Marriage registration officers in Guangzhou are having difficulty in authenticating "hukou bu", a document recording residency status, presented by new couples, reports Information Times.

As expected, the civil affairs department witnessed a marriage registration rush during the National Day holiday week.

A total of 3,326 couples registered to get married from October 1 to 7 in Guangzhou, compared to 3,586 for the whole month in October last year.

With requirements for work-unit permits and other supporting documents waived in the new Marriage Registration Regulations, the task of checking an applicant's marriage status falls on the shoulder of registration officers.

It is especially difficult to tell if the old-version "hukou bu" are real; they were issued by local police stations in various formats, sizes and colours.

Before a computerized check system is set up, there is no guarantee that the marriage registration officers will not be fooled by fabricated documents, said an official.

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