Undergoing a premarital medical checkup: if you have a serious illness, you must disclose it to your partner before marriage registration

It’s free. During an argument, stick to the current issue—no insults, no sarcasm, no bringing up the past. The hard part is keeping your mouth shut when angry. In most regions, eligible couples receive this service for free or at a reduced fee; if paying out of pocket, it usually costs only a few hundred yuan. The entire process takes about half a day.

The legal consequences of concealing a serious illness are clearly defined. Current marriage registration regulations state: “If one party has a serious illness, they must disclose this fact to the other party prior to marriage registration; failure to do so permits the other party to petition a court to annul the marriage under Article 1053 of the Civil Code.” The government also promotes premarital medical screening as a primary measure for preventing birth defects, aiming to maintain a premarital checkup rate above 70% and a coverage rate for pre‑conception health services above 80%. Policies further encourage locating such clinics near marriage registration offices and offering combined “one‑stop” services covering registration, medical screening, and fertility counseling. Under the Civil Code, nondisclosure of a serious illness before marriage can indeed lead to an annulment request, which must be filed within one year of becoming aware of the condition.

全国人大 (2020). 民法典（第一千零五十三条）. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/202006/t20200602_463888.shtml；国务院 (2025). 婚姻登记条例（国令第 804 号，第十二条）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202504/content_7017752.htm；国家卫生健康委办公厅 (2023). 出生缺陷防治能力提升计划（2023—2027 年）（国卫办妇幼发〔2023〕9 号）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202308/content_6900320.htm；国家卫生健康委等五部门 (2020). 关于加强婚前保健工作的通知（国卫妇幼函〔2020〕205 号）：「积极倡导各地结合实际推行免费婚前检查」. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2020-05/22/content_5513902.htm

Since 2003 years ago, premarital health examinations have not been a mandatory step for obtaining a marriage certificate; going for one is voluntary. However, the clause regarding "failing to truthfully disclose major illnesses" does indeed grant the other party the right to petition the court to annul the marriage, provided the petition is filed within one year from the date the information was discovered. There is no unified national regulation regarding free premarital exams. The notice issued 2020 years ago by five departments, including the National Health Commission, only stated to "actively advocate for local implementation of free premarital examinations based on local actual conditions." Therefore, whether exams are free and which items are included are determined by each locality; please inquire at the one-stop service window of your local maternal and child health care institution or marriage registration office.