Zambia
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 | Birth and Death Registration Act, Chapter 51 |
| Official authorities in charge of registering births | Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship |
| Organizational structure | Centralized |
| 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; it is issued within 3 months if the birth is registered at the district level or within 5 days if registered at the national centre. |
| Legal informant to register a birth | Parents, Relative, Caregiver, Foster parents or institutions, Government department responsible for child welfare |
| Time allowed for registration | 1 month |
| Fee for birth registration | No |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | No |
| Fee for birth certificate | No |
| Penalty for late registration | Yes, but not enforced |
| Other official fees involved in the birth registration process | No |
| Requirements or fees specific to children who are eligible for citizenship but were born outside the country | Children born outside Zambia are eligible for citizenship (by descent) if their parents are Zambians and hold green national identity cards. The child should also be in possession of a birth certificate from the country of birth. |
| Requirements or fees specific to children whose parents are foreign nationals | No |
| Requirements for birth registration | Identification of the child’s father, Identification of the child’s mother, Marriage certificate or proof of marriage, Birth notification, Name of the child.
The father’s consent is only required when the parents are not married; in practice, the mother can register her child in her name without the father’s consent. |
| Information collected | Regarding the child: Name, Date of birth, Sex, Weight at birth, Place of occurrence [of the birth], Type of place of occurrence (hospital, home, etc.), Date of registration, Place of registration, Attendant at birth
Regarding the mother of the child: Date of birth or age, Marital status, Ethnicity, Educational attainment, Place of usual residence Regarding the father of the child: Marital status, Ethnicity, Place of usual residence |
| Processing | Manually (on paper) or Electronically (via computer or tablet);
Information is entered on notification forms and entered in the civil registration system. |
| Place of registration | Civil registrar’s office, Registration desks at health facilities, Place of occurrence of the birth |
| A birth certificate is required for: | Identification, Inheritance, Obtaining social assistance;
However, in practice, national IDs are issued based on affidavits in the absence of a birth certificate, and can be used to obtain social assistance and inheritance. |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on births | In 2016, the Civil Registration Authority resumed the provision of data to the Central Statistical Office, however, the Office has not yet produced a vital statistics report based on civil registration. |
Download sample birth registration form
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 | The Marriages Act, Chapter 50 |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a marriage | Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship;
The local councils and the church solemnize marriages; the local courts register customary marriages. |
| Organizational structure | Centralized |
| Legal age for marriage | 21 years for males and females;
Exemptions: Males and females can marry at age 18 with parental consent. Customary law also allows for marriage once puberty is reached; males and females can marry at age 16 or younger with consent from the High Court. |
| Is there a legal obligation to register marriages? | No |
| Is an official marriage certificate issued as a result of marriage registration? | Yes, within 5 days |
| Legal informant to register a marriage | Bride or groom |
| Time allowed for registration | None specified by law |
| Fee for marriage registration | Yes |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | No |
| Fee for marriage certificate | No |
| Penalty for late registration | No |
| 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 | No |
| Requirements for marriage registration | Evidence of non-impediment to marriage (as a requirement for a marriage to be solemnized), Residential proof of husband, Residential proof of wife, Proof of wife’s age, Proof of husband’s age, Witness to the marriage
These requirements are used by the local council; the certificate of marriage from the council is used by the Civil Registrar to issue a statutory marriage certificate. |
| Information collected | Regarding the spouses: Date of birth or age of the bride, Place of usual residence of bride, Religion of bride, Date of birth or age of the groom, Place of usual residence of groom, Religion of groom
Regarding the marriage: Date of occurrence, Date of registration, Place of occurrence, Place of registration |
| Processing | Manually (on paper) |
| Place of registration | Civil registrar’s office, Place of occurrence of the marriage;
The registration process begins with the local council or church and then proceeds to the Civil Registration Authority. |
| A marriage certificate is required for: | Transferring or sharing land ownership; the marriage certificate is requested but not mandatory, and alternative documents such as affidavits may be used. |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on marriage | Data are not shared with the Central Statistical Office, the institution responsible for producing and publishing official statistics. |
Download sample marriage registration form
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 | Birth and Death Registration Act, Chapter 51 |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a death | Department of National Registration, Passport and Citizenship |
| Organizational structure | Centralized |
| Is there a legal obligation to register deaths? | Yes |
| Is an official death certificate issued as a result of death registration? | Yes; the time varies depending on place of occurrence [of the death] |
| Legal informant to register a death | Next of kin, Relative, Funeral undertaker, Responsible government body for unidentified cases |
| Time allowed for registration | None specified by law |
| Fee for death registration | No |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | No |
| Fee for death certificate | No |
| 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 | Medical death certificate, Identification card, Information on the deceased’s age at death, Date of death, Completed death notification form, Coroner’s report for unnatural causes |
| Information collected | Regarding the deceased: Name, Sex, Date of birth or age, Marital status, Place of usual residence
Regarding the death: Date of death, Place of occurrence of the death, Type of place of occurrence (hospital, home, etc.), Date of registration, Place of registration, Cause of death |
| Information collected in case of fetal death | Fetal deaths are not registered. |
| Processing | Manually (on paper) or Electronically (via computer or tablet);
Information is entered on notification forms and entered in the civil registration system. |
| 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 | The Civil Registration Authority analyses data on mortality on a quarterly basis. In 2016, the Civil Registration Authority resumed the provision of data to the Central Statistical Office, however, the Office has not yet produced a report on mortality based on civil registration. |
Download sample death registration form
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.