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.

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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.