Civil Registrations

Overview Of Civil Registrations

Civil registration is the official recording of one’s particulars in the official form provided by the law and recognized both nationally and internationally. Birth, death, adoption and marriage are part of a broad civil registration system also referred to as the registration of civil events.

This section is mandated under the laws mentioned below to ensure that all the materials related to the above are delivered to the gazetted registration centres, hospitals and ensure that the reports and returns are submitted back to the section quarterly.

The section has so far developed guidelines on procedures for registration in order to guide you through the various forms and processes. It is therefore our mandate to ensure that all adoption and marriages occurring in Malawi are registered.

The objectives and functions of the Civil Registry include provision of births, deaths, marriages and adoption registration services, collection and accounting for all revenue generated from the provision of these services.

However, it should be noted that birth and death registrations were placed under the mandate of the National Registration Bureau which was established by the National Registrations Act which repealed the Births and Deaths Registration Act but is yet to come into effect.

The Registry still however issues copies of the already registered birth and death certificates.

Marriages

The Registrar General is the Registrar of Marriages under the Marriages Act Cap. 25:01. The Registrar General also administers the Asiatics (Marriage, Divorce and Succession) Act Cap. 25:03 and the African Marriage (Christian Rites) Act Cap. 25:02.

Adoptions

The Registrar General is also responsible for registering adoptions and issuing a shortened form  birth certificate. This is done on once all the processes have been completed and the adoption has been approved by a valid court.