1. Concluding a Marriage Contract +

Conditions:

• The man and woman must meet the legal requirements for marriage
• Court authorization and the presence of two witnesses if either spouse is under the legal age for marriage
• Written consent from the guardian with valid justification in case of absence, when marriage involves a minor
• Authorization from the administration for those subject to prior approval for marriage, such as members of active organizations, the National Army, the Diplomatic Corps, and Internal Security Forces

Required Documents:

• Original, recent birth certificate for each spouse
• Premarital medical certificate for both spouses
• Copy of an official identity document
• Death certificate of spouse for widowers/widows
• Birth certificate indicating divorce or a copy of the divorce judgment for divorced persons
• Authorization from the consulate or diplomatic mission confirming eligibility to marry, for foreigners
• Certificate of conversion to Islam for non-Muslim foreigners wishing to marry a Tunisian Muslim woman
• Witnesses must present their identity cards

Steps:

• Submission of an application by concerned parties to the civil registrar at the central service or one of the municipal districts, presenting the required documents; the marriage date is then set
• Preparation and signing of the marriage contract by the concerned parties (the couple, the witnesses, the civil registrar)

Time Frame:

From two days to one week

2. Birth Registration +

Required Documents:

• Providing the required information, either by notification from the person who witnessed the birth
• Notification from the hospital or clinic where the birth occurred
• Or anyone who witnessed the delivery
• Or any document proving the identity of the father and mother, such as the father’s or mother’s national ID card, family record book, or birth certificate of one of their children
• Teacher’s signature in the birth register

Note:

Providing documents aims to avoid mistakes and to ensure the consistency of family surnames.

Service Steps:

• Submission of a request by the concerned party to the civil registrar with the required information and birth location, and signing the birth registration book (in two copies)

Involved Parties:

Civil registrar at the municipal districts

Deadlines:

• Registration must be done within 10 days from the date of birth.
• After the legal deadline, registration is only possible with a court order

Where to Obtain the Service:

Civil status department at the municipal districts.

Legal and/or Regulatory References:

• Articles 22, 23, 24, 25, and 27 of Law No. 3 of 1957 dated August 1, 1957, on civil status organization.
• Articles 3, 7, and 10 of Civil Status Law No. 31 of 1965 dated July 24, 1965.
• Prime Ministry Circular No. 15 dated February 14, 1989

3. Death Registration +

Required Documents:

• Medical death certificate issued by the doctor who examined the body
• National identity card of the deceased, if available
• Family record book or birth certificate of the deceased
• If the newborn dies before registration: medical certificate proving the birth and death

Conditions:

• Death must be declared within 24 hours of its occurrence
• If the death occurred outside the hospital, a medical certificate stating the cause of death must be provided
• In the event of death by accident or crime, a police report must be attached

Steps:

• Declaration of death at the competent civil status office
• All required documents must be attached
• Death is recorded in the civil status registers
• Obtain the official death certificate

Deadlines:

• Death must be declared within 24 hours
• If delayed, an acceptable justification must be provided
• If the death occurred abroad, it must be declared within 10 days of return

Notes:

• Relatives of the deceased up to the fourth degree may declare the death
• If there are no relatives, any person present at the time of death may declare it
• Original documents must be provided along with a copy

4. Death Certificate Extract / Marriage Certificate Extract / Birth Certificate Extract +

Service Access Conditions:

• It suffices to submit a request

Required Documents:

• Information about registration number, year, and day
• Or a civil status document for the person concerned, specifying whether it is an original, a declaration, or a judgment (for birth certificate extract)
• For marriage certificate: indicate whether the contract was made at the municipality or with a notary
• Payment for the requested documents in cash or by postal order in the name of the municipal receipts officer, with a stamped envelope with the applicant’s address if sent by mail

Service Steps:

• Request made by the concerned person to the civil registrar, providing the required information or adding a civil status document or registration number, year, and day for the birth certificate extract (specifying if it is original, declaration, or judgment)
• For marriage certificate extract (specify if concluded before the civil registrar)

Notes:

• Civil status extracts are delivered to the holder of the record, their ascendants, descendants, guardian, legal representative, and spouse if not separated or divorced; administrative extracts are delivered free of charge to the public prosecutor and various administrative departments

Involved Parties:

Civil registrar at the municipal district

Where to Obtain the Service:

• Civil status department at the municipal districts
• Central service for births before 1965 (birth, marriage, and death extracts)
• Special office for births abroad for birth extract applicants
• Islamic cemeteries department for death extract applicants

Time to Obtain Service:

Within 24 hours of submitting the request

Legal and/or Regulatory References:

• Law No. 3 of 1957 dated August 1, 1957, on civil status organization
• Law No. 42 of 1964 dated November 4, 1964, on civil status
• Prime Ministry Circular No. 15 dated February 14, 1989

