Togo
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. 2009-010 (11 June 2009) |
| Official authorities in charge of registering births | Civil registration is placed under the joint supervision of the Minister of Territorial Administration and the Minister of Justice, who oversee its organization, operation and control (article 2).
Vital event declarations are received by mayors or delegates in municipalities, and by ambassadors, chargés d’affaires or consuls in the field of diplomatic or consular representations (article 5). |
| Organizational structure | Decentralized |
| Is there a legal obligation to register the birth of a child? | Yes (article 18) |
| Is an official birth certificate issued as a result of birth registration? | Yes, immediately |
| Legal informant to register a birth | Parents, Doctor, Midwife;
The declaration of birth is the responsibility of one of the child’s parents, any person authorized by one of the parents and, failing that, by the doctor or the midwife in accordance with the legal provisions in force (article 18). |
| Time allowed for registration | 45 days (article 18) |
| Fee for birth registration | Yes, fees currently vary by municipality. However, fees for the registration of vital events shall be harmonized throughout the national territory by joint decree of the Minister of Finance and Minister of Territorial Administration (article 8). |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | No |
| Fee for birth certificate | Yes, included in birth registration cost |
| Penalty for late registration | Yes, a cost for supplementary judgment to register a birth after 45 days;
Fines are applicable to anyone who is legally bound to declare a birth or death but fails to do so (article 39). However, this does not seem to be 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 | No |
| Requirements or fees specific to children whose parents are foreign nationals | No |
| Requirements for birth registration | Medical certificate of birth, Identity cards of the parents, Identity card of declarant if not one of the parents |
| 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.), Attendant at birth
Regarding the mother of the child: Date of birth or age, Place of usual residence, Number of children born alive to the mother during her lifetime, Number of fetal deaths born to the mother during her lifetime, Date of birth or age, Place of usual residence, Occupation, Nationality, Marital status Regarding the father of the child: Date of birth or age, Place of usual residence, Occupation, Nationality, Marital status |
| Processing | Manually (on paper) |
| Place of registration | Central offices in the prefectures or municipalities, Secondary offices within a prefecture
The secondary offices are usually established in densely populated cantons or villages, with the aim of facilitating access to civil status services. |
| A birth certificate is required for: | Identification, Education, Inheritance, Voting, Obtaining social assistance |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on births | The National Institute for Statistics and Economic and Demographic Studies (INSEED) coordinates the national statistical system and the production of official statistics and has the responsibility to produce vital statistics. Once data have been collected, the Regional Directorates carry out the entry of the components and send a copy of the information to INSEED headquarters. The collection is left to the civil registrars who, at their discretion, invite statistical processing to the regional statistical offices. |
Download sample birth registration forms
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 marriages Registration | Law No. 2009-010 (11 June 2009) |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a marriage | Civil registration is placed under the joint supervision of the Minister of Territorial Administration and the Minister of Justice, who oversee its organization, operation and control (article 2).
