Original Birth Certificate Question

[FromHereToThere]

I've only ever seen a certified copy of birth certificates. My friend showed up with his original. It from an US Army Hospital, it says Certificate of Birth, and it has the stamped gold seal. Is this considered the original. I had been hounding him get his passport, but he likes to take risk. Anyone know if this BC is acceptable would be great. :D

[travelntreats]

Normally a "Hospital" BC would not be accepted as it must be "State Issued" BC.

But since it is military, there could be a difference but I still do not believe it will be acceptable.

[gone_cruisin]

I have my original BC still. It has a red seal that states, "original if seal is in red ink". I have used it several times in the past for Carnival. As long as it can be verified by some seal or lettering to be original, then they will accept it.

[BaseballMomof4]

I used to work in a Passport Office and a lot of people had hospital certificates they thought were official but they are not. Also not official documents are "Birth Notices". Your friend should look in to getting a passport just in case. It would be pretty awful to not be allowed to board the ship if it isn't considered an official document.

 

At the very least I would tell him to scan it and email it to Carnival and ask if it is an acceptable document.

[FromHereToThere]

I used to work in a Passport Office and a lot of people had hospital certificates they thought were official but they are not. Also not official documents are "Birth Notices". Your friend should look in to getting a passport just in case. It would be pretty awful to not be allowed to board the ship if it isn't considered an official document.

 

At the very least I would tell him to scan it and email it to Carnival and ask if it is an acceptable document.

 

 

 

 

What is the determining factor between the two? It states This certifies etc etc, on this day this time, then it says in witnes whereof the said hospital has caused this certificate to be signed by its duly authorized officer and its Officla Seal to be here unto affixed, then signed

[travelntreats]

Make it simple.... go to www.vitalchek.com and have him order a "Certified Copy" of his birth certificate.....this WILL BE ACCEPTED and can be used for purchasing a passport. Better safe than sorry.

[Kurbanfan]

What is the determining factor between the two? It states This certifies etc etc, on this day this time, then it says in witnes whereof the said hospital has caused this certificate to be signed by its duly authorized officer and its Officla Seal to be here unto affixed, then signed

 

That sounds like a hospital cert......a certified is proof that it was registered........

The same goes for a marriage cert......

[LemurCat]

I used to work in a Passport Office and a lot of people had hospital certificates they thought were official but they are not. Also not official documents are "Birth Notices". Your friend should look in to getting a passport just in case. It would be pretty awful to not be allowed to board the ship if it isn't considered an official document.

 

At the very least I would tell him to scan it and email it to Carnival and ask if it is an acceptable document.

 

So let me ask this, out of curiousity, is a US military hospital certificate different than a Department of State certificate issued for a child born overseas to American parents?

[SaltLog]

I used to be a crew member for Carnival. Although I don't know the specific rules for birth certificates, I've seen passengers upset and in tears when the Chief Purser wouldn't let them board because they didn't have the right travel documents.

 

Although some form of birth certificate will probably work, you MUST talk him into getting a passport. That way you are sure he can board. There’s no reason to risk the price of the cruise, the possible airfare, the days off from work for nothing. He can take risks in the casino all day, and at least those risks can actually pay out.

[cb at sea]

It has to be issued by the STATE of birth--not the hospital! The one the hospital issues needs to be sent/taken to the Records Dept. of your state, and registered, so they can issue a real BC!

[LemurCat]

It has to be issued by the STATE of birth--not the hospital! The one the hospital issues needs to be sent/taken to the Records Dept. of your state, and registered, so they can issue a real BC!

 

That's great, but what if this person was BORN OVERSEAS? It's completely plausible if this person was born in a military hospital, it could have happened in Korea or Germany or any number of places. This isn't a one-size-fits-all answer.

[lady_cruiser]

It has to be issued by the STATE of birth--not the hospital! The one the hospital issues needs to be sent/taken to the Records Dept. of your state, and registered, so they can issue a real BC!

 

...CB at Sea is correct. My sister and I applied for our passports in 2005 when the U.S. Govt'd first starting talking everyone needing a passport to re-enter the U.S. My sister filled out the forms needed to apply for a passport along with her hospital issued birth certificate. Everything was return to her along with a letter stating that she need a state issued birth certificate with the offical state embrossed stamp on it.

