Djibouti
A well developed and functioning civil registration system ensures the registration of all vital events including births, marriages and deaths and issues relevant certificates as proof of such registration. Civil registration promotes efficient government planning, effective use of resources and aid, and more accurate monitoring of progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Birth Registration
| Legal framework for birth registration | Law No. 72-458 (2 June 1972) relative to the civil status in the French territory of Afars and Issas
Decree No. 73-376 (27 March 1973) implementing Law 72-458 (2 June 1972) Decree No. 127 (12 February 1973) appointing civil registrars and delimiting their territorial powers modified by Order No. 85-1165/PR/MI (7 September 1985) Act No. 220/AN/86 /1lL (23 November 1986) authorizing certain civil registrars to issue acts of additional knowledge of birth certificates Order No. 85-129/PR/MI (19 October 1989) appointing the head of the Diplomatic and Consular Mission as civil registrars Decree No. 2000-0083/PR/MI (12 March 2000) fixing the cost of stamps and certain civil registration services |
| Official authorities in charge of registering births | Civil registrars are appointed by a decree of the delegate of the Government of the Republic that determines their territorial jurisdiction. |
| Organizational structure | Decentralized |
| Is there a legal obligation to register the birth of a child? | Yes |
| Is an official birth certificate issued as a result of birth registration? | Yes |
| Legal informant to register a birth | Mother or by any other relative of the child |
| Time allowed for registration | 1 month |
| Fee for birth registration | Yes |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | No |
| Fee for birth certificate | Yes; the fee is lower for first birth and higher for subsequent births |
| Penalty for late registration | Yes; A fine and imprisonment for one month will be imposed on any person who attends a delivery and does not make the declaration prescribed by the Civil Code and within the time limit fixed by this code, or any person has found a newborn child and does not make the declaration to the registrar of the place of discovery. |
| Other official fees involved in the birth registration process | – |
| Requirements or fees specific to children who are eligible for citizenship but were born outside the country | No |
| Requirements or fees specific to children whose parents are foreign nationals | No |
| Requirements for birth registration | Identification of the parents, Certificate of marriage |
| Information collected | Regarding the child: Name, Date of birth, Date of registration, Place of occurrence, Place of registration, Sex,
Regarding the mother of the child: Date of birth or age, Place of birth, Place of usual residence, Occupation Regarding the father of the child: Date of birth or age, Place of birth, Place of usual residence, Occupation |
| Processing | Manually (on paper) |
| Place of registration | Civil registrar’s office |
| A birth certificate is required for: | Identification, Education, Voting |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on births | There is no regular process for establishing vital statistics. |
Data sources: Information on civil registration systems was compiled over a period from December 2016 to November 2017 using the existing relevant legal frameworks and in consultation with CRVS experts, officials within the relevant national institutions, and UNICEF country offices. All reasonable precautions have been taken by UNICEF to verify this country profile; updates will be made to reflect changes in policy and implementation and/or new information.
Marriage Registration
| Legal framework for marriage registration | Law No. 72-458 (02 June 1972) relative to the civil status in the French territory of Afars and Issas
Decree No. 73-376 (27 March 1973) implementing Law 72-458 (2 June 1972) Decree No. 127 (12 February 1973) appointing civil registrars and delimiting their territorial powers modified by Order No. 85-116 /PR/MI (7 September 1985) Act No. 220/AN/86/1lL (23 November 1986) authorizing certain civil registrars to issue acts of additional knowledge of birth certificates Order No. 85-129/PR/MI (19 October 1989) appointing the head of the Diplomatic and Consular Mission as civil registrars Decree No. 2000-0083/PR MI (12 March 2000) fixing the cost of stamps and certain civil registration services |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a marriage | Civil registrars are appointed by a decree of the delegate of the Government of the Republic that determines their territorial jurisdiction |
| Organizational structure | Decentralized |
| Legal age for marriage | 18 years for both sexes (Family Code, article 13);
Exemptions: The marriage of minors who have not reached the age of legal majority is subject to the consent of their guardians. In case of refusal of the guardians and persistence of the two future spouses, the marriage can be authorized by the judge. |
| Is there a legal obligation to register marriages? | Yes |
| Is an official marriage certificate issued as a result of marriage registration? | Yes |
| Legal informant to register a marriage | Notary officer, Judge |
| Time allowed for registration | 1 month (Family Code, article 9) |
| Fee for marriage registration | Yes |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | Yes |
| Fee for marriage certificate | Yes |
| Penalty for late registration | Yes, for a judge who does not send a copy of the marriage certificate to the civil registration officer |
| Other official fees involved in the marriage registration process | Yes |
