An affidavit of birth is a legal statement used to prove identity and/or citizenship when a birth certificate is not available. It includes the person’s name, gender, place and date of birth, and must be filled out and testified by someone who knows the subject. It is usually required for government documents such as passports and driver’s licenses. The form must be kept in a safe place after inspection.
An affidavit of birth is a legal statement that details the circumstances of a birth for the purpose of proving identity and/or citizenship when a birth certificate is not available. Depending on the country, people may be required to fill out a specific form for government agencies, and in other regions, the birth affidavit may be a handwritten document with the appropriate details. Form information is usually available through state departments, as they are responsible for handling citizenship and immigration matters.
People may not have birth certificates for a variety of reasons, or their birth certificates may not be acceptable by government standards. In these circumstances, an affidavit of birth must be used to establish identity. The form includes the person’s name, gender, and place of birth. People also state when they were born, and the form may have space to record things like name changes to allow tracking of the form subject. Someone who knows the subject must fill out and testify to the form, indicating that they know the subject and support the claims made on the birth affidavit.
Applicants for passports, driver’s licenses, and other government documents typically need a birth certificate to prove identity and citizenship. The government requires it because people can use official government identifications to establish or verify citizenship; something like a passport, for example, is widely accepted as proof of citizenship. Birth certificates must be officially sealed copies and must meet government agency standards. If applicants do not have birth certificates, cannot obtain official copies, or have inadequate certificates, they may need to resort to affidavits of birth.
Government officials will carefully review a birth affidavit. People sign the form under penalty of perjury, and government agency representatives want to make sure the claims made on the form are valid. They may ask the person to repeat orally the claims made on the form, or they may request a form from another witness, if they feel the former may not be entirely reliable. Someone like the doctor who witnessed a birth is a good choice for a witness, while a close friend is not.
Birth affidavits should be kept in a safe place. Government agencies will return the form after inspection and it is advisable to make a copy for easy reference while you deposit the original in a bank or similar secure location.
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