Burkina Faso Civil Registration

Offices to Contact
Births, Marriages, and Deaths

Ministry of Territorial Administration Decentralization and Security (MATDS)/Directorate of Civil Registration

Directorate-General of Civil Registration Modernization (DGMEC)

Mayors of municipalities

Births Places of registration: Chief towns of the department and the communes (primary centres); Health units in villages and sectors of towns and communes, place of birth (secondary centres)

Marriages The registration of marriages takes place at the level of the main civil status centres and the secondary centres, by the registrar of the place of residence of the spouses.

Deaths Chief towns of the department and the communes (primary centers) Health units in villages and sectors of towns and communes, place of birth (secondary centers)

Historical Background
The main law for marriage is the Burkina Faso Family Code..."civil marriage is the only legally valid and binding form of marriage in the country. However, other types of marriage exist, even though they are not legally binding, such as traditional marriages and religious marriages, which offer little or no protection to women." Especially in urban areas, the types of marriages may overlap. "Civil marriages are by far the least common form of marriage...since the majority of the population lives in rural areas where traditional or religious marriages are more commonly practiced."

Information Recorded in the Records
Birth Record


 * Name of baby
 * Sex
 * Date of birth
 * Date of registration
 * Place of birth
 * Place of registration
 * Mother's date of birth or age
 * Mother's place of usual residence
 * Mother's occupation
 * Father's date of birth or age
 * Father's place of usual residence
 * Father's occupation

Marriage Certificate


 * Surname, first name, occupation, age, date and place of birth, homes and residence of the husband
 * Surname, first name, profession and domiciles of the father and mother
 * Consent of the person with parental authority or of the guardian, if required
 * Declaration by the contracting parties that they are to be regarded as spouses, and the civil registration officer
 * Surname, first name, profession and domicile of the witnesses
 * Choice of the matrimonial regime adopted or governing the spouses
 * A statement that a marriage contract has been or has not been made and, if so, the name and domicile of the clerk-notary who received it
 * Declaration of option of polygamy, where applicable

Death Record


 * Name of deceased
 * Sex
 * Date of birth or age
 * Place of usual residence
 * Place of birth
 * Occupation
 * Name of parents
 * Date of death
 * Date of registration
 * Place of occurrence
 * Place of registration