This Act provides for marriage within the Union between two holders of Digital Passports, recorded by the Union and evidenced by a signed Marriage Certificate, with a marriage agreement of complete separation of property.
It is made by the Founding Council under Article 5 of the Charter.
Article 1Scope and effect
- 1.1A Union marriage is a marriage within the Union between two holders of Digital Passports. It is recognised within the Union and its Digital Realm.
- 1.2A Union marriage has no effect on civil status, name, nationality, residence or immigration under the law of any state. A Marriage Certificate is not a civil marriage certificate, and the Digital Passport is not a travel document.
- 1.3Whether a Union marriage or its marriage agreement is recognised anywhere else is a matter for each state. Spouses remain responsible for their position under the law that applies to them.
Article 2Who may marry
- 2.1Two different holders of valid Digital Passports may marry, each a Member or a Digital Member. Institutional Members may not marry. A partner who does not yet hold a Digital Passport may apply for one on accepting a proposal (Article 4).
- 2.2Each spouse acts from their own separate account. Two memberships held in the same account may not marry each other.
- 2.3Each spouse declares that they are aged 18 or over.
- 2.4Neither may already be married within the Union.
Article 3Proposal
- 3.1A holder of a valid Digital Passport proposes marriage from their account, approving the marriage agreement and making the declarations in Article 4 as they do so. Proposing is free.
- 3.2The proposal gives an invitation link, which the proposer shares with their partner. Whoever accepts through the link becomes the partner.
- 3.3The proposer may withdraw a proposal at any time before it is accepted. The partner need not answer; a proposal that is not accepted within 30 days lapses.
Article 4Acceptance and consent
- 4.1The partner accepts through the invitation link from their own account, either with their existing valid Digital Passport, or by applying for a new Digital Passport in the same step. A partner who applies makes the declarations of the Membership Agreement themselves.
- 4.2Each party, in their own step, approves the marriage agreement and declares that they consent to the marriage freely, that they understand the terms of the agreement, and that they have had the opportunity to take independent advice where they live.
- 4.3No one may propose, accept or declare on another's behalf.
- 4.4Acceptance is final for the partner. A spouse who no longer wishes to be married may dissolve the marriage under Article 8.
Article 5Fee and when the marriage takes effect
- 5.1The Marriage Certificate fee is 0.005 BTC, published on the Fees page. The marriage agreement is included at no charge.
- 5.2Nothing is paid before acceptance. After acceptance the proposer pays the Marriage Certificate fee and, if the partner applied for a new Digital Passport, the partner's passport fee, together in one payment.
- 5.3The proposer may withdraw from an accepted marriage only until payment has started, that is, before an invoice is created. Once payment has started, the marriage cannot be withdrawn.
- 5.4Nothing is issued before the payment is made in full and confirmed. At that point the partner's new Digital Passport, if any, the record of the marriage, the Marriage Certificate and the signed marriage agreement are issued together, and the marriage takes effect.
- 5.5An accepted marriage whose payment is not made within 30 days of acceptance lapses. If the payment nevertheless arrives later, the marriage is recorded, unless either party has married within the Union in the meantime.
- 5.6Fees are non-refundable, as set out in the Refund Policy.
Article 6The marriage agreement
- 6.1Every Union marriage is governed by the marriage agreement set out in the Schedule. It is the default and only property regime of a Union marriage.
- 6.2Under it, each spouse keeps, owns, controls and is responsible for all property, income and debts they have before the marriage and acquire during it, including Digital Companies, their shares and Protection Deposits; neither acquires any claim on the other's property or income, nor any maintenance, by reason of the marriage or its dissolution; and gifts between spouses belong to the spouse who receives them.
- 6.3Disputes under the agreement within the Union are decided by the Union Court.
Article 7Record and certificate
- 7.1Each marriage is recorded with a number in the form M-XXXX-XXXX.
- 7.2Both spouses receive the signed Marriage Certificate and the signed marriage agreement in their accounts.
- 7.3Anyone with the number and verification code can check a Marriage Certificate at /verify, which shows the spouses' names and Member IDs, the date of the marriage and its status. Otherwise the record is private.
Article 8Dissolution
- 8.1Either spouse alone may dissolve the marriage at any time, without fee, from their account. The dissolution takes effect when it is recorded.
- 8.2A marriage is also dissolved when either spouse deletes their account. Deleting an account also ends its open proposals.
- 8.3The marriage agreement continues to govern the time of the marriage. The Marriage Certificate then shows the marriage as dissolved.
Article 9Amendment
- 9.1The Founding Council may amend this Act at any time.
ScheduleMarriage Agreement of Separate Property (version 1.0)
- 1The parties. This agreement is made between the two spouses named in the Marriage Certificate to which it belongs, under the Marriage Act 2026 of the United Human Digital Union. It is the regime of every marriage within the Union and governs the marriage from the day it takes effect.
- 2Complete separation of property. Each spouse keeps, owns, controls and is responsible for all their own property, income and debts: everything they have before the marriage and everything they acquire during it, including Digital Companies, shares in them and Protection Deposits. No property is held in common by reason of the marriage.
- 3No claims by reason of the marriage. Neither spouse acquires any claim on the other's property or income, and neither owes the other any maintenance, by reason of the marriage or of its dissolution.
- 4Debts. Each spouse alone is responsible for the debts they incur. Neither is liable for the other's debts by reason of the marriage.
- 5Gifts between spouses. A gift from one spouse to the other belongs to the spouse who receives it.
- 6Dealings between spouses. The spouses may deal with each other as with anyone else, by gift, sale, loan or any other agreement. Property that they choose to own together is owned as their agreement on it provides, not by reason of the marriage.
- 7What each spouse declares. Each spouse declares that they enter into this agreement freely; that they have read and understood it; that they understand that by it they give up any claim to the other's property, income and maintenance that the marriage might otherwise give them; and that they have had the opportunity to take independent advice where they live before accepting it.
- 8Effect within the Union and beyond. This agreement binds the spouses as an agreement between them and is given effect within the Union. It makes no claim to be recognised or enforced by any state. Whether a court of any state gives it effect is a matter for the law of that state, which may require additional formalities or safeguards.
- 9Dissolution. When the marriage is dissolved, this agreement continues to govern the time of the marriage. Each spouse leaves the marriage with their own property, income and debts.
- 10Disputes. Any dispute about this agreement within the Union is decided by the Union Court under the Court and Arbitration Act.