 

As you can see, it does make a difference, in which type of birth certificate that you use.

[LemurCat]

...CB at Sea is correct. My sister and I applied for our passports in 2005 when the U.S. Govt'd first starting talking everyone needing a passport to re-enter the U.S. My sister filled out the forms needed to apply for a passport along with her hospital issued birth certificate. Everything was return to her along with a letter stating that she need a state issued birth certificate with the offical state embrossed stamp on it.

 

As you can see, it does make a difference, in which type of birth certificate that you use.

 

And I point out ... again ... if this was a military birth overseas, you can't simply get a state birth certificate because the person wasn't born in a state.

[pamouselover]

My husband just had to order one, due to his was a copy of his BC.

In pa, the BC have a raised gold seal. But now they dont, call the cruise line you are traveling on. That is what we did. Good luck

[LemurCat]

My husband just had to order one, due to his was a copy of his BC.

In pa, the BC have a raised gold seal. But now they dont, call the cruise line you are traveling on. That is what we did. Good luck

 

Neither my original or certified copy of my PA birth cert have a gold seal. Both have raised seals. Then again, I think PA changed their format at some point.

[StuartLittle]

And I point out ... again ... if this was a military birth overseas, you can't simply get a state birth certificate because the person wasn't born in a state.

 

In this case, the certificate issued by the Dept of State IS the legal birth certificate. This was the case with my daughter and it is the one accepted for getting passports as well. It would be impossible to get a "state" issued BC because she wasn't born in any state.

 

The Certificate Of Birth from the military hospital is what was provided to the Dept Of State to obtain the legal BC.

[BaseballMomof4]

What is the determining factor between the two? It states This certifies etc etc, on this day this time, then it says in witnes whereof the said hospital has caused this certificate to be signed by its duly authorized officer and its Officla Seal to be here unto affixed, then signed

 

Hospital certificates are considered more of a "souvenir" the state certificate is the one that is verified and sealed by the state. Some of the hospital ones are handwritten and can easily be faked.

[BaseballMomof4]

That's great, but what if this person was BORN OVERSEAS? It's completely plausible if this person was born in a military hospital, it could have happened in Korea or Germany or any number of places. This isn't a one-size-fits-all answer.

 

Military births still get official birth certificates. My ex was born on an army base and had an official birth certificate. The ones from the hospitals (with the cute little footprints on the back) are not official documents.

[LemurCat]

Military births still get official birth certificates. My ex was born on an army base and had an official birth certificate. The ones from the hospitals (with the cute little footprints on the back) are not official documents.

 

Yes, they get them from the Department of State if it is overseas. If it is a domestic posting, they get the cert from the state in which they are born. Do you know what one of the Department of State certs looks like, since you worked for Passport Office?

[FromHereToThere]

So the gold embossed seal on this bc would not be valid?

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Even if they were born overseas, it still needs to be registered in the US. Maybe the state they resided in when they filed could register it?

[LemurCat]

So the gold embossed seal on this bc would not be valid?

 

Honestly, and since I'm no expert on this, I would suggest your friend applies for a copy of the certificate. If nothing else, it doesn't hurt anything to have a copy lying around. This way, as well, you're sure you have the proper documents.

[LemurCat]

Even if they were born overseas, it still needs to be registered in the US. Maybe the state they resided in when they filed could register it?

 

No, the Department of State registers it.

 

(Why do I know this? Because both of our presidential candidates in the last election had birth certificate "issues" the tinfoil hat brigade loved to harp on. John McCain, for example, was born in Panama to a military family. His birth was registered with the Department of State who issued him an office US birth certificate.)

[StuartLittle]

Even if they were born overseas, it still needs to be registered in the US. Maybe the state they resided in when they filed could register it?

 

No. The BC is issued by the Dept Of State. It is titled "Certification Of Birth Abroad Of A Citizen Of The United States Of America:.

[Synical Investor]

I thought that EVERYONE now needed a passport? :confused: