Adding your spouse to health coverage has a deadline: 30 days for an employer plan, 60 for the Marketplace
The first deadline after the wedding is health insurance: an employer group plan requires you to request coverage within 30 days of the marriage, and the Marketplace gives you 60. If you have household registration in Taiwan, registering the marriage there also comes with a 30-day deadline. A name change, a new W-4 and beneficiary updates have no legal deadline, but the later you make them, the more accounts you'll have to catch up on afterwards.
Below, everything is in date order. For taxes and immigration we only list the timing set by official rules; the details are on the money planning site and the visa and documents site.
Within 30 days of the wedding
- Add your spouse to your employer's group plan: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, you must request enrollment in your employer's health plan within 30 days of getting married, and you can enroll yourself, your spouse and your children at the same time (U.S. Department of Labor EBSA, checked 2026-10-22). Your employer's plan may set a shorter window, so ask HR first. See Adding a spouse after the wedding.
- Registering the marriage in Taiwan: For those with household registration in Taiwan, Article 48 of the Household Registration Act requires registration within 30 days of the event occurring or being confirmed; the checklist from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in San Francisco says "within 30 days after authentication." Confirm when the clock starts with the household registration office or a TECO office first. Late filings are still accepted, but a delay without good reason can bring a fine of NT$300–900 (Household Registration Act Article 79, checked 2026-10-22). For the steps, see Married in the U.S., registering in Taiwan: five steps (item 15 on the checklist).
- Order certified copies of the marriage certificate: There's no legal deadline, but you'll need them for adding coverage, changing your name and registering in Taiwan. First confirm the county has finished recording the marriage (item 9 on the checklist), then order several at once (item 10 on the checklist).
Within 60 days of the wedding
- Marketplace health insurance: Marriage qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period, and you must pick a plan within 60 days of the wedding. Pick one before the last day of a month and coverage starts on the 1st of the next month (HealthCare.gov, checked 2026-10-22).
- If you receive ACA premium subsidies, you need to report changes in household size and income; the subsidy is paid in advance and reconciled at year end. See ACA subsidies are paid in advance and reconciled at year end.
No legal deadline, but the sooner the better
Name change: The order is Social Security Administration (SSA) first, DMV second, passport after that. If SSA's records haven't been updated, the DMV's system may not find your new name. For the full process, see The full name-change process after marriage.
W-4: Give your employer a new one after the wedding. Dual-income households in particular should recalculate withholding, or they may owe a lump sum at tax time. See An unrevised W-4.
Beneficiaries: Beneficiary designations on a 401(k), IRA or life insurance policy take priority over a will. See A beneficiary designation beats a will.
Emergency contacts: Switching the emergency contact at work, at the hospital and at school to your spouse costs nothing.
The one day that matters: December 31
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) decides whether you're married or single based on the last day of the tax year, which for most people is December 31 (IRS Publication 501, checked 2026-10-22). Marry before December 31 and you file as married for that entire year, choosing either married filing jointly or married filing separately.
If your spouse isn't a U.S. tax resident, see the money planning site for how to choose in the first year.
For gifts to a spouse who isn't a U.S. citizen, the 2026 annual exclusion is US$194,000 (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, checked 2026-10-14). The rules are different if your spouse is a U.S. citizen.
Three more things if your spouse has an immigration case in progress
- Report your address within 10 days of moving: Non-U.S. citizens in the United States must report a new address to USCIS within 10 days of moving; if a case is already pending, notify USCIS as soon as possible. USCIS recommends updating through your online account, where the system updates almost immediately; a paper AR-11 does not automatically update the case system (USCIS, checked 2026-10-22). This doesn't apply to A and G visa holders or visa-exempt visitors.
- Traveling abroad while the case is pending: Leaving the country while an I-485 is pending without first getting Advance Parole may cause the application to be treated as abandoned (USCIS, checked 2026-10-14). See Five points in time for a spousal green card.
- The 90 days before a conditional green card expires: Within the 90 days before a conditional green card expires, you file a joint I-751; filing too early may get it rejected (USCIS, checked 2026-10-14).
All three are points in an immigration case's timeline. For what to do in your specific case, see the visa and documents site.
Frequently asked questions
How soon after the wedding do I need to add my spouse to my health insurance?
For an employer group plan, the U.S. Department of Labor says to request coverage within 30 days of the wedding; for the Marketplace, pick a plan within 60 days. Your employer may set a shorter window, so go by what HR says.
If we marry in December, do we file as married for that year?
Yes. The IRS determines marital status as of the last day of the tax year, so marrying before December 31 means you count as married for the whole year.
Should I change my name first or register the marriage in Taiwan first?
You can do both at the same time, but registration in Taiwan has a 30-day deadline and a name change doesn't. If your Taiwan passport also needs the new name, you can prepare the documents together with the Taiwan registration; see Change the name on your Taiwan passport together with the household registration.
All of these deadlines are laid out as a checklist in the after-the-wedding chapter of My Wedding Plan, with the timing and the consequence of missing each item. There's a free version, and you can start without leaving an email address; once you choose both partners' status, the items tied to your spouse's status are added to the list.
Sources (checked 2026-10-22)
- U.S. Department of Labor EBSA: Life Changes Require Health Choices (checked 2026-10-22)
- HealthCare.gov: Special Enrollment Period (checked 2026-10-22)
- IRS Publication 501 (checked 2026-10-22)
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (checked 2026-10-14)
- USCIS: Change of Address (AR-11) (checked 2026-10-22)
- USCIS: I-751 (checked 2026-10-14)
- Laws and Regulations Database of the Republic of China (Taiwan): Household Registration Act, Articles 48 and 79 (checked 2026-10-22)