Vital event declarations are received by mayors or delegates in municipalities, and by ambassadors, chargés d’affaires or consuls in the field of diplomatic or consular representations (article 5). |
| Organizational structure | Decentralized |
| Legal age for marriage | 18 years for both sexes;
Exemptions: The president of the court or the judge in matrimonial affairs of the place of marriage may grant waivers of age for serious reasons. This exemption of age can in no case be granted for males and females under 16 years of age (article 43). |
| Legal obligation to register the marriage? | Yes |
| Is an official marriage certificate issued as a result of marriage registration? | Yes, immediately |
| Legal informant to register a marriage | Declarations of intention to marry shall be made by the future spouses (article 21) |
| Time allowed for registration | No |
| Fee for marriage registration | Yes; Fees for the registration of vital events shall be harmonized throughout the national territory by joint decree of the Minister of Finance and Minister of Territorial Administration (article 8). However, the decree on this harmonization has not yet been published, so fees vary by municipality. |
| Can the fee be increased/waived? | No |
| Fee for marriage certificate | Yes, included in the registration cost |
| Penalty for late registration | No |
| Other official fees involved in the marriage registration process (i.e. hospital administrative fee) | No |
| Additional registration requirements or fees if one spouse was born outside the country or has dual citizenship | No |
| Requirements for marriage registration | Marriage registration requires:
– An extract of birth certificate or any act taking place legalized less than 6 months for each of the spouses; – An act attesting the payment of the dowry or a joint declaration of the parents of the future marriage stating to the dowry to be legalized; – Certificate of residence dating from 3 months of continuous residence on the date of the declaration, issued by the central police station; – Photocopy of spouses’ and witnesses’ identity cards; – Tax stamps; – Marriage contract if applicable. |
| Information collected | Regarding the spouses: Date of birth or age of bride, Place of birth of bride, Place of usual residence of bride, Date of birth or age of groom, Place of birth of groom, Place of usual residence of groom, Occupation of bride and groom
Regarding the marriage: Date of occurrence, Date of registration, Place of occurrence, Place of registration |
| Processing | Manually (on paper) |
| Place of registration | Central offices in the prefectures or municipalities;
Secondary offices within a prefecture: the secondary offices are usually established in densely populated cantons or villages, with the aim of facilitating access to civil status services. |
| Marriage certificate required for: | Inheritance, Birth registration |
| Recent studies conducted to assess the coverage and quality of marriage registration. | – |
| Process for establishing vital statistics | The National Institute for Statistics and Economic and Demographic Studies (INSEED) coordinates the national statistical system and the production of official statistics and has the responsibility to produce vital statistics. Once data have been collected, the Regional Directorates carry out the entry of the components and send a copy of the information to INSEED headquarters. The collection is left to the civil registrars who, at their discretion, invite statistical processing to the regional statistical offices. |
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. 2009-010 (11 June 2009) |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a death | Civil registration is placed under the joint supervision of the Minister of Territorial Administration and the Minister of Justice, who oversee its organization, operation and control (article 2).
Vital event declarations are received by mayors or delegates in municipalities, and by ambassadors, chargés d’affaires or consuls in the field of diplomatic or consular representations (article 5). |
| Organizational structure | Decentralized |
| Is there a legal obligation to register deaths? | Yes (article 23) |
| Is an official death certificate issued as a result of death registration? | Yes, immediately |
| Legal informant to register a death | A relative, Any other person having knowledge of the death; the declaration of death is compulsory (article 23). |
| Time allowed for registration | 15 days (article 23) |
| Fee for death registration | Yes, fees currently vary by municipality. However, fees for the registration of vital events shall be harmonized throughout the national territory by joint decree of the Minister of Finance and Minister of Territorial Administration (article 8). |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | No |
| Fee for death certificate | Yes, included in registration cost |
| Penalty for late registration | Yes; Fines are applicable to anyone who is legally bound to declare a birth or death but fails to do so (article 39). However, this does not seem to be enforced. |
| 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 | No |
| Information collected | Regarding the deceased: Name, Sex, Date of birth or age, Place of birth, Marital status, Place of usual residence, Occupation
Regarding the death: Date of death, Date of registration, Place of occurrence |
| Information collected in case of fetal death | No |
| Processing | Manually (on paper) |
| Place of registration | Central offices in the prefectures or municipalities;
Secondary offices within a prefecture: the secondary offices are usually established in densely populated cantons or villages, with the aim of facilitating access to civil status services. |
| A death certificate is required for: | Inheritance |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on deaths | The National Institute for Statistics and Economic and Demographic Studies (INSEED) coordinates the national statistical system and the production of official statistics and has the responsibility to produce vital statistics. Once data have been collected, the Regional Directorates carry out the entry of the components and send a copy of the information to INSEED headquarters. The collection is left to the civil registrars who, at their discretion, invite statistical processing to the regional statistical offices. |
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.