Gambia

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.

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Legal framework for birth registration	Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act (1990); The Act (1990) identifies the processes of registration and certification; the documents required for registration; primary and secondary informants; legal time frame for registrations and penalties for defaulters; and the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders. Children’s Act (2006)
Official authorities in charge of registering births	Births and Deaths Registry, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
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; At the central level, certificates are issued at the time of registration; at the regional level, certificates are issued on monthly basis.
Legal informant to register a birth	The parents of the child
Time allowed for registration	Following the birth of the child, 14 days for the father and 30 days for the mother
Fee for birth registration	Yes
Can the fee be increased or waived?	Yes, the fee is waived for children aged 0 to 5 years
Fee for birth certificate	No
Penalty for late registration	Yes
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	No
Requirements or fees specific to children whose parents are foreign nationals	No
Requirements for birth registration	Identification of the child’s father, Father’s presence at registration, Father’s consent, Identification of the child’s mother, Mother’s presence at registration, Mother’s consent, Marriage certificate or proof of marriage, Birth notification, Immunization card, Name of the child, Attestation from village head and district chiefs
Information collected	Regarding the child: Name, Sex, Date of birth, Date of registration, Place of occurrence, Place of registration, Type of place of occurrence (hospital, home, etc.) Regarding the mother of the child: Place of usual residence, Place/country of birth Regarding the father of the child: Place of usual residence of the father, Occupation of the father
Processing	Manually (on paper)
Place of registration	Civil registrar’s office, Hospital/health centre, Place of occurrence of the birth
A birth certificate is required for:	Identification, Travel, Education, Voting, Health care, Inheritance, Obtaining social assistance
Process for establishing vital statistics on births	The Health Management Information System (HMIS) unit collects the data from registration points on a monthly bases and is responsible for processing, producing and publishing birth statistics.

Download sample birth registration form

Download sample birth attestation 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.

Legal framework for marriage registration	Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act (1990); The Act (1990) identifies the processes of registration and certification; the documents required for registration; primary and secondary informants; legal time frame for registrations and penalties for defaulters; and the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders. Children’s Act (2006)
Official authorities in charge of registering a marriage	Ministry of Justice
Organizational structure	Centralized
Legal age for marriage	18 years for both sexes (Children’s Act, 2005)
Is there a legal obligation to register marriages?	No, registration is optional due to different forms of marriage
Is an official marriage certificate issued as a result of marriage registration?	Yes, after civil marriage Download sample marriage certificate
Legal informant to register a marriage	Two witnesses above the age of 18 from either party
Time allowed for registration	–
Fee for marriage registration	Yes, the fee varies based on nationality, e.g., whether the spouses are Gambians or nationals of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Can the fee be increased or waived?	No
Fee for marriage certificate	Yes, as per the marriage registration
Penalty for late registration	No
Other official fees involved in the marriage registration process	Yes, for an affidavit, certificates of unmarried status, marriage form, etc.
Additional registration requirements or fees if one spouse was born outside the country or has dual citizenship	Yes, there is a higher fee for marriage registration
Requirements for marriage registration	Stamping of marriage certificate at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Certificate of unmarried status (bachelor certificate/spinster certificate)
Information collected	Regarding the spouses: Date of birth or age of bride, Place of usual residence of bride, Date of birth or age of groom, Place of usual residence of groom Regarding the marriage: Date of occurrence, Place of occurrence
Processing	Manually (on paper)
Place of registration	Place of occurrence of the marriage, Cadi Court or churches (which can be brought to the Ministry of Justice for authentication), Registrar General, Ministry of Justice
A marriage certificate is required for:	Proof of marriage, Inheritance, Visa application
Process for establishing vital statistics on marriage	Records are kept in paper files and, sometimes, digitally.

Download sample marriage certificate

Download sample marriage registration form

Legal framework for death registration	Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act (1990); The Act (1990) identifies the processes of registration and certification; the documents required for registration; primary and secondary informants; legal time frame for registrations and penalties for defaulters; and the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders.
Official authorities in charge of registering a death	Births and Deaths Registry, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
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, immediately
Legal informant to register a death	Relatives
Time allowed for registration	Immediately or on demand
Fee for death registration	Yes
Can the fee be increased or waived?	Yes, the fee is waived for children aged 0 to 5 years
Fee for death certificate	Yes
Penalty for late registration	Yes
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, Birth certificate, Identification card, Date of death, Age at death, Attestation from village heads
Information collected	Regarding the deceased: Name, Sex, Date of birth or age, Place of usual residence of the mother for deaths under 1 year of age 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, Certifier
Information collected in case of fetal death	Fetal deaths are not registered
Processing	Manually (on paper)
Place of registration	Civil registrar’s office, Hospital/health centre, Place of occurrence of the death
A death certificate is required for:	Inheritance, Obtaining social assistance
Process for establishing vital statistics on deaths	The Health Management Information System (HMIS) unit collects the data from registration points on monthly bases and is responsible for processing, producing and publishing deaths and mortality statistics.