Syria Civil Registration

Offices to Contact
"Upon certification by the presiding judge, the marriage is documented and each spouse receives an attested copy of the marriage contract, containing its date and serial number. The court will then transmit the original marriage contract to the civil registry office in its operational area, which will record the marriage and forward the information to the civil registry office where the respective spouse’s records are kept, where their individual marital status’ will be updated (from single/divorced/widowed to married), and to transfer and merge the wife’s civil registry record to/with the one of the husband."

For marriages of non-Syrians within Syria, "Having verified the authenticity and completeness of the application, the religious judge will forward the application to an assistant who will have the partners recite the formulaic declaration and sign the standard marriage contract and will then duly document the marriage."

Marriages of Syrian citizens to foreigners inside Syria, "Marriages of Syrian citizens (or Syrian Palestinians1) to non-Arab foreigners require prior approval from the Syrian Minister of Interior or the person authorized by him (as per Legislative Decree 26 of 2007). Without such approval, a marriage to a foreigner cannot be registered in the civil registry, notwithstanding a court ruling. In the event of a divorce occurring prior to the registration of the marriage (or the receipt of the formal approval), both the marriage and the divorce will be registered, without the formal approval being necessary any longer."

"Births occurring within the Syrian Arab Republic What are the required documents and steps to register a birth? 11.Birth notification from the administering hospital, doctor or licensed midwife. 22.Birth attestation obtained from the mukhtar as per the birth notification for the births occurring at home, or as per birth attestation issued by the hospital for the births occurring in the hospital. 33.Family booklet, if not available, the personal ID cards of both parents, in addition to a family statement which proves the registration of marriage. All the above documents shall be submitted to the civil registry department (al-nufus), either where the father’s civil records are kept or where the birth took place, and then the birth will be registered and the official birth certificate issued. Which mukhtar should endorse the birth attestation? The responsible mukhtar for the birth attestation is either the mukhtar responsible for the area where the birth took place, or the mukhtar of the area where the parents’ civil registry records are kept."

"Registration of the birth of a foreigner’s child in the Syrian Arab Republic What documents and steps are required to register the birth of a nonSyrian national in Syria? 11.A birth attestation issued by the mukhtar of the area where the birth took place on the basis of the birth notification obtained from the hospital or the (registered) midwife. 22.Copies of the non-Syrian parents’ national passports. 33.A copy of the non-Syrian parents’ marriage certificate. 1 This may include the case of a child born out of wedlock where both parents refuse its recognition. Civil documentation and registration 24 44.Stamps. The aforementioned document are to be presented to the civil registry at the location of the parents’ residence, where the birth is then registered and a birth certificate provided. The parents shall then register the child with the responsible representation of their home state(s) in order for a passport to be issued for the child (or to have the child added to the relevant parent’s passport."

"The three types of divorce under Syrian law are: 11.A divorce based on the unilateral declaration of the husband (talaq). 22.An uncontested or consensual divorce, when both spouses reach a mutual agreement on the termination of the marriage and on financial and other common issues. 33.A divorce through dissolution of marriage; this type of divorce applies to four situations: a. At-fault divorce b. Divorce due to travel/absence c. Divorce due to lack of financial support d. Divorce for personal reasons and/or unsolvable disagreements between the partners How is a divorce recorded in the civil registry after a divorce judgment? (So to avoid a subsequent family civil registry statement noting the individual as still being married) Regardless of the type of divorce, a divorce only becomes effective following its pronouncement by the competent religious court. Following the court’s decision, it will send an attested copy of the divorce judgment to the civil registry that maintained the married couple’s records, which, upon verification of the documentation will record the divorce of the concerned individuals."

Coverage and Compliance
National ID Cards (1947-Present) Includes:
 * Names
 * Date of Birth
 * Mother and Father Name
 * Date and City of Issuance

Family Booklets (1947-present) Issued at time of marriage. Includes:
 * Husband and Wife Names
 * Date of Birth
 * Marriage date and place
 * Children's Names
 * Date of Birth and Place of Birth