Mozambique
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. 12 on the Civil Registration Code (8 December 2004) |
| Official authorities in charge of registering births | Civil Registry Office, Ministry of Justice |
| Organizational structure | Decentralized |
| 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 |
| Legal informant to register a birth | Parents, Guardian, Police, Community leaders, Social workers |
| Time allowed for registration | 120 days |
| Fee for birth registration | No, registration is free during the first 120 days |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | Yes, the fee can be waived for disadvantaged children if the declarant or parents present a poverty certificate upon registration |
| Fee for birth certificate | Yes |
| Penalty for late registration | Yes, a fee is issued after the first 120 days |
| Other official fees involved in the birth registration process | Yes, in some cases, in order to receive the notification paper to confirm that registration took place |
| Requirements or fees specific to children who are eligible for citizenship but were born outside the country | Yes, parents or declarant must present birth certificates or national IDs, hospital delivery forms, letter from the embassy.
Other administrative costs may be included. |
| Requirements or fees specific to children whose parents are foreign nationals | Yes, parents must present birth certificates, national IDs or passports, and hospital delivery forms. Registration is free within 120 days after birth but a fee is issued beyond the deadline. |
| Requirements for birth registration | Identification of the child’s father, Father’s presence, Father’s consent, Identification of the child’s mother, Mother’s presence, Mother’s consent, Marriage certificate or proof of marriage, Immunization card, Name of the child, Presence and identification of witness |
| Information collected | Regarding the child: Name, Date of birth, Time of Birth, Sex, Weight at birth, Height at birth, Ethnicity, Date of registration, Attendant during birth, Place of occurrence [of the birth], Type of place of occurrence (hospital, home, etc.), Place of registration, Living arrangements (orphanhood, etc.)
Regarding the mother of the child: Name, Date of birth or age, Ethnicity, Names of parents, Place of usual residence, Place/country of birth, Marital status, Date of marriage, Level of education, Occupation, Contact information Regarding the father of the child: Name, Date of birth or age, Ethnicity, Names of parents, Place of usual residence, Place/country of birth, Marital status, Date of marriage, Level of education, Occupation, Contact information Miscellaneous: Information the declarant of the birth |
| Processing | Manually (on paper), Electronic registration to commence in 2017 |
| Place of registration | Civil registration office, Registration post, Health facility with civil registration staff |
| A birth certificate is required for: | Identification, Education, Voting, Inheritance |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on births | The mandate for collecting and publishing vital statistics, which belongs to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), was done manually through statistical forms; however no vital statistics report has been produced through the manual process. Internally, at the National Directorate of Registry and Notary, information on birth events is reported to the Notarial Records monthly for statistical analysis. The electronic system of Vital Statistics and Civil Registry developed to produce real-time statistics is in the testing phase and awaiting revision of the legal framework to facilitate electronic registration. |
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.