5. Burial Permit +

Required Documents:

• Medical certificate indicating death occurred under natural circumstances
• Authorization from the Public Prosecutor if death occurred under unusual or suspicious circumstances
• Security services report in case of unnatural death
• Fee for the requested document

Note:

If death is suspicious or resulted from violence or any other unnatural circumstance, the burial permit is issued only after reviewing the report prepared by the competent security services

Steps:

• Submission of an application by concerned parties to the civil registrar, providing the required information and documents

Involved Parties:

Civil registrar – security services – Public Prosecutor

Where to Obtain the Service:

Civil status department at the municipality – security services – public prosecution

Time to Obtain Service:

Within 24 hours in normal cases – may take longer in special cases

Legal References:

• Civil Status Law
• Laws related to burial and cemeteries
• Instructions issued by the Ministry of Interior

6. First Issuance of Family Record Book and Issuing a Copy (in case of loss or for a divorced wife unless she remarries) +

Required Documents:

• Photograph of the head of the family (optional)
• Marriage certificate
• Birth certificate for each spouse
• Certificates for other family members (if issuing a copy, renewing, or after a long time since marriage)
• Death certificate of husband when delivering the book to the mother
• Copy of the divorce judgment for the wife with custody
• Fee for the family record book

Service Steps:

• Submission of an application by concerned parties with documents to the civil registrar in the district where the marriage took place, providing the required information
• For those married before the Civil Status Law of 1957, the family record book is issued by the civil status department at the husband’s place of birth

Involved Parties:

Civil registrar

Where to Obtain the Service:

Civil status department at the municipal districts

Time to Obtain Service:

Immediately at the time of marriage or within a week otherwise

Legal and/or Regulatory References:

• Law No. 28 of 1967 dated June 30, 1967, on the creation of the family record book, amended by Law No. 16 of 1970 dated April 20, 1970
• Prime Ministry Circular No. 15 dated February 14, 1989

Important Recommendations:

• Application must be submitted by the concerned parties: head of household, divorced woman (if not remarried), widow who remains the custodian unless a contrary judgment is issued
• All entries in the family record book must be made only by the authorized civil registrar; no one else may make amendments or notes
• If the family head holding the record book dies or is stripped of civil rights, the right to keep the book passes to the wife unless a contrary judgment is issued
• Civil status documents extracted from the family record book have the same legal probative force as those from the original register
• Anyone who intentionally uses documents issued from a family record book containing incomplete or incorrect information is subject to one year in prison and a fine of 240 dinars

7.Signature Authentication +

Service Access Conditions:

• The document to be authenticated must not violate morals or public order
• Document must be written in Arabic or a language commonly used in the administration
• Applicant must meet legal requirements for signing capacity
• Must carry an official identity document
• Must appear and sign in person before the officer (except for signatures deposited in municipal records)

Note:

For illiterate or incapacitated persons, the document is read to them in the presence of two trustworthy witnesses carrying their identity cards, and this is recorded in the register

Required Documents:

• The document to be authenticated
• Official identity document (ID card, passport)

Service Steps:

• Submission of the document for signature authentication
• Immediate signing in front of the administrative officer responsible for authentication
• Recording of data in the official register and applicant’s signature in front of their document data
• Payment of fees and receipt, with note on the authenticated document
• Adding necessary notes, stamps, and date to the document
• Officer’s signature with indication of identity and title

Involved Parties:

Civil status department at the municipal district

Where to Submit the File:

Civil status department at the municipal district

Where to Obtain the Service:

Civil status department at the municipal district

Time to Obtain Service:

Immediately upon application

Required Fees:

The legal fee determined by document type

Legal References:

• Civil Status Law
• Laws regulating official signatures
• Laws regulating official documents

8. Certified True Copy +

Service Access Conditions:

• The document to be certified must not violate morals or public order
• The document must be written in Arabic or a language generally used by the relevant administration

Required Documents:

• The original document
• The copies to be certified as true copies

Service Steps:

• Verification that the copies are identical in all respects to the original
• Special stamp is affixed to copies deemed identical to the original
• All required data are recorded either on the certified copy or in the designated register (summary, date, amount collected, identity and title of officer)

Involved Parties:

Civil status department at the municipal district

Where to Submit the File:

Civil status department at the municipal district

Where to Obtain the Service:

Civil status department at the municipal district

Time to Obtain Service:

On the same day

Legal and/or Regulatory References:

• Law No. 103 of 1994 dated August 1, 1994
• Decree No. 1969 of 1994 dated September 26, 1994
• Minister of Interior Decree dated December 16, 1995

Notes:

• Certificates that require true copy certification, as per the Minister of Interior’s decision, include: various academic and school certificates, and rental contracts
• A fee of 500 millimes is charged for each certification, up to 3 copies of the same document maximum