By DMLF Team
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia introduced the Civil and Family Registration Proclamation No. 1370/2025, done on March 17,2025, to modernize and consolidate the legal framework for civil and family registration. The proclamation establishes a unified system for registering vital events that affect the legal identity, social rights, and administrative entitlements of individuals residing in Ethiopia and abroad.
The proclamation provides for the registration of vital events, including birth, marriage, divorce, adoption, acknowledgment, and death, ensuring that all such events are recorded timely, accurately, and confidentially. The law applies not only to Ethiopian citizens but also to foreign nationals residing in Ethiopia, affirming its universal applicability.
The Immigration and Citizenship Service is tasked with overseeing the implementation of this law. It operates from the federal level down to the lowest administrative units and is responsible for organizing, coordinating, and managing civil and family registration services. These services are to be supported by the use of appropriate technology, enabling durable record keeping and efficient data management across the country.
The proclamation further mandates the appointment of Officers of Civil Status at registration offices, health facilities, Ethiopian missions abroad, and other designated institutions. These officers are responsible for collecting and entering the required data into the national civil registry, issuing certificates, and ensuring the confidentiality and accuracy of all records.
Civil registration is to be conducted:
• At the place of occurrence or the principal residence of the declarant;
• Within strict time frames: births within 90 days, deaths within 50 days, and other events within 30 days;
• Through paper-based or digital means, depending on the available infrastructure.
A family registration system is also introduced to record relationships between individuals within a household, whether by blood, marriage, or adoption. This will assist in identifying family units for social, legal, and economic purposes.
Failure to register within the specified time frames must be justified with appropriate evidence, and officers have a duty to assess and record such delayed registrations with due diligence.
The proclamation also provides guidance for registration in special situations:
• Ethiopians living abroad may register vital events through Ethiopian embassies and consulates.
• Members of the Ethiopian Defense Forces, refugees, and citizens aboard Ethiopian ships are also covered under tailored procedures.
• Officers in these contexts are given authority to act on behalf of the civil status system, ensuring continuity and compliance.
To sum up, Ethiopia established a system of civil and family registration, not only for planning political, social and economic developments but also for protection of national security and rendering efficient services to citizens.
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