An 85-year-old man and an 86-year-old woman in Ha Bac commune, Hai Phong, received their marriage certificate at home from local public administration officials on November 1 after nearly seven decades of living together.
Hai Phong Public Administration Delivers Marriage Certificate
Nguyen Van Diet, 85, and Pham Thi Thoan, 86, lived together for nearly seven decades without a formal marriage certificate, raising a large family that includes eight children, 16 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren. The couple’s eldest child turns 67 years old this year. The household never pursued legal marriage documentation until property division requirements emerged.
The necessity arose when the couple attempted to transfer ownership of their house and land to their children so the family could settle permanently and maintain the family’s place of worship. Local regulations governing property transfers require proof of marital status. Family members discovered the missing documentation while compiling paperwork to gift 500 square meters of land to their seventh son and retain 300 square meters designated for religious use.
One of the couple’s children accompanied them to the Ha Bac commune People’s Committee to file the paperwork. Commune officials scheduled the result collection for approximately one week later. Rather than requiring the elderly couple to travel to the office, local authorities intervened due to their advanced age and inability to travel.
Mobile Administration Office Operates on Sunday
Nguyen Hai Nam, head of the public administration office of Ha Bac commune, delivered the certificate directly to the couple’s home on a Sunday. The commune office sits seven kilometers from the couple’s residence following the merger of administrative units.
“We would like to bring the marriage certificate to their home and wish them and their family health and happiness,” Nam told the newspaper Thanh Nien. “This is also part of the commune’s mobile office model, which aims to support elderly and disadvantaged citizens in handling administrative procedures at home.”
The delivery occurred under the commune’s “Sunday rest” model. The system operates on the first and third Sundays of each month to accommodate citizens who cannot complete administrative tasks during standard weekday hours, serving employees of companies, individuals who work far from their place of residence, or those unable to secure weekday leave.
Family Reaction to the Unexpected Delivery
The arrival of municipal officials surprised both the couple and their extended family, leaving them unprepared for the formal presentation. Nghiem Thi Thuy, the couple’s daughter-in-law, noted that the visit happened so unexpectedly that relatives had no time to organize a celebration for the elderly pair.
“We were very surprised when the officials came to our home to bring it to us,” Diet said. “We were actually supposed to pick it up at the commune office. My wife and I don’t know what else to say except to thank the officials of Ha Bac commune for their help.”
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