"Vulnerable children across England and Wales will be better protected from the damaging impact of forced marriage as the legal age of marriage rises to 18 in England and Wales," the ministry said in a statement.
The new regulation went into effect on Monday as stipulated by the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022, which received royal assent last April. Under the legislation, marriage or civil partnership are prohibited for 16 and 17 year olds even with parental consent, the statement said.
"It is now illegal and a criminal offence to exploit vulnerable children by arranging for them to marry, under any circumstances whether or not force is used" it added.
The legal punishment for arranging an underage marriage is up to seven years in prison, according to the statement.
Child marriage is directly linked to domestic abuse, limited education and career prospects, as well as serious physical and mental health problems, the ministry said.
The adoption of the Minimal Age Act is part of the UK's pledge to the United Nations to root out child marriage by 2030, although the document does not apply to Scotland and Northern Ireland because of the devolution of powers.