Family
Marriage age 18 with polygamy criminalised
The Family Code sets the marriage age at 18 for both sexes after a 2010 amendment removed the lower threshold. Polygamy is a criminal offence, though unregistered religious marriage persists.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Civil registry offices register marriage; courts grant contested divorce.
Governing law
- Family Code of the Republic of Tajikistan1998
- Law on Prevention of Violence in the Family2013
- Criminal Codepolygamy
In practice
A medical examination and a pre-marital waiting period are required before registration. Religious nikah without civil registration leaves a wife without property or inheritance rights, which is the main practical problem the criminal provisions on polygamy and unregistered marriage target. Marital property is community property divided equally in principle. The 2013 family violence law created protection orders and police duties, but implementation gaps and the absence of a standalone criminal offence of domestic violence are repeatedly noted by treaty bodies.