In Mexico, in order to register a newborn and receive a birth certificate, the child's parents must provide their birth certificates. This requirement applies in most states (but not all), and is usually contained in the civil code or civil regulations of a particular state. Birth certificate — the main document confirming the origin and citizenship of a Mexican, therefore, by analogy, it is also required from foreigners. Sometimes, in addition to birth certificates, they have the opportunity to ask for a parents’ marriage certificate. Foreign certificates must be certified with an apostille stamp in their home country and then translated into Spanish by an official translator in Mexico. The parents' first and last names on the child's birth certificate are transferred from translations of their birth certificates, and it will be a problem if the parent changed their last name or if the middle name was included in the translation.
But the most common problem — the parents came to Mexico and did not take their birth certificates with them at all. Most come to give birth in Cancun, and in the state of Quintana Roo, parents’ birth certificates are not needed when registering a child and subsequently obtaining permanent residence. Therefore, it is often possible to read that a birth certificate should not be taken for childbirth in Mexico. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
What should you do if, when registering a child, the parents are asked for their birth certificate, but they did not take it to Mexico? We offer some tips to solve this problem. They should be applied sequentially — if one doesn't help, use the next one.
1. Know how to negotiate. Contact another civil registry office employee (Registro civil office) or another office. Explain that you are foreign citizens, did not know that parents’ birth certificates are needed to register a child, and do not have the opportunity to purchase them now. Your personal information on your child's birth certificate can be transferred from your passports, and birth certificates are not required for this. Be convincing and press for pity. In most cases, a confidential conversation with a registry office employee is enough for the child to be registered.
2. The original birth certificate of the parent is needed only in order to use the data from it in the child’s birth certificate. After verification, the original is returned to the parent, the registry office retains the official translation. If you have a scanned copy of your birth certificate, with or without an apostille, ask an official translator to translate it. Make sure that the translation does not include the middle name, which may be perceived by the registry office employee as part of the parent’s first or last name and included in the child’s birth certificate. A civil registry office employee, having seen a translation certified by a translator, is unlikely to find fault with the fact that there is no paper original.
3. If the previous tips do not help, contact the DIF (Sistema Nacional para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia). This is a government structure that is designed to protect the interests of families and children. There are DIF offices in every city in Mexico. Explain that you were not aware that a birth certificate was required and that you believe that refusing to register the child and issue him a birth certificate violates his rights as a Mexican citizen. After this, the DIF employee will call the registry office, and the issue of registering a child without parents’ birth certificates will be resolved very quickly. However, do not assume that a conflict with the registry office will somehow complicate registration or harm the child. You are protecting the rights of the child, this is the main thing and this is a very respected act in Mexico.
Sometimes, when registering a child, you have the right to ask for a marriage certificate from your parents. But a child can also be born out of wedlock, and the absence of a marriage certificate should in no way prevent both parents from being listed on the child’s birth certificate. The main thing is that both parents are present at the child’s registration.
Another possible problem: the parent has one surname on his birth certificate, but on his international passport — another. If you submit such a birth certificate to the registry office, the parent’s old surname will be transferred to the child’s birth certificate, which will create even bigger problems in the future. Ideally, in this case, a document explaining the change of surname is required. In addition, this document must be certified with an apostille stamp, and in Mexico translated by an official translator. If you do not have such a document, ensure that the parents' information is transferred to the child's birth certificate from their passports, not birth certificates. Under any circumstances, before receiving any document, usually the registry office employees first submit a draft of it for verification. Check each letter carefully, since correcting mistakes later will be extremely difficult and time-consuming.
If you need assistance in registering a child and obtaining his birth certificate without the birth certificates of his parents, in obtaining Mexican resident cards for parents and other family members, in obtaining a Mexican passport for his child and the citizenship of his parents, we will be happy to help you.