Rwanda
Ministerial Order establishing Modalities and Procedures for Change of Name
Ministerial Order 1 of 2017
- Published in Official Gazette 4 on 23 January 2017
- Assented to on 17 January 2017
- Commenced on 23 January 2017
- [This is the version of this document from 23 January 2017.]
Article One – Purpose of this Order
This Order establishes modalities and procedures for change of name. It also determines the registration certificate of additional name of religious vows.Article 2 – Modalities for application for change of name
The applicant for change of name addresses his/her request to the Minister in charge of civil status by letter stating the following:1°full names mentioned in his/her birth record;2°the name he/she requests to bear;3°grounds for the request for change of name;4°his/her domicile in Rwanda including Village, Cell, Sector, District and Province or City of Kigali;5°his/her domicile abroad if the person is domiciled outside the national territory and his/her address in Rwanda including Village, Cell, Sector, District and Province or City of Kigali;6°his/her telephone number;7°full names of his/her parents;8°date and place of birth;9°full names of his/her spouse if the application for change of name is due to marriage.The request for change of name by an applicant domiciled abroad is transmitted through the Rwandan embassy or consulate in his/her country of domicile.Article 3 – Accompanying documents of the application file for change of name
The application file for change of name is accompanied by the following documents:1°birth record of the applicant;2°photocopy of the applicant’s identity card;3°photocopy of passport for an applicant domiciled outside the national territory and a residence permit in the country where he/she claims to have domicile after leaving Rwanda;4°marriage record if the application for change of name is due to marriage;5°other documents confirming the grounds for the application for change of name.Article 4 – Analysis of a file of an applicant for change of name
After analysis of a file of an applicant for the change of name, if the Minister in charge of civil status considers that the applicant meets the requirements, the Minister prepares a document containing the main grounds supporting the applicant’s request for change of name.Article 5 – Publication of main grounds
The Minister in charge of civil status publishes in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda a document containing the main grounds that made the applicant request to change the name and provides a copy to the applicant for him/her to publish them twice (2) on the radio and once (1) in a newspaper of his/her choice.The applicant for change of name submits to the Minister in charge of civil status the proof of publication of the document containing the main grounds in the manner referred to under Paragraph One of this Article within ten (10) days of its receipt.Article 6 – Providing information on the applicant for change of name
Any person interested to give any information about the applicant’s request for change of name submits his/her information in writing to the Minister in charge of civil status within thirty (30) days from the publication of the document containing the applicant’s main grounds in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda.During this period, the Minister in charge of civil status may also require from other organs deemed necessary all information in connection with the request made for change of name.Article 7 – Decision making on the request for change of name
After thirty (30) days from the publication of the document containing the main grounds in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda, the Minister in charge of civil status makes a decision on the request for change of name.Article 8 – Format of certificate for change of name
The format of certificate for change of name is in annex I of this Order.Article 9 – Fee for certificate for change of name
A certificate for change of name is issued to the applicant for change of name upon payment of twenty thousand Rwandan francs (FRW 20,000) in public treasury.Article 10 – Notification of decision for change of name
The Minister in charge of civil status informs, in writing, the applicant for change of name, the decision made to his/her request.If the application for change of name is accepted, the decision granting the change of name is annexed to the letter informing the applicant of the decision made.In case of refusal, the applicant for change of name is informed in writing about grounds for non-acceptance of his/her request.Article 11 – Appeal against the decision refusing the change of name
An applicant whose request for change of name is refused, may, in writing, lodge an appeal to the Minister in charge of civil status within ten (10) days of receipt of the letter notifying him/her of the refusal. The Minister replies to the applicant within thirty (30) days of receipt of the appeal.Article 12 – Registration of decision for change of name in civil register
The person whose application for change of name is accepted, requests the civil registrar to record the decision granting the change of name in the civil register.The decision for change of name shall not be recorded in the civil register before it is published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda by the beneficiary.Article 13 – Registration of additional name of religious vows in civil register
Except for Article One of this Order, the content of provisions preceding this Article shall not apply to a person who wishes to add a name of religious vows to his/her usual name.A person wishing to add a name of religious vows to his/her usual name requests to register it in the civil register of his/her domicile and a registration certificate is issued to him/her.Article 14 – Registration certificate of additional name of religious vows
A registration certificate of an additional name of religious vows to a person’s usual name to be issued by a civil registrar is in annex II of this Order.Article 15 – Repealing provision
All prior provisions contrary to this Order are repealed.Article 16 – Commencement
This Order comes into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda.History of this document
23 January 2017 this version
Commenced
17 January 2017
Assented to