Maximum MVR 10,000 fine for late registration of birth

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, on Sunday, has ratified the Birth and Death Registration which will impose a fine of a maximum MVR 10,000 for failure to make the birth certificates of children within the mandated timeframe – based on the reason for the failure to adhere to the timeframe.

The parliament passed the bill in its 43^rd sitting of its third session held on November 28.

The law specifies guidelines and policies governing the registration of births, the formal declaration of deaths, and the issuing of national identification cards.

As per the law registration of births and deaths of Maldivian citizens abroad will require the submission of birth or death certificates issued by a government agency of the respective country.

The law also specifies penalties for penalties for the breach of law.

In this regard, providing false information for a birth certificate, death certificate or an identification card and altering and purposefully damaging such a document is stipulated as penalizable offenses.

Such persons face a fine between MVR 10,000 and MVR 15,000. If the offense is committed by staff of a government authority – he or she faces a fine between MVR 15,000 to MVR 25,000.

Following its ratification – the Birth and Death Registration Act is now in effect and has been published in the government gazette. The law also repeals the Birth Registration and Death Registration Act (Act No. 7/92) and Annex 1 of the General Regulations Act (Act No. 6/2008).