Tanzania: Circumstances under which the document "certified copy of an entry in a register of births" is issued; requirements and procedures to obtain a copy in Tanzania, including issuing authority, content, appearance and security features; requirements and procedures in cases where no other identity document is available; when a replacement birth certificate is issued, whether the name appearing on the new certificate is the same as the name provided at the time of birth registration (2010-October 2015)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Publication Date | 13 November 2015 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | TZA105336.E |
| Related Document(s) | Tanzanie : information sur les circonstances entourant la délivrance d'une [traduction] « copie certifiée d'une inscription au registre des naissances »; les exigences et la marche à suivre pour obtenir ce document en Tanzanie, y compris l'autorité responsable de sa délivrance, son contenu, son apparence et ses caractéristiques de sécurité; les exigences et la marche à suivre dans le cas où aucune autre pièce d'identité n'est accessible; information indiquant si le nom apparaissant sur le nouveau certificat est le même que celui qui a été fourni lors de l'enregistrement de la naissance lorsqu'un certificat de naissance de remplacement est délivré (2010-octobre 2015) |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Tanzania: Circumstances under which the document "certified copy of an entry in a register of births" is issued; requirements and procedures to obtain a copy in Tanzania, including issuing authority, content, appearance and security features; requirements and procedures in cases where no other identity document is available; when a replacement birth certificate is issued, whether the name appearing on the new certificate is the same as the name provided at the time of birth registration (2010-October 2015), 13 November 2015, TZA105336.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57df9f3e4.html [accessed 22 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa
The Births and Deaths Registration Act, a copy of which is attached to this Response, indicates the following:
25. Certified copies
On payment of the prescribed fee -
every district registrar and the Registrar-General shall give a certified copy of any entry in any register of births or deaths in his custody;
the Registrar-General shall give a certified copy of any entry in any copy of a register delivered to him under the provisions of this Act or of any entry in any quarterly return of births or deaths made before the 1st January, 1923 (in pursuance of the provisions of section 13 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1920, which section was repealed by the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1922).
Every certified copy given under the provisions of this section shall be certified in the prescribed manner.
Every certified copy of an entry in a register of births or deaths or of an entry in a copy of such a register delivered to the Registrar-General under the provisions of this Act or of an entry in a quarterly return of births or deaths made as aforesaid shall, if it purports to be certified in the prescribed manner, be admissible in evidence without proof, and be prima facie evidence of the facts recorded therein. (Tanzania 1920)
The website of Tanzania's Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA), which is responsible for the "effective and efficient management of information on key life events, incorporation of trustees, safeguarding properties under trust, of deceased persons, insolvents, and minors to enable the law to take its course" (Tanzania n.d.a), indicates that, in order to obtain a copy of a birth certificate once it has been lost or stolen, the applicant must provide the following information:
Child's name
Father's name
Mother's name
Place of Birth
Relevant dates of birth and registration
Date of issue if possible
A copy of such certificate if any
Appropriate fee of 3500 Tanzanian Shillings (TZS) [C$2.11]. (ibid. n.d.b)
Additional information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
Regarding the change of name on a birth certificate, the RITA website indicates that the law allows for the change of name in the register of births within two years after registration (ibid. n.d.c). After the two years have passed, the applicant must submit a signed declaration for this purpose (Deed Poll) (ibid.). Additional information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
Information on the content, appearance, and security features of a "certified copy of an entry in a register of births," as well as on the requirements and procedures to obtain one in cases where no other identity document is available could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
Information on whether the name appearing on the new certificate is the same as the name provided at the time of birth registration when a replacement birth certificate is issued could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Tanzania. 1920 (amended 1962). The Births and Deaths Registration Act. [Accessed 13 Oct. 2015]
_____. N.d.a. Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA). "Aim and Historical Background." [Accessed 31 Oct. 2015]
_____. N.d.b. Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA). "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)." [Accessed 13 Oct. 2015]
_____. N.d.c. Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA). "Registration of Births." [Accessed 13 Oct. 2015]
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: National Organization for Legal Assistance; Tanzania - Embassy in Ottawa, Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency; United Nations - Children's Fund; 13 lawyers of civil law based in Tanzania.
Internet sites, including: Factiva; ecoi.net; Germany - German Society for International Cooperation; IRIN News; Tanzania - Embassy in Washington, High Commission in Ottawa, National Identification Authority; Tanzania Diaspora; United Nations - Development Program, RefWorld, ReliefWeb; Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization; United States - Department of State, Embassy in Dar es Salaam.
Attachment
Tanzania. 1920 [amended 1962]. The Births and Deaths Registration Act. [Accessed 13 Oct. 2015]
