Tuvalu: Knowledge Base profile
Published 13 May 2024
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About: Tuvalu
This document contains useful information about Tuvalu which will assist HM Passport Office staff process passport applications.
Contacts
If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.
If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.
Publication
Below is information on when this version of the document was published:
- version 2.0
- published for Home Office staff on 8 May 2024
Changes from last version of this document
This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.
Tuvalu: names
This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Tuvalu.
Change of name
Name changes are legal in Tuvalu.
Tuvalu: nationality
This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Tuvalu.
Dual nationality is allowed in Tuvalu since 2008.
Tuvalu: legitimacy
This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy in Tuvalu.
Legitimacy
Tuvalu recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.
A child will be considered:
- legitimate if their parents were married at the time of the birth
- illegitimate if their parents never marry or marry after the birth
Tuvalu: civil partnerships and marriage
This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Tuvalu.
Tuvalu does not recognise same sex marriages, civil unions or domestic partnerships.
Tuvalu accepts both church and civil marriages. Marriages are void if the couple do not marry within 3 months of giving notice to marry.
To marry in Tuvalu, citizens must:
- be 16 years of age or older
- have consent from their father or legal guardian if they are under 21 years old
Tuvalu: documents
This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Tuvalu.
Birth certificates
The Birth Registry Office in Funafuti is the central register of births in Tuvalu. Births can be registered with the Local Government Council in some parts of Tuvalu (the outer Islands). These are sent to the central register once a year.
Parents are required to register their child’s birth within 10 days. Late registrations are allowed. A birth certificate is only issued if the parents pay a fee.
There are 2 versions of Tuvalu birth certificates, a:
- long version containing full details (acceptable for HM Passport Office purposes)
- short version with core information (not acceptable for HM Passport Office purposes)
Marriage certificates
Marriage certificates in Tuvalu show the couple’s previous and new names if the couple have previously changed their name.
Death certificates
Deaths must be registered within 12 months.