A birth certificate is an irreplaceable document for various occasions that must be carefully stored. But, various situations may arise when a child’s birth certificate is lost: it may be stolen along with a bag, accidentally left in a crowded place, torn, destroyed along with other property due to a fire, flood, military action, etc.
In this case, it is possible to issue a duplicate. What should parents do and where should they go if their child’s birth certificate is lost? What procedure should be followed to restore it? We invite you to read the instructions for obtaining a duplicate certificate.
Why do you need a duplicate?
A birth certificate is an important legal act that confirms the date and place of a person’s birth and his family ties. Losing official paper can create problems in different situations:
- placing a child in kindergarten or school;
- receiving medical care;
- registration of temporary and permanent registration;
- receiving your first passport;
- registration of social benefits;
- purchasing plane or train tickets;
- receiving a ticket to a children's camp or sanatorium.
Important! This is the only paper on which the parents of Russian citizens are recorded, so even receiving a passport cannot be a full replacement.
Without a birth certificate, it is impossible to prove kinship when entering into an inheritance, obtaining a residence permit, or a visa. Thus, not only a child, but also an adult may need to obtain a duplicate.
For minor children, a birth certificate is an identification document instead of a passport. Therefore, it requires mandatory restoration in case of loss for various reasons. Adult citizens only need proof of birth for certain procedures, including proof of kinship, and may not need it for the rest of their lives. The need to obtain a duplicate is determined by the person independently.
Who has the right to apply for a duplicate?
- If we are talking about a child who is not yet 18 years old, then the registry office is addressed to: his parents (or one of them).
- in the absence of parents - a guardian, trustee or, if they have not yet been appointed, a representative of the guardianship authority.
Read how to get a child’s birth certificate and how to get a duplicate certificate.
Registration through State Services
The legislation provides for the possibility of restoring a Birth Certificate. Through State Services this procedure would take the least amount of time. Although you need to receive the paper in person, submitting an application through the website and making an appointment at a convenient time allows you to spend no more than 15 minutes visiting a government organization.
Unfortunately, such a service is not available to most residents of Russia. There is currently no electronic option for providing services on the website gosuslugi.ru. Users are invited to visit the civil registry office at the place where the document was issued. After opening the service, clients will see a sign like this.
Not only is there no remote way to fill out an application, but there is also no pre-registration for an appointment with a government agency.
The exception is some constituent entities of the Russian Federation. For example, at the address www.gosuslugi.ru/56871/4 there is a state service for obtaining a repeat certificate for the Kaliningrad region. It is possible to prepare a copy of the document either by sending an electronic application or in person, after making an appointment in your personal account.
Recommendation. Since the list of services on the portal is constantly expanding, and work in this area is already underway, an electronic service for restoring birth certificates for residents of all regions may appear in the near future. It is useful to find out how it works using the example of already launched projects.
How to find a service on the portal
Birth certificate recovery is not one of the popular services on the e-government website. Therefore, finding the service may cause some problems for users.
Is it possible to live without a passport?
If a person decides not to apply for a new passport, he will face difficulties. In addition to the fact that he will not be able to perform any action that involves indicating passport data (for example, sending or receiving parcels, applying for a loan, registering on government service websites, etc.), with some degree of probability he will also have to part with a certain amount of money . Article 19.15 of the Code of Administrative Offenses states: “Residing at the place of stay or at the place of residence in the residential premises of a citizen of the Russian Federation who is required to have an identification document of a citizen (passport), without an identification document of a citizen (passport), or with an invalid document, entails the imposition of administrative fine." In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the fine ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles, in other localities – from 2,000 to 3,000 rubles.
At the same time, the responsibilities of a person without a passport are exactly the same as those of someone who has a valid document. That is, he will be held liable for any offenses in accordance with current legislation.
State fee for a duplicate birth certificate
The cost of the government service for issuing a certified copy does not depend on the applicant’s territory of residence. The amount of the fee is established by paragraph 6 of paragraph 1 of Article 333.26 of the Tax Code and is 350 rubles.
Important. When submitting an application through a single portal of State Services or through similar websites of regional and municipal authorities, the fee is collected with a 30% discount. In this case, the fee will be 245 rubles.
The following are exempt from duty:
- heroes of the USSR and the Russian Federation;
- full holders of the Order of Glory;
- veterans of the Great Patriotic War;
- disabled people of the Second World War;
- prisoners of ghettos and concentration camps;
- former prisoners of war.
A payment receipt confirming payment of the fee is attached to the package of papers submitted to the registry office. To confirm the benefit, you must remember to have a certificate of the appropriate type.
