LocationsBy modernising this system, these essential public services are becoming faster and more accessible for families nationwide.
Little Dilnoza’s First Vital Document and the Story of Changing Civil Registration System in Tajikistan
May 8, 2026
Seven-month-old Dilnoza visits the Civil Registration office in Vahdat city alongside her grandmother Azizmo and mother (on left) to receive her first vital document — a birth certificate.
Nigora Fazliddin/ UNDP Tajikistan
This is Dilnoza, one of the youngest visitors at the Civil Registration office in Vahdat city. At just seven months old, she has come for something that will stay with her for life — her birth certificate.
Her grandmother, Azizmo Latifova,65, gently holds her in her arms as they step into the Civil Registration office. For little Dilnoza, it is just another day. For Azizmo, it is something very different — a moment she had once known as exhausting, complicated, and uncertain.
“We are from a village near Vahdat, where transport is not always easy,” Azizmo says. “Before, it meant many trips, long waits, and a lot of worry.”
Today, the process has become significantly easier and more efficient.
“But this time, it was different. We applied once, and they told us to come back in five days. That’s all.”
For Azizmo, this simple change means more than convenience. It means time saved, money spent less, and stress avoided.
Azizmo Latifova holds her granddaughter Dilnoza in one arm and the child’s newly issued birth certificate in the other at the Civil Registration office in Vahdat city.
Nigora Fazliddin/ UNDP Tajikistan
Just a few years ago, things looked very different. Civil Registration offices struggled with outdated systems, limited equipment, and unreliable electricity. Records were difficult to trace, and people often had to return multiple times just to complete a single process.
Now the situation is changing. The European Union and Switzerland funded UNDP project is helping transform CR by modernising the offices, providing ICT systems, and digitising archives. As a result, services are now faster, more reliable, and more accessible for everyone.
Firuz Malikzoda, 28, a labour migrant from Panjokon village in Vahdat, personally feels this change. In remote villages like his, civil registration is often not prioritised due to distance and limited resources. A father of two daughters aged four and three, he recently returned from Russia with a plan to register his marriage and obtain birth certificates for his children.
Firuz Malikzoda, father of two from Panjokon village, came to register his marriage and obtain birth certificates for his children.
Nigora Fazliddin/ UNDP Tajikistan
He says he learned through one of UNDP’s awareness-raising campaigns that the process is now more straightforward and accessible than before.
“Children grow up, and without documents, their opportunities are limited,” he says. “As a responsible father, I want them to have every chance.”
Positive change, Umedakhon Afghonzoda, Head of the Civil Registration office in Vahdat, believes, is not only about modern technologies but also about dedicated people. With many years of experience in the civil registration system, she has witnessed these changes first-hand.
“Before, finding a person’s records could take a very long time,” she explains. “Now, with digital archives, it takes just five to ten minutes. It makes our work easier — and people leave satisfied.”
Umedakhon Afghonzoda, Head of the Civil Registration office in Vahdat, speaks about how digitalisation is improving public services for families.
Nigora Fazliddin/ UNDP Tajikistan
For her, however, the most significant change is still ahead.
“In the future, with full interoperability, every newborn will be registered automatically,” she articulates. “The system will alert us about each birth, ensuring that no child is left without a vital document.”
Until then, her team continues to visit hospitals, schools, and communities to raise awareness about the importance of registration.
Because behind every certificate is a child like Dilnoza — a life that deserves to be seen and protected.
About the Modernising Civil Registration in Tajikistan
The Civil Registration office in Vahdat is one of 74 across Tajikistan that have been supported under this project.
Beyond infrastructure, the reform is changing everyday experiences. The project to scan 2.5 million CR historical records, ensuring that people’s life events are preserved.
The impact is also felt in trust and access. Public satisfaction with civil registry services has risen from 48% in 2016 to 86% in 2024, while 93% of users now say information is easily accessible. Today, 98% of children under five are registered, and almost all newborns are registered within their first year of life.
For children like Dilnoza, fathers like Firuz, and grandmothers like Azizmo, it means something deeply important — access to healthcare, education, and protection, and the reassurance that every child is given a fair chance to grow and thrive.
By Nigora Fazliddin
Communication Analyst, UNDP Tajikistan