Date of publication:
01/07/2026
Kyrgyzstan
Do domestic laws and policies provide for the registration of vital events, other than birth, of forcibly displaced and stateless persons occurring in the country of residence?
Assessment by population
Analysis
To register vital events (marriage, divorce and death) in the Kyrgyz Republic, it is necessary to submit one of the documents proving the applicant's identity, which is regulated by Article 7 of the Law "On Civil Status Acts". Among the identity documents required for civil status acts registration are:
1. A valid passport of a citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic (ID card) or a general civil passport for citizens outside the country.
2. An officer's identity card.
3. A residence permit for stateless persons.
4. A foreign citizen's passport.
5. A "Kairylman" certificate for state registration of a child's birth.
6. A refugee certificate.
7. A birth certificate for registering a change of surname, first name and patronymic for persons who have reached the age of sixteen, as well as minors.
According to Article 7 of the Law "On Acts of Civil Status" and paragraph 23 of the Instruction on the procedure for state registration of acts of civil status, the birth of a child is registered on the basis of a birth application and a medical birth certificate. For children born in the Kyrgyz Republic to foreign citizens or stateless persons residing in the country, registration is carried out in the general manner.
If the child's parents are not married, paternity can be established. If it is impossible for the child's parents to submit a joint application for the establishment of paternity, separate applications can be submitted by the father or mother. The authenticity of the signature on the application must be notarized. Such an application is submitted simultaneously with the mother's application to the civil registry office. In this case, the parents' opinion on assigning a surname to the child is indicated. If it is impossible to submit an application after the birth of the child, the future parents can submit it during the mother's pregnancy. Then the information on paternity is entered simultaneously with the birth registration. It is important to note that in accordance with Article 13 of the Law "On Acts of Civil Status", if the parents do not have identity documents, the child's birth is registered on the basis of a birth application and a medical certificate. A corresponding note is made in the electronic record. This provision ensures the child's right to state registration and obtaining a birth certificate.
According to Article 13 of the Law "On Refugees", refugees have the right to mandatory registration of civil status acts and obtaining the relevant documents. For them, a refugee certificate is accepted as an identity document, which is confirmed by Article 7 of the Law "On Acts of Civil Status". This allows refugees to freely register acts of birth, marriage, divorce and death.
However, asylum seekers face restrictions. Their certificates of registration of the application are not included in the list of identity documents, which complicates the registration of civil status acts. In order to register the birth of children, such persons, in accordance with the procedure for foreign citizens, must provide a passport of their citizenship and, in addition, a certificate of registration of the application as proof of registration with the population registration authorities. This creates barriers for asylum seekers to register the birth of children, if the asylum seekers do not have valid passports, but it is possible to register the birth of a child under Article 13 of the Law on Acts of Civil Status.
In the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic, refugees, in accordance with Article 13 of the Law "On Refugees", have the right to mandatory registration of acts of civil status. This article also provides that persons recognized as refugees have the same rights and bear the same obligations as foreign citizens permanently residing in the Kyrgyz Republic.
At the same time, according to the Instruction on the procedure for state registration of acts of civil status in the Kyrgyz Republic, registration of marriage between citizens of foreign states in the civil registry authorities on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic is not carried out. This provision causes a contradiction between the normative legal acts.
According to the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic "On normative legal acts of the Kyrgyz Republic" dated July 20, 2009 โ 241, laws have a higher legal force than by-laws, including government decrees, on the basis of which the said Instruction was approved. Thus, the provisions of the Instruction that limit the rights of refugees in terms of state registration of marriages should be considered taking into account the priority of the provisions of the law. In accordance with the restriction on marriage registration for foreign citizens, asylum seekers cannot marry on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic.
However, the legislation provides for the possibility of registering a marriage between foreign citizens, stateless persons, and citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic, state registration of the marriage of a citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic with a foreign citizen or stateless person is carried out by civil registry offices upon submission of the following documents:
- a joint application of the established form;
- separate notarized applications of persons wishing to marry, if one of the persons entering into marriage is unable to appear at the civil registry office to submit a joint application, and the application, certified by a foreign notary, must be legalized (apostilled);
- identity documents of persons wishing to marry;
- a certificate confirming that the foreign citizen is not in a registered marriage in the territory of the state of which he (she) is a citizen, with a note on consular legalization or apostille in the established manner, with a notarized translation into the state or official languages, unless otherwise provided by international treaties that have entered into force in the manner prescribed by law, to which the Kyrgyz Republic is a party.
State registration of the death of foreign citizens is carried out on the basis of:
- a medical death certificate;
- a passport certifying the identity of the deceased, with a translation into the state or official language, the translator's signature must be notarized;
- a refugee certificate;
- a "Kairylman" certificate, accordingly, asylum seekers may face barriers in the event of registration of the death of a deceased relative, in the absence of a passport of citizenship.
