Botswana
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 | Births and Deaths Registration Act Chapter 30:01, which provides for the consolidation and amendment of the law relating to the registration of births and deaths |
| Official authorities in charge of registering births | Department of Civil and National Registration, Ministry of Health |
| 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 | Health officials |
| Time allowed for registration | 60 days |
| Fee for birth registration | No |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | No |
| 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 consent, Identification of the child’s mother, 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, Date of registration, Place of occurrence, Place of registration, Type of birth (single, twin, triplet and so forth), Attendant at birth, Type of place of occurrence (hospital, home, etc.), Sex, Weight at birth, Ethnicity
Regarding the mother of the child: Date of birth or age, Marital status, Ethnicity, Educational attainment, Place of usual residence, Place/country of birth, Number of children born alive to the mother during her entire lifetime, Birth order parity, Number of fetal deaths born to the mother during her entire lifetime, Date of last previous live birth Regarding the father of the child: Marital status, Ethnicity, Place of usual residence |
| Processing | Manually (on paper), Electronically (via computer or tablet) |
| Place of registration | Place of birth, Civil registrar’s office, Hospital/health centre |
| A birth certificate is required for: | Identification, Immunization, Travel, Education, Health care, Inheritance, Obtaining social assistance |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on births | The Birth and Death Registration System (BDRS) captures data in real time. However, there is no regular publication of vital statistics by the Office of Statistics. |
Download sample birth registration 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.
Marriage Registration
| Legal framework for marriage registration | Marriage Act Chapter 29:01, which make provision for the solemnization and registration of marriages and for incidental matters |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a marriage | Department of Civil and National Registration
Administration of Justice District Commissioners |
| Organizational structure | Centralized |
| Legal age for marriage | 21 years old 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 | Bride and groom plus witnesses |
| Time allowed for registration | Timeframe not specified |
| Fee for marriage registration | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| Additional registration requirements or fees if one spouse was born outside the country or has dual citizenship | No |
| Requirements for marriage registration | 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, Witness to the marriage, Affidavit attested by magistrate, public notary, etc. |
| Information collected | Regarding the spouses: Date of birth (or age) of bride, Place of usual residence of bride, Ethnicity of bride, Religion of bride, Date of birth (or age) of groom, Place of usual residence of groom, Ethnicity of groom, Religion of groom
Regarding the marriage: Date of occurrence, Date of registration, Place of occurrence, Place of registration |
| Processing | Manually (on paper), Electronically (via computer or tablet) |
| Place of registration | Place of occurrence of the marriage, Civil registrar’s office, Mayor’s office/other district or local authority |
| A marriage certificate is required for: | Registering children, Accessing health services, Transferring or sharing land ownership |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on marriage | Civil registration is sent to the District Commissioner and to the National Register. However, no regular statistics on marriages are published. |
Download sample marriage registration 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.
Death Registration
| Legal framework for death registration | Births and Deaths Registration Act Chapter 30:01, which provides for the consolidation and amendment of the law relating to the registration of births and deaths |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a death | Department of Civil and National Registration, Ministry of Health |
| 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 | Health officials |
| Time allowed for registration | 60 days |
| Fee for death registration | No |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | No |
| Fee for death certificate | No |
| 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, Identification card, Date of death, Age at death |
| Information collected | Regarding the deceased: Name, Sex, Date of birth or age, Ethnicity, 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, Date of registration, Place of occurrence, Place of registration, Cause of death, Certifier, Type of place of occurrence (hospital, home, etc.) |
| Information collected in case of fetal death | Date of occurrence of fetal delivery, Date of registration, Place of occurrence, Place of registration, Type of place of occurrence (hospital, home, etc.), Sex of the fetus, Date of birth or age of the mother, Children born alive to the mother during her entire lifetime, Fetal deaths to the mother during her entire lifetime, Date of previous live birth to the mother, Place of usual residence of the mother, Place of usual residence of the father |
| Processing | Manually (on paper), Electronically (via computer or tablet) |
| Place of registration | Place of occurrence of the death, Civil registrar’s office, Hospital/health centre |
| A death certificate is required for: | Cremation, Burial, Inheritance, Obtaining social assistance |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on deaths | The Birth and Death Registration System (BDRS) captures data in real time. However, there is no regular publication of vital statistics by the Office of Statistics. |
Download sample death registration 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.