Romantic relationship in Comoros

Fiançailles is a formal promise of marriage between a man and a woman who are at least 18 years old. It does not require either person to marry, and either person may end it; depending on the circumstances, unused gifts may need to be returned and civil damages may be claimed. Dating practices, meeting places and use of applications vary, but no reliable current official evidence supports general statements about them in Comoros. An informal romantic relationship without an acte de mariage does not create the legal status or effects of marriage. A relation de fait is expressly recognized mainly in the context of domestic violence protection, not as a general civil partnership regime. Marriage is legally Muslim and generally requires both parties to be at least 18, free consent, a wali's authorization for the woman, two adult Muslim male witnesses, a pre-marital medical certificate and a ceremony before a judge. Mixed marriages and conversion involve additional requirements, including a conversion certificate in some cases. The mahar or dot is agreed in the marriage contract, becomes the husband's debt and is generally due before the marriage is consummated, although payment may be scheduled. The judge must issue the marriage act within five days, and the état civil should transcribe it within 15 days; registration is legally free, although local ceremony or application charges may vary. Marriage creates duties of cohabitation, assistance, respect, fidelity and care, and the husband has duties of family support; a clause can provide for sharing property. A marriage may include up to four wives, with existing wives and the prospective wife informed about a new marriage. Access to contraception is uneven: among married women, modern contraceptive use was 8.6% and unmet need was 36.9% according to the cited 2025 UNFPA figures based on MICS; needs and access differ between Ndzuani, Ngazidja and Mwali, and between urban and rural areas. Domestic violence includes physical, sexual, psychological and economic violence in a marriage, shared household, former intimate relationship or relation de fait, and marriage does not justify rape. Centres de promotion sociale, centres d'écoute, health services, police, gendarmerie and women's rights organizations can provide support; protection orders may restrict contact, assign use of a shared home and regulate custody or visits, even without a criminal complaint. A police or gendarmerie service must record a complaint even when the incident occurred outside its local area, and the complainant can request a receipt and copy. After marriage, twalaka, faskh or khol are handled before a judge; the judge addresses support, housing, property, child custody and contact, while IDDA rules apply after divorce or widowhood.