Thus, the domestic laws and policies of the Kyrgyz Republic provide for the registration of vital events such as marriage, divorce, birth and death for refugees and asylum seekers. However, there are some restrictions and barriers, especially for asylum seekers.
For refugees, the law provides the right to mandatory registration of acts of civil status (Article 13 of the Law "On Refugees"), which confirms their ability to register marriage, divorce, birth and death. The refugee certificate is recognized as an identity document, which allows refugees to carry out these actions.
At the same time, asylum seekers face difficulties, since their certificates of registration of application are not included in the list of identity documents. This limits their access to marriage registration and complicates the registration of death or birth in the absence of a passport of civil status. However, exceptions are provided for the registration of a child's birth, allowing registration on the basis of an application and a medical certificate (Article 13 of the Law "On Acts of Civil Status").
Thus, the law generally recognizes the rights of refugees to register vital events, but policy towards asylum seekers requires the removal of barriers to ensure their equal access to these services.
Related provisions of domestic law or policy
The Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on Refugees
- Year: 2002
- Type: Domestic law
- Rights Category: Asylum, Education, Freedom of movement, Health, Housing, land & property, Liberty & security of person, Nationality & facilitated naturalization, Social protection, Work & Workplace rights, Family life, Documentation
- Link to external source: https://www.refworld.org/legal/legislation/natlegbod/2002/en/119852?prevDestination=search&prevPath=/search?keywords=Law+on+refugees&order=desc&page=1&sm_country_name%5B%5D=Kyrgyzstan&sort=score&result=result-119852-en
Legal provision
Article 13 - Rights and obligations of a refugee in the Kyrgyz Republic
A person recognized as a refugee in the Kyrgyz Republic enjoys the same rights and bears the same obligations as foreign citizens permanently residing in the Kyrgyz Republic. A person recognized as a refugee in the Kyrgyz Republic shall also be granted the rights and obligations of a person applying for refugee status, as stipulated by Article 6 of this Law. A person recognized as a refugee in the Kyrgyz Republic and his family members shall have the right to: - reside for three months in a temporary settlement; - choose a settlement from among those proposed by the Authorized Body in which his relatives reside as their place of permanent residence, subject to their consent to cohabitation; - work for hire or engage in entrepreneurial activity in accordance with the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic; - acquire real estate under the conditions established for foreign citizens and stateless persons by the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic; - receive, with the assistance of the relevant state bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic, information about property left behind in the state of previous residence; - have the necessary documents proving his identity and travel documents; - to receive medical care on an equal basis with citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic; - to receive administrative assistance when applying to state bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic; - to mandatory registration of civil status acts and receipt of relevant documents.
The Law on Acts of Civil Status
- Year: 2020
- Type: Domestic law
- Rights Category: Documentation
- Link to external source: https://www.refworld.org/legal/legislation/natlegbod/2020/en/124348?prevDestination=search&prevPath=/search?order=desc&sm_country_name%5B%5D=Kyrgyzstan&sort=score&ss_collection_name%5B%5D=Legal+Instruments&result=result-124348-en
Legal provision
Article 7 - Recording of a civil status act
A civil status act shall be recorded electronically using an automated information system and printed on paper. In the event of a discrepancy between the text of the civil status act record in electronic form and the text on paper, the record on paper shall be considered the original. 2. To make a civil status act record, one of the following documents certifying the applicant's identity must be presented: 1) for state registration of birth, marriage, divorce, change of surname, first name, patronymic, and death: a) a valid passport of a citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic (ID card), and outside the Kyrgyz Republic - a passport of a citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic (ID card) or a general civil passport; b) an officer's identity card; c) a residence permit for stateless persons; d) a passport of a foreign citizen; d) a "Kairylman" certificate for state registration of the birth of a child; e) refugee certificate; g) birth certificate when registering a change of surname, first name and patronymic for persons who have reached the age of sixteen, as well as those who have not reached the age of majority; 2) when receiving a duplicate certificate: a) passport of a citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic (ID card), and outside the Kyrgyz Republic - passport of a citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic (ID card) or a general civil passport; b) officer's identity card; c) "Kairylman" certificate; d) residence permit for stateless persons; d) passport of a foreign citizen; e) certificate of release from places of imprisonment. g) refugee certificate. The authenticity of documents of citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic, foreign citizens and stateless persons issued by competent authorities of foreign states, certifying the fact of state registration of an act of civil status, presented for state registration of acts of civil status, is confirmed by means of consular legalization or apostille, unless otherwise provided by international treaties that have entered into force in the manner prescribed by law, to which the Kyrgyz Republic is a party, and translated into the state and official languages โโof the Kyrgyz Republic. The authenticity of the signature of the translator who translated the documents must be notarized.