“According to the spirit of the Civil Code and the state’s provisions on employee marriage leave, the legal status of remarried people is the same as that of first-married people. Employers should refer to the above for remarried employees.”

More Marriage Leave in Recent Updates (2023)

In early 2023, some Chinese provinces raised paid leave for newlyweds to as many as 30 days.

Namely – Gansu and Shanxi provinces, in the relatively northern part of China, have extended their Paid Marriage Leave window to the 30-day mark.

One of the main intentions behind the extensions is to increase fertinility rates. It’s no secret that China’s policymakers have been working to increase this for years, and especially evident since the 2015 reversal of the one-child policy.

Yang Haiyang, dean of the Social Development Research Institute of the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (In coverage by Nikkei):

“Extending marriage leave is one of the effective ways of increasing the fertility rate, the extension of marriage leave is mainly in some provinces and cities with relatively slow economic development.”

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