Rwanda
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. 32/2016 governing natural persons and family |
| Official authorities in charge of registering births | Ministry of Local Government
Directorate General of Territorial Administration and Good Governance |
| 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, immediately |
| Legal informant to register a birth | Father or mother of the child; If this is not possible, the declaration of birth can be made by a person to whom the parents have granted authorization, or any person exercising parental authority over the child. |
| Time allowed for registration | 30 days |
| Fee for birth registration | No |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | No |
| Fee for birth certificate | No |
| Penalty for late registration | Yes, after 30 days. Late registration will be fined according to the new law, but this is not yet enforced; in case of dispute, a competent court’s decision will be required. Any person wishing to receive a birth record but not having declared the child’s birth within the period provided for by the law is liable to an administrative fine determined by a Presidential Order. |
| 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, Identification of the child’s mother, Mother’s consent, Birth notification, Name of the child, Two witnesses over age 18 |
| 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: Name, Date of birth or age, Marital status, Place of usual residence, Place/country of birth, Citizenship, Occupation Regarding the father of the child: Name, Date of birth or age, Marital status, Place of usual residence, Place/country of birth, Citizenship, Occupation |
| Processing | Manually (on paper) or Electronically (via computer or tablet) |
| 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, Inheritance |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on births | Vital events are registered at the sector level through a CRVS web-based application, and the National Institute of Statistics is immediately served with data from all local registration offices in the country. However, not all sectors complete the CRVS submissions regularly. |
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. 32/2016 governing natural persons and family |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a marriage | Ministry of Local Government, Directorate General of Territorial Administration and Good Governance. |
| Organizational structure | Centralized |
| Legal age for marriage | 21 years for both sexes |
| Is there a legal obligation to register marriages? | Yes |
| Is an official marriage certificate issued as a result of marriage registration? | Yes, immediately |
| Legal informant to register a marriage | Usual residence of one of the spouses |
| Time allowed for registration | The spouses |
| Fee for marriage registration | – |
| 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 | No |
| Additional registration requirements or fees if one spouse was born outside the country or has dual citizenship | No |
| Requirements for marriage registration | No |
| Information collected | Bridegroom’s presence at registration, Bride’s presence at registration, Proof of age, Two witnesses to the marriage, Birth certificates of each intending spouse, Certificate of marital status (celibacy, divorce, etc.) |
| Processing | Regarding the spouses: Names, Date of birth or age, Place of usual residence, Occupation, Names of parents
Regarding the marriage: Date of occurrence, Date of registration, Place of occurrence, Place of registration |
| Place of registration | Manually (on paper) or Electronically (via computer or tablet) |
| A marriage certificate is required for: | Civil registrar’s office |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on marriage | – |
| Legal framework for marriage registration | Vital events are registered at the sector level through a CRVS web-based application, and the National Institute of Statistics is immediately served with data from all local registration offices in the country. However, not all sectors complete the CRVS submissions regularly. |
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. 32/2016 governing natural persons and family |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a death | Ministry of Local Government
Directorate General of Territorial Administration and Good Governance |
| 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 | Spouse, Relative, Any person who has sufficient information;
The death record is drawn up according to the declaration of one of the relatives or spouse of the deceased, or any other person who has sufficient information on the civil status of the deceased. If a person dies in a prison, the prison director must declare the death to the civil registrar of the place of death. |
| Time allowed for registration | 30 days |
| Fee for death registration | No |
| 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 | Medical death certificate, Date of death, Two witnesses over age 18 |
| Information collected | Regarding the deceased: Name, Sex, Date of birth or age, Place of usual residence, Citizenship
Regarding the death: Date of death, Date of registration, Place of occurrence, Place of registration, Cause of death, Type of place of occurrence (hospital, home, etc.) |
| Information collected in case of fetal death | Fetal death is not registered. |
| Processing | Manually (on paper) or Electronically (via computer or tablet) |
| Place of registration | Civil registrar’s office, Hospital/health centre, Place of occurrence of the death |
| A death certificate is required for: | Cremation, Burial, Inheritance |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on deaths | Vital events are registered at the sector level through a CRVS web-based application, and the National Institute of Statistics is immediately served with data from all local registration offices in the country. However, not all sectors complete the CRVS submissions regularly. |
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.