Marriage Registration
| Legal framework for marriage registration | Law No. 12 on the Civil Registration Code (8 December 2004), articles 2, 4, 16, 30, 31, 37, 38; |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a marriage | Civil Registry Office, Ministry of Justice |
| Organizational structure | Decentralized |
| Legal age for marriage | 18 years old for both sexes;
Exemption: 16 years of age for both sexes with parental consent |
| Is there a legal obligation to register marriages? | Yes |
| Is an official marriage certificate issued as a result of marriage registration? | Yes, within 48 hours |
| Legal informant to register a marriage | Spouses, Attorney of law |
| Time allowed for registration | 90 days |
| Fee for marriage registration | Yes |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | No |
| Fee for marriage certificate | Yes |
| Penalty for late registration | No |
| Other official fees involved in the marriage registration process | Yes, potentially including pre-registration process review, wedding-hall fee, cost to expedite the process or communication fee |
| Additional registration requirements or fees if one spouse was born outside the country or has dual citizenship | Birth certificate (narrative version), Single status certificate or marital capability certificate, Residence permit of at least 3 months, Copy of National ID, passport or residence permit, Copies of national IDs, marriage certificates of godparents or witness to the marriage |
| Requirements for marriage registration | Birth certificate (narrative version) for bride and groom, Residence permit of at least 3 months, Copy of national ID, passport or residence permit, Copies of national IDs, marriage certificates of godparents or witness to the marriage. |
| Information collected | Regarding the spouses: Place of usual residence of the bride and groom, Date of birth or age of bride and groom, Marital status, Paternal and maternal filiation of the bride and groom
Regarding the marriage: Date of occurrence, Date of registration, Ante-nuptial convention, Witnesses, Endorsements (averbamentos) |
| Processing | Manually (on paper), Electronic registration to commence in 2017 |
| Place of registration | Place of occurrence [of the marriage] |
| A marriage certificate is required for: | Registering birth of children, Transferring property, Updating records, Processing national identification, Passports |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on marriage | Information on acts of marriage is reported monthly to the National Directorate of Notarial Records for statistical analysis purposes. |
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. 12 on the Civil Registration Code (8 December 2004) |
| Official authorities in charge of registering a death | Civil Registry Office, Ministry of Justice |
| Organizational structure | Decentralized |
| Is there a legal obligation to register deaths? | Yes |
| Is an official death certificate issued as a result of death registration? | Yes, within 48 hours;
The basis of the registration is the medical certificate from the hospital, a police letter or a declaration from a community leader. |
| Legal informant to register a death | Relatives, Administrative authorities, Police, Funeral agency organizing the burial |
| Time allowed for registration | 48 hours (maximum 3 months) |
| Fee for death registration | Yes, the fee varies based on whether or not a will or property are involved |
| Can the fee be increased or waived? | Yes, fees are increased for the death of a person who has a will or property; fees may be waived when the deceased is found to be incapacitated or if the declarant has a poverty certificate |
| Fee for death certificate | Yes |
| Penalty for late registration | No |
| Other official fees involved in the death registration process | Yes, for notification for death registration |
| Registration requirements or fees specific for the deaths of people who were residents in the country and also of foreign nationality | Medical death certificate, Identification card, Letter from embassy/consulate, Request from declarant |
| Requirements for death registration | Medical death certificate, Identification of the deceased (if available), Identification of the declarant including contact details and place of residence |
| Information collected | Regarding the deceased: Name, Nationality, Birth registration, Age (including months, days, hours and minutes if the deceased was a minor), Sex, Level of education, Race, Marital status, Name of widow or widower if married, Property regime, Occupation, Name of the parents, Place of usual residence,
Regarding the death: Date of death, Time of death, Place of occurrence [of the death], Place of registration, Cause of death, Type of death if it was not due to natural causes, Whether the death occurred at work, Name of person who has provided this information |
| Information collected in case of fetal death | Regarding the death: Fetal weight, Duration of the gestation, Type of pregnancy, Type of delivery, Whether the child was stillborn or died during delivery
Regarding the mother: Age, Nationality, Occupation, Level of education, Number of live births during her lifetime, Number of stillbirths during her lifetime, Survival status (whether the mother died during or after delivery) |
| Processing | Manually (on paper), Electronic registration to commence in 2017 |
| Place of registration | Civil registration office, Registration post, Health facility with civil registration staff |
| A death certificate is required for: | Inheritance, Claiming social security funds |
| Process for establishing vital statistics on deaths | The mandate for collecting and publishing vital statistics, which now belongs to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), was done manually through statistical forms; however no vital statistics report has been produced through the manual process. The electronic system of Vital Statistics and Civil Registry developed to produce real-time statistics is in the testing phase and awaiting revision of the legal framework to facilitate electronic registration. Internally, at the National Directorate of Registry and Notary, information on death events is reported monthly to the Notarial Records for statistical analysis. The Ministry of Health produces a mortality report that is shared with stakeholders. |
Download sample death registration form
Download sample death 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.