Eswatini

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, Marriages and Deaths Registration Act, No. 5 (1983)
Official authorities in charge of registering births	Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Department
Organizational structure	Centralized, with registration offices located throughout the country
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 Download sample birth certificate
Legal informant to register a birth	The mother
Time allowed for registration	2 months
Fee for birth registration	Yes
Can the fee be increased or waived?	Yes, the fee can be waived if the cost to receive it is more than its value.
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
Information collected	Regarding the child: Name, Date of birth, Sex, Weight at birth, Place of occurrence [of the birth], Date of registration, Place of registration, Type of birth (single, twin, triplet and so forth) Regarding the mother of the child: Date of birth or age, Ethnicity, Place of usual residence, Place/country of birth, Birth (or parity) order, Number of children born alive during her entire lifetime, Number of fetal deaths during her entire lifetime, Date of marriage Regarding the father of the child: Date of birth or age, Ethnicity, Place of usual residence
Processing	Manually (on paper)
Place of registration	Civil Registration Offices
A birth certificate is required for:	Education, Inheritance
Process for establishing vital statistics on births	The Central Statistics Office currently holds responsibility.

Download sample birth registration form

Download sample birth certificate

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	Marriage Act of 1964
Official authorities in charge of registering a marriage	Civil Registration Department
Organizational structure	Centralized, with registration offices located throughout the country
Legal age for marriage	21 years for men and women Exemptions: 16 years for women, 18 years for men with parents’ or guardians’ consent. Persons who have previously been married, whether in accordance with Swazi law and custom or civil rites, shall not be regarded as minors.
Is there a legal obligation to register marriages?	Yes
Is an official marriage certificate issued as a result of marriage registration?	Yes, immediately Download sample marriage certificate
Legal informant to register a marriage	Bride and groom
Time allowed for registration	7 days for civil rite; 14 days under Swazi law and custom
Fee for marriage registration	Yes, with varying fees for ‘special’ marriage, or Swazi law and custom
Can the fee be increased or waived?	No
Fee for marriage certificate	Yes
Penalty for late registration	Yes, within 45 days for marriages under Swazi law and custom; within 7 days for other types of marriage
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	National identity card for bride and groom, Husband’s presence at registration, Wife’s presence at registration, Residential proof of husband, Residential proof of wife, Proof of wife’s age, Proof of husband’s age, Witnesses to the marriage
Information collected	Regarding the spouses: Date of birth or age of bride, Place of usual residence of bride, Ethnicity of bride, Date of birth or age of groom, Place of usual residence of groom, Ethnicity 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 Registration Office, Local authority, Community; Place of occurrence of the marriage
A marriage certificate is required for:	Registering children, Transferring or sharing land ownership
Process for establishing vital statistics on marriage	The Central Statistics Office currently holds responsibility.

Download sample marriage certificate

Legal framework for death registration	Births, Marriages and Deaths Registration Act, No. 5 (1983)
Official authorities in charge of registering a death	Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Department
Organizational structure	Centralized, with registration offices located throughout the country
Is there a legal obligation to register deaths?	Yes
Is an official death certificate issued as a result of death registration?	Yes, immediately Download sample death certificate
Legal informant to register a death	Spouse, Parent, Child, Siblings [of the deceased]
Time allowed for registration	2 months
Fee for death registration	Yes
Can the fee be increased or waived?	Yes, the fee can be waived if the cost to receive it is more than its value.
Fee for death certificate	No
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	Birth certificate, Identification card, Age at death, Date of death, Medical death certificate/ confirmation from the Chief
Information collected	Regarding the deceased: Name, Sex, Date of birth or age, Marital status, Place of usual residence, 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, Date of registration, Place of registration, Cause of death
Information collected in case of fetal death	Regarding the death: Sex of the fetus, Date of occurrence of fetal delivery, Place of occurrence, Date of registration, Place of registration Regarding the mother of the child: Date of birth or age, Number of children born alive during her entire lifetime, Number of fetal deaths during her entire lifetime, Date of last live birth, Date of marriage, Place of usual residence Regarding the father of the child: Date of birth or age of the father, Place of usual residence of the father
Processing	Manually (on paper)
Place of registration	Civil Registration Offices, Place of occurrence of the death
A death certificate is required for:	Cremation, Burial, Inheritance, Obtaining social assistance
Process for establishing vital statistics on deaths	The Central Statistics Office currently holds responsibility.

Download sample death registration form

Download sample death certificate

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Eswatini

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