Declaring a birth and getting a birth certificate
A birth is declared at the civil status centre of the place of birth within 90 days; after that, the certificate can only be established by a supplementary judgment of the court.
Who it concerns
The parents of any child born in Cameroon, or failing them the person who attended the birth or the head of the health facility. The birth certificate is the basis of every other formality (national identity card, school enrolment, passport).
Legal deadline
The declaration must be made within 90 days of the birth (law no. 2011/011 of 6 May 2011 amending ordinance no. 81/02 of 29 June 1981 organising civil status). When the birth took place in a health facility, the head of the facility issues a birth declaration used to draw up the certificate.
Documents to provide
- the birth declaration issued by the health facility or, failing that, the statements of two witnesses;
- the identity document of the declarant(s);
- the parents' marriage certificate, where applicable.
Steps
- Go to the civil status centre (council or secondary civil status centre) of the sub-division where the birth took place with the documents above.
- The civil status registrar draws up the certificate in the presence of the declarants and signs it; a copy or extract is handed to you.
- For any later copy, request a certified copy or an extract from the same centre, quoting the references of the certificate.
Late declaration
After 90 days, a birth certificate can only be established by a court decision: a supplementary judgment ("jugement supplétif") of the court of first instance of the place of birth, which the civil status registrar then transcribes.
Cost
The law provides that declaring a birth within the legal deadline is free. Later copies and extracts, and the court procedure for late declarations, may attract fees set by the texts and by the councils; ask at the civil status centre.
Legal basis
Ordinance no. 81/02 of 29 June 1981 organising civil status and various provisions on the status of natural persons; law no. 2011/011 of 6 May 2011 amending and supplementing certain provisions of the 1981 ordinance. The National Civil Status Registration Office (BUNEC) supervises the civil status centres.