Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand Eases Marriage Rules for Foreigners
- 14 Oct 2025
- 2 min read
Why in News?
The Uttarakhand government has approved an important amendment to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which now allows citizens of Nepali, Bhutanese, and Tibetan origin residing in the state to register their marriages, even if they do not have an Aadhaar card.
Key Points
- Eligibility: Citizens from Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet can now register their marriages using alternative identity documents, such as a Citizenship Certificate, Residence Certificate, Passport, or Valid Identity Card.
- In cases where citizens from these countries are already married or about to marry, they can register their marriages by uploading these documents.
- Objective of the Amendment: The amendment aims to accommodate foreign citizens, especially from Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet, who have deep historical and cultural ties with Uttarakhand.
- These regions share an international border with Uttarakhand and have longstanding residence, relationships, and marriage connections with the state.
- The state recognises the importance of integrating these citizens into the social justice system and ensuring they are not excluded from legal processes such as marriage registration.
- Key Provisions of UCC in Uttarakhand:
- The UCC, passed in February 2024, excluded tribal communities from its provisions.
- The UCC prohibits certain practices like Halala, Iddat and Talaq (customs related to marriage and divorce in Muslim Personal Law).
- It ensures gender equality by granting women equal rights in property and inheritance matters.
- Under the UCC, marriage and divorce registrations are mandatory, with couples who fail to register being denied government benefits.
- Stringent provisions are in place for unregistered live-in relationships, though children born from such relationships are recognized as legitimate.
