Baku, July 31 — New legal requirements for marriage registration in Azerbaijan are causing unexpected obstacles for many couples.
In an effort to prevent consanguineous (blood-relative) marriages, authorities now require not only the birth certificates of the bride and groom but also those of their parents. The updated policy aims to verify family ties and ensure that applicants are not closely related.
However, the regulation has created hurdles, especially for those whose family records are incomplete or missing from the electronic system.
One citizen who contacted Milli.az shared his personal experience: his father’s birth certificate was lost years ago, and efforts to retrieve it have failed. As a result, the couple’s marriage registration process has been delayed indefinitely.
Others face even more complicated circumstances — such as being estranged from a parent or lacking access to documentation due to family breakdowns or long-term separation. These individuals say the new rule places an unfair burden on citizens who are already dealing with challenging personal situations.
While the government’s intention is to protect public health and uphold social norms, the lack of flexibility in implementation has sparked criticism. Calls are growing for a more streamlined process — or at least a mechanism to accommodate special cases without delaying legal unions.