| Additional registration requirements or fees if one spouse was born outside the country or has dual citizenship | Yes, the following items are required for a future spouse of foreign nationality: – Copy of the passport with a visa of 3 months (visa of 1 to 2 months is acceptable in some cases); – Extract of the birth certificate; – Full copy of the birth certificate of less than three months; – Copy of the French national identity card for the French or a copy of the residence permit for other nationalities; – Certificate of celibacy, except for spouses of French nationality; – Prenuptial certificate; – Photocopies of the identity card(s) of the witness(es); – Marriage contract (to be mentioned on the marriage certificate), if applicable; – Certificate of residence for French residents of Djibouti, inscribed on the French Consular Register; – Copy of proof of address (invoice for rent, electricity, water, taxes or other).For French nationals residing in France, the Certificate of Marriage Capacity of the future spouse of will serve as a certificate of celibacy issued by the French Embassy in Djibouti. |
| Requirements for marriage registration | The following items are required for the future spouse of Djiboutian nationality: – Extract of the birth certificate of less than 3 months (computerized copy); – Full copy of the birth certificate of less than 3 months (photocopy of the register or handwritten document); – Photocopy of identity card; – Certificate of celibacy, to be obtained from the town hall or a judge, and to be authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; – Prenuptial certificate; – Photocopies of the identity card(s) of the witness(es); – Marriage contract (to be mentioned on the marriage certificate), if applicable. |
| Information collected | The marriage certificate must state: – Names, occupation, age, date and place of birth, domicile, residence and nationality of each spouse; – Names, professions, domiciles and nationalities of the father and mother; – Declaration of the two witnesses that the future spouses are not in one of the cases of impediments provided for in the Family Code; – Names of the former spouse of each of the spouses, if any, as well as the dates of death or divorce that led to the dissolution of their marriage and the dates and place of the previous marriage; – The consent or authorization required by law, if applicable as well as the mention of dowry (Family Code, article 8). |
| Processing | Manually (on paper) |
| Place of registration | Civil registration office, Place of celebration of the marriage |
| A marriage certificate is required for: | Birth registration of a child |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on marriage | There is no regular process for establishing vital statistics. |
Data sources: Information on civil registration systems was compiled over a period from December 2016 to November 2017 using the existing relevant legal frameworks and in consultation with CRVS experts, officials within the relevant national institutions, and UNICEF country offices. All reasonable precautions have been taken by UNICEF to verify this country profile; updates will be made to reflect changes in policy and implementation and/or new information.
Death Registration
| Legal framework for death registration | Law No. 72-458 (2 June 1972) relative to the civil status in the French territory of Afars and Issas
Decree No. 73-376 (27 March 1973) implementing Law 72-458 (2 June 1972) Decree No. 127 (12 February 1973) appointing civil registrars and delimiting their territorial powers modified by Order No. 85-1165/PR/MI (7 September 1985) Act No. 220/AN/86/1lL (23 November 1986) authorizing certain civil registrars to issue acts of additional knowledge of birth certificates Order No. 85-129/PR/MI (19 October 1989) appointing the head of the Diplomatic and Consular Mission as civil registrars Decree No. 2000-0083/PR/MI (12 March 2000) fixing the cost of stamps and certain civil registration services |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a death | Civil registrars are appointed by a decree of the delegate of the Government of the Republic that determines their territorial jurisdiction. |
| Organizational structure | Decentralized |
| Is there a legal obligation to register deaths? | Yes |
| Is an official death certificate issued as a result of death registration? | Yes |
| Legal informant to register a death | Parent of the deceased or person possessing the most accurate and complete information as possible on the civil status of the deceased |
| Time allowed for registration | 1 month |
| Fee for death registration | Yes |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | No |
| Fee for death certificate | Yes |
| Penalty for late registration | No |
| Other official fees involved in the death registration process | No |
| Registration requirements or fees specific for the deaths of people who were residents in the country and also of foreign nationality | No |
| Requirements for death registration | Identification card of the deceased |
| Information collected | Regarding the deceased: Name, Sex, Date of birth, Place of birth, Place of residence, Name of the spouse
Regarding the death: Date of death, Place of death, Date of registration, Place of registration |
| Information collected in case of fetal death | – |
| Processing | Manually (on paper) |
| Place of registration | Civil registrar’s office, Mayor’s office, Other district or local authority, Place of occurrence of the death |
| A death certificate is required for: | Inheritance, Obtaining social assistance |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on deaths | There is no regular process for establishing vital statistics. |
Data sources: Information on civil registration systems was compiled over a period from December 2016 to November 2017 using the existing relevant legal frameworks and in consultation with CRVS experts, officials within the relevant national institutions, and UNICEF country offices. All reasonable precautions have been taken by UNICEF to verify this country profile; updates will be made to reflect changes in policy and implementation and/or new information.