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Disclaimer / Limitations
This country’s legal measures were reviewed by our legal staff in consultation with in-country lawyers and/or CRVS legal experts. All efforts were made to ensure the accuracy of the legal analysis, however, if you consider there to be any discrepancies or if there have been changes in the law of the country since our staff last updated the legal analysis, we welcome any additional information or insights. Please contact us via this form.
Death Registration
Bolivia
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Bolivia
Death Registration
Universal Registration
Universal Registration
Universal and compulsory application
Is death registration available and compulsory for all events occurring in the country's jurisdiction?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
To increase death registration rates, the law should provide that registration is available and compulsory to all deaths occuring in every geographical area and for every population group in the country, without discrimination. Examples of possible discriminations are: sex; race ethnicity, religion or population group; marital status; nationality, citizenship, residency or regugee/asylum status; or any other characteristic such as prisoners or persons with disabilities
Death registration is available and compulsory for everyone. The Constitution of Bolivia recognizes the right to a legal personality and prohibits any kind of discrimination based on sex, color, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, origin, culture, nationality, citizenship, language, religion, ideology or civil status. Article 70-I of Law No. 18 of 2010 creates the Servisio Registro Civico (SERECI) which is responsible for the organization and administration of civil registration of natural persons, including deaths. Article 71(2) designates the function of registering deaths of natural persons.
Is registration of death available to citizens living abroad?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The death of a national who is abroad should be reported and registered in the country where the death occurred either by the next of kin or other person with knowledge of death. The death should also be reported to the embassy or consulate of the home country of the deceased.
Civil registration of deaths is available for Bolivian citizens residing abroad, who can be registered at a Bolivian Consulate as governed by Law No. 465 of December 23, 2013, under its Article 19.4.
Does the law provide a clear definition of death? If yes, does the definition accord with international guidelines?
Yes death is defined by law and accords with international guidelines
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The provision of clear definitions in the law is an important tool to ensure the continuous and permanent recording of vital events in all areas. The UN's definition of death is: "The permanent disappearance of all evidence of life at any time after live birth has taken place (post-natal cessation of vital functions without capability of resuscitation)."
The definition of death is found in the Guide for the Use of the Single Medical Certificate of Death, adopted through Ministerial Resolution No. 291 of May 7, 2002. The Guide defines death as: “1. Permanent disappearance of all signs of life, regardless of the time elapsed since birth. 2. Cessation of vital functions after birth without the possibility of resuscitation (thus fetal deaths are excluded).” This definition clearly distinguishes death from other vital events and is consistent with the definition provided in the United Nations guidelines.
