Job Discussion Forums

Fatcat · Joined: 17 Mar 2005 Posts: 92 Location: Athens, Georgia

Okay, so with everything else, I'm getting mixed info. on what to do about my birth certificate. Is a certified copy okay or do I need to get a duplicte original? Should I get it apostilled too? If so, does it need to be apostilled in the state from which it's issued?

Thanks for any help

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

It seems to vary from immigration office to office. I had to show an original copy here; once they saw the original they were happy to keep an ordinary photocopy.

MELEE · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:40 pm Post subject:

I never needed a birthcertificate until I 1)got married, and 2)bought land. I have certified copies, but other than a raised seal they are very unofficial looking. The people at Relaciones Exteriores, where I got my permission to buy land, took one of those, but the Civil Registry needed an official translation, which the local US consul charged 55 dollars for.

MELEE · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:41 pm Post subject:

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Yes, other folks have told me that they didn't need anything special, but our local office seems to be a stickler for details.

aisha · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 1:31 am Post subject: oops

The last time I was in Mexico I lost my birth certificate. So all I have now is a certified copy, but like Melee said it's very unofficial looking. I hope the immigration office where I'm going doesn't want to see birth certificates and if they do, I hope they don't care if it's not the original.

delacosta · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 325 Location: zipolte beach

yes, it all depends on which office and how they feel that day. We had a change of the guard here and the new ones wanted proof of the certificate. I showed them my handwritten, yet official, certificate from Barbados. I then explained that when I was born there it was a Britsh colony and to get it certified I'd have to send the original to the UK,to who knows what department and hope to get it back at some point, paying who knows how much. The were in a good mood that day and waived it.

Wouter · Joined: 06 Oct 2004 Posts: 128 Location: Tlaquepaque

I have an official international one which is also in Spanish with all the special stamps needed. Still they want me to get it translated. Sometimes I hate Mexico for always overcharging foreigners. There is nothing to be translated they just want you to pay money. Horrible.

Wouter

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

The only thing I had to have translated was my university diploma. It wasn't all that expensive, even though it had to be done by an officially licensed translator. I had to have a copy of my passport signed and sealed by a notario p�blico, and I felt he overcharged me a lot for that service. I had to go have the photocopies made myself. His secretary did all of the work of putting the stamps and seals onto it, and his part of the process took about 2 seconds for him to scrawl his signature on it. Also, I had to have an original birth certificate (not translated) for something once, but I can't remember what it was for.