Democratic Republic of the Congo: Whether a birth, marriage or death certificate can be obtained by a person residing outside the country; the procedure to follow and the fees required

The information in this Response was provided on 21 November 2011 by a representative of the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Ottawa during a telephone interview with the Research Directorate. The representative stated that it is possible for a person residing outside the country to obtain a copy of their birth certificate, but that it is more difficult to obtain a marriage or death certificate.

With regard to the birth certificate, the representative advised that it is best to go to the embassy in person to make the request. In doing so, the person must present their Congolese passport as proof of birth in the Congo and their permanent resident card as proof of residence in Canada. However, the representative added that a person can also fill out an application for a birth certificate on the embassy's website, print it, and send it to the embassy by mail along with photocopies of the aforementioned documents. The representative noted that a fee of C$50 is required and that it takes 10 to 15 business days for the document to be issued.

With regard to the marriage certificate, the representative indicated that [translation] "it is more difficult to obtain." He stated that the procedure can be easier if the person has a notarized declaration of marriage, but it depends on the date of the marriage and where it took place. In any case, he stated that the process [translation] "can take a long time." The representative stated that he was not aware of any requests of this kind.

According to the representative, death certificates can also be difficult to obtain and [translation] "it all depends on how the person died and where they died." If a person dies at home, in a small village or in the bush, no death certificate is issued. However, when a person dies in a hospital, the coroner has the legal obligation to complete a death certificate and give it to a member of the family at the hospital. If no family member is present, the representative suggested that the document might be filed in the hospital archives. He added that this is more likely to be done in [translation] "well known and serious hospitals" in large cities. According to him, if a person dies at a clinic, family members present may have received a death certificate completed by the physician. However, he doubts that any records of deaths are retained by clinics.

The representative noted that [translation] "obtaining a death certificate is not part of people's mindset and that it is more of a legal matter." However, he stated that it is necessary to present a death certificate for a person to be buried in a cemetery. Information that could corroborate or be compared to this information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

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

Democratic Republic of the Congo. 21 November 2011. Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Ottawa. Telephone interview with a representative.

Additional Sources Consulted

Internet sites, including: Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Ottawa; Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.