If you've been asked to present your birth certificate there are two issues that you might have to face. Firstly, you need to find it. Birth certificates are easy to misplace or lose. Secondly, when you find it, you need to make sure you have the right one.
That's right - there are two types of birth certificates and only one of them can be used for official purposes. In this blog we'll talk you through everything you need to know about birth certificates and we'll talk you through how you can get a copy of your birth certificate online that you can use for official purposes.
Different types of birth certificates
Birth certificates come in one of two types: long-form (unabridged) and short-form (abridged). As an expatriate, they might be required as part of the unemployment process, visa application, or for personal evidence. If your birth certificate is to be used outside of your birth country, it may also need to be attested.
A short-form birth certificate is more like a keepsake for your parents. It includes:
- Name and surname
- Sex
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
A long-form birth certificate is used for official purposes. It includes:
- Name and surname
- Sex
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Mother's details
- Father (or second parent's) details
- Address of the person registering the birth
As you can see, long-form certificates provide more details.
If you're really interested in the different types of birth certificate you can read a more detailed comparison between long-form and short-form certificates on our sister site.
If you need to present a birth certificate for any official purposes (such as your employer has requested seeing it), you'll need a long-form copy.
So, how do I get a long-form birth certificate online?
We can help you get a replacement of your birth certificate online.
All you need to do is visit our page dedicated to reissuing a birth certificate online and fill in the form. Just click the button below.
Fill in the form with some basic information (such as where the certificate was issued and where you'd like it to be delivered) and we'll look into whether we're able to source your certificate or not.
If we are, we'll require some further details to order your certificate - we'll be in touch to ask for these. We don't ask for these details upfront as we don't think it's fair to ask you for personal details about your order before we know if we're able to fulfil it.
All certificates that we source are long-form, meaning that they're fit for official uses.
Do I need to do anything else?
If your birth certificate is from a country other than the UAE, you will need to have it attested before you can present it within the UAE.
Attestation (also known as legalisation) is the process of taking a document issued in one country and making it legally recognised in another through a series of government stamps and signatures. It's so that the authorities in one country know any documents they're handling from another country are legitimate. Think of it like a Passport for your certificate.
The process itself is quite complicated - but fortunately, Vital Certificates are attestation experts. We can take care of the attestation process on your behalf. We'll take it to relevant government departments, have the necessary stamps applied, and send it to you ready for use. Once you receive your certificate after we've attested it you'll be able to present it in the UAE straight away.
If you have a copy of your birth certificate already, we can attest it for you. If you're looking to order your birth certificate and know you'll need to attest it, you can let us know when you place your replacement certificate order or you can visit our attestation page.
We're here to help you get a birth certificate online - if you have any questions, feel free to contact us via any of the methods below.
