This report provides an overview of relevant findings of 2017 Regional Roma survey in relation to possession of birth certificates and identification documents among marginalised Roma and their non-Roma neighbours. Following the presentation of survey findings, the country-specific sub-sections present available national-level data on Roma’s access to personal documentation, summarize national legal and policy framework in relation to personal documentation and provide review of relevant policies and practices adopted at the local level. The specific analyses contained in the report’s main section provide the basis for a synthetic overview of the reasons for which Roma in the Western Balkans lack personal documentation and of how the lack of personal documentation impacts the lives of Roma in the region.

This overview in turn grounds a set of recommendations on how Roma’s access to personal documentation in the Western Balkans can be improved.