Date of publication:

11/03/2025

Ethiopia

Do domestic laws and policies provide for the recognition and recording of vital personal events of forcibly displaced and stateless persons that occurred outside the country of residence? 

ANALYSIS

Assessment by population

Refugees
Asylum-seekers
Analysis

According to Authentication and Registration of Documents’ Proclamation No. 922/2015, documents that are required to be authenticated and registered in accordance with the appropriate law shall have no legal effect unless authenticated and registered in accordance with the Proclamation. As per Article 17(1) of the Vital Events Registration and National Identity Proclamation No. 760/2012, all vital events must be registered. Vital events documents originating from foreign countries have to go through authentication process authenticated by the Ethiopian consular office in the concerned country or the country’s consular office in Ethiopia before it is submitted for authentication by MoFA. 

As per Article 6(1) and (2) (a) of Proclamation No. 922/2015, any document originating from a foreign country needs to be authenticated by the Ethiopian consular office in the concerned country or the country’s consular office in Ethiopia before it is submitted for authentication by Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This means that all vital events certificates issued abroad should be authenticated before having any legal effect. Regarding marriage, the law is explicit in that Ethiopia recognizes marriage celebrated abroad and allows it to be registered as a valid marriage as per article 5 of the 2005 Revised Family Code.

    LAW & POLICY

    Related provisions of domestic law or policy

    Registration of Vital Events and National Identity Card Proclamation No. 760/2012 (as amended by proclamation No. 1049/2017)

    Legal provision

    17(1) Principle

    Any vital event shall be registered with necessary detail information that can be used for legal, administrative and statistical purposes.

    Authentication and Registration of Documents’ Proclamation No. 922/ 2015

    Legal provision

    Article 6(1&2) Other Federal Government Organs Vested with the Powers and Duties of Authentication of Document

    1/ The Ethiopian Embassies and Consular Offices shall authenticate documents to be sent to Ethiopia. 2/ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall authenticate: a) documents authenticated by Ethiopian Embassies and Consular Offices and by embassies and consular offices of foreign countries in Ethiopia; b) documents that are to be sent abroad and require authentication under the law of the receiving country.

    Revised Family Code, Proclamation No. 213/2000

    Legal provision

    Article 5 - Marriage Celebrated Abroad

    Marriage celebrated abroad in accordance with the law of the Place of celebration shall be valid in Ethiopia so long as it does not contravene public moral.