Civil registration

Malta

Country Report: Civil registration Last updated: 21/09/23

Individuals can register childbirth and marriage at the Public Registry office. There is only one location in the capital, Valletta, where such administrative requests can be made. A child must be registered within 15 days following their birth. The person transmitting such notice has to present his or her identity card, and any documentation provided to him or her by the hospital.

The Marriage Registry, within the Public Registry office, receives requests for the Publication of Banns for marriages and civil unions taking place in Malta. Applications for the publication of Banns are received between three months and six weeks prior to the date of marriage or civil union. The Banns are published five to four weeks prior to the date of marriage or civil union.

Beneficiaries of international protection are also requested to inform the IPA about changes in their marital or parental situation. Applicants are not permitted to marry.

In practice, beneficiaries of international protection may experience difficulties stemming from a lack of clear information on the procedure and documents required for civil registration. Problems are reported in situations where persons present personal details in a manner that differs from those on their asylum documentation. This includes spelling mistakes but also incorrect information relating to civil status. Rectification of these errors is often problematic and burdensome, with most entities relying on the first statements provided by applicants.

 

Table of contents

  • Statistics
  • Overview of the legal framework
  • Overview of the main changes since the previous report update
  • Asylum Procedure
  • Reception Conditions
  • Detention of Asylum Seekers
  • Content of International Protection
  • ANNEX I – Transposition of the CEAS in national legislation