Rwanda: Procedure for obtaining a passport for a child
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 21 July 2008 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | RWA102861.FE |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Rwanda: Procedure for obtaining a passport for a child, 21 July 2008, RWA102861.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/48d2237cc.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| 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. |
According to correspondence from the Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration dated 3 July 2008 and forwarded by the Embassy of Rwanda in Ottawa to the Research Directorate on 11 July 2008, the following documents are required to obtain a Rwandan passport for a child under 16 years of age:
[translation]
– A letter of request signed by both parents and addressed to the Director General of Immigration and Emigration;
– A birth certificate issued by the Vital Statistics Office of the Sector (Bureau de l'Etat Civil du Secteur);
– A photocopy of both parents' identity cards;
– One colour passport photo taken against a white background. (Rwanda 3 July 2008)
In some circumstances, another document may also be required:
[translation]
– If a parent is deceased, the other parent must provide a certificate of death at the time of application;
– If a child is born to a single mother and the child's father has not been named, the mother must provide a certificate of single status (attestation de célibat);
– If the child's father was named, he must provide an acknowledgement of paternity (acte de reconnaissance);
– If a parent is out of the country at the time of application for the child's passport, that parent must provide power of attorney to the other parent. If the parent lives in a country in which Rwanda has diplomatic representation, the power of attorney must be certified with the embassy's signature and seal;
– If a parent is in prison, the other parent must provide a certified power of attorney bearing the signature and seal of the prison warden. (ibid.)
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.
Reference
Rwanda. 3 July 2008. Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration. Correspondence from the division head, Inspection des Nationaux forwarded to the Research Directorate by the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in Ottawa on 11 July 2008.
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: The Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in Washington and the Canadian High Commission in Kenya did not respond to requests for information within time constraints.
Internet sites, including: AllAfrica.com, Embassy of Rwanda in Germany, Embassy of Rwanda in the United Kingdom, Embassy of Rwanda in Washington, Factiva, Freedom House, government of Rwanda; The New Times [Kigali], Syfia Grands Lacs, United States Department of State.
