Birth registration

Birth document registration is the procedure of registering a newborn child on the basis of the birth declaration of the parents, one of them or other authorized persons according to the conditions and term established by the legislator.

The birth document is the civil status document drawn up on a standardized form, a unique model throughout the territory of the Republic of Moldova, which confirms the fact of birth of the holder thereof. 

Birth declaration 

The obligation to declare the birth of the child lies with the parents or one of them. 

If the parents are unable to be present in person, the birth declaration is made by: 

• the relatives of the parents;
• a person authorized by the child's parents;
• the administration of the health facility in which the birth took place or where the child is present;
• the guardianship authority. 

The grounds for birth registration are:

• the medical certificate attesting the birth, issued by the health facility where the birth took place;
• the medical certificate of birth, issued by the private health facility, by the doctor who attended the birth or to whom the mother went after the birth (when the birth took place outside the health facility) or by a private doctor who attended the birth;
• the minutes and certificate establishing the sex and age of the child - in the case of registration of the birth of a foundling. 

In the absence of the documents referred to in letters a)-c), the registration of the birth of the child is made on the basis of the court's judgment on the establishment of the fact of the birth of the child by a concrete woman. 

Deadline for submitting the birth declaration 

The deadline for declaring the birth and registering the civil status document is 3 months from the day of the child's birth at the latest. 

! Attention: According to Article 339 paragraph (1) of the Contravention Code (Infringement of the legislation on the regime of civil status documents), "The concealment of birth or death or the declaration of birth or death in violation of the conditions or time limits stipulated by the legislation is punishable by a fine of 9 to 21 conventional units."

! Attention: According to Article 25 of Law no. 100/2001 on civil status documents, "The person who has found an abandoned child is obliged to notify the police within 24 hours and to present the child with all objects and documents found on him/her." 

Attention! If the birth is registered on the basis of a certificate attesting the birth which is more than one year after the date of the event, the birth document is drawn up in the administrative procedure of subsequent registration of the civil status document (Service "Subsequent registration of the civil status document"). 

Entry of parental data 

Data on the mother are entered in the birth document on the basis of the medical certificate attesting the birth. 

According to Article 47 paragraph (3) of the Family Code of the Republic of Moldova, a child born to married parents or within 300 days of the dissolution of the marriage, the declaration of nullity of the marriage or the death of the husband of the mother of the child has the mother's husband (ex-husband) as father, unless it has been established otherwise. The father's data are entered in this case on the basis of the marriage document.

The presumption of paternity of the husband (ex-husband) may be rebutted by a declaration of the spouses (ex-spouses) submitted in person at the time of registration of the birth document. If the spouses (one of them) cannot be present in person, the declaration is authenticated by a notary and submitted to the civil status body.

According to Article 47 paragraph (5) of the Family Code of the Republic of Moldova, if the parents of the child are not married, the data about the father can be entered on the basis of the declaration on the establishment of paternity.

The joint declaration of paternity of the mother and father of the child may be submitted to the territorial civil status body until the child is born.

In cases where the mother is deceased, declared deceased, incapacitated or missing, or where her whereabouts are unknown, and in cases where she has lost her parental rights, paternity shall be established on the basis of the father's declaration and the written agreement of the guardian authority or by court judgment in the absence of such agreement.

If the child is born to unmarried parents and in the absence of a joint declaration by the parents or the child's father, paternity may be established by the court on the basis of a declaration by one of the parents, the child's guardian (curator) or the child him or herself when he or she reaches the age of majority. 

If the child is born to unmarried parents, in the absence of a joint application by the parents or a court judgment establishing paternity, the father's surname is entered after the mother's surname, and the father's forename - as indicated by the mother or the person making the birth declaration. The entry of data concerning the father of the child in this case may not prevent subsequent establishment of paternity. 

If the mother so wishes, the heading on data concerning the father of the child in the birth document may be left blank. 

Registration of the surname and forename of the child 

According to Article 55 paragraph (2) of the Family Code of the Republic of Moldova, the child acquires the surname of his/her parents. 

If the parents have different surnames, the child will take the father's or mother's surname, on the basis of their common agreement. The child's forename may be simple or composed of two forenames, according to the wishes of both parents.

The civil status body may refuse to register forenames made up of indecent or ridiculous words. 

According to Article 55 paragraph (4) of the Family Code of the Republic of Moldova, in case of a dispute between the parents concerning the child's surname and/or forename, the guardianship authority decides. 

Pre-scheduling for requesting services in the territorial subdivisions of the PSA is available here: https://re.asp.gov.md/