Reasons for obtaining a duplicate
To restore the certificate, you should contact the Registry Office specialists. The usual reason for receiving a duplicate is the loss or damage of a document. The duplicate will be completely identical to the original copy.
Reasons for replacement:
- Unusable condition. Requires the registry office to present the damaged paper.
- Change of surname or first name. Application form No. 15 is filled out. The reason for the data change is required.
- Lost original.
- Lamination. It makes the document invalid.
Other circumstances requiring restoration. This may include court decisions or other circumstances.
Complete list of papers required to receive the service
To summarize, we can list the entire list of documents for restoring a birth certificate:
- Application (Form 18). Not required when registering via electronic service;
- Passport or other identification document;
- Receipt of payment of the state fee for a repeated birth certificate;
- Documents confirming the change of surname, if it has changed;
- Certificate of a guardian or trustee when registering a duplicate for a ward;
- Certificate of death upon receipt of the document in place of a deceased person;
- Notarized power of attorney, if the papers are presented by an authorized person;
- Certificate of the preferential category of the payer if there are grounds for exemption from payment of state duty.
Despite the impressive list, a specific applicant needs to submit 2-4 documents, depending on the situation.
When they refuse to issue a new certificate to replace the lost one
The law directly provides for cases when the issuance of a duplicate certificate will be refused:
- If a mother or father who has been deprived of parental rights or has limited rights has applied to receive it. In this case, instead of a duplicate certificate, such parents may be issued a certificate confirming the birth record;
- When the child's birth record is not saved. Then you need to go to the executive authorities of the region in which the birth of the child was registered (the so-called archive). Currently, a bill is being considered to create a unified register of civil status acts in electronic form, to which, as now to city archives, only the executive body of the subject will have access;
- In the absence of identification documents. Moreover, the refusal will be illegal if it is based on the absence of a record of children in the passport;
- Unless a valid reason is provided for requesting a duplicate;
- In the absence of authority to appeal in the event of the death of the person in whose name the certificate was issued.
Who can get a certificate?
The law limits the list of citizens who have the right to receive a second document.
In accordance with Art. 9 Federal Law No. 143 of 1997, the right to receive a certificate is given to relatives of the deceased and other interested parties. In practice the situation is more complicated. A specialist from the Civil Registry Office will require proof that this document is necessary for the applicant.
Father
The following will be able to obtain a certificate of death of a father:
- his official parents;
- brothers and sisters;
- his official spouse;
- his children for whom paternity has been established;
- third parties who prove that they need the document.
Grandmothers
You can receive a grandmother's death certificate:
- her kids;
- brothers and sisters;
- her grandchildren (in case of death of children).
Relative
The presence of a family connection with the deceased must be proven. Based on the documents presented, it is necessary to trace the family connection from the deceased to the applicant.
For example, if it is necessary to obtain information about the death of a grandfather, then his children are given the right. In the event of the death of his children, his grandchildren can apply for a duplicate.
Entry into inheritance after the death of a brother by will and by law
Does an ex-wife have the right to inherit after the death of her ex-husband?
In what cases is it necessary to restore?
According to Article 9 of the Federal Law “On Civil Status Acts of the Russian Federation”, it is necessary to apply for the restoration of a document and the issuance of a duplicate certificate in the following cases:
- If the certificate is lost;
- If the certificate is stolen;
- If the certificate has become unusable. For example, it got so wet that it blurred the font;
Info
Lamination of this document is also equivalent to its damage, which should be followed by the need to restore it.
Since a citizen may need a birth certificate urgently, the period for its restoration is only 30 minutes.
Procedure for paying state duty
Payment of state duty is also regulated. To do this you will need to perform several steps:
- Obtain in advance from the registration authorities the details of the payment form with which you will subsequently need to visit the bank. Also check with the organization for all information about the complete composition of the package.
- Pay the fee.
- Take the receipt confirming the transfer of funds to the registry office.
You can pay the state fee in the following ways:
- At the cash desk of any nearest bank. To do this, just contact the department specialist with a receipt.
- Via mail - any post office will accept payment.
- By payment terminal: following the instructions, select the desired section and enter the exact details.
- Online – you can use one of the options: online banking, electronic wallets, government services portal.
Attention: You can pay the state fee at the terminal or the registry office cash desk. Participants of the Great Patriotic War, heroes of Russia and the USSR, and disabled people are exempt from paying it.
Rules for drawing up an application in form No. 18
An application for a duplicate in Form No. 18 requires the following data:
- name of the registering authority and its details;
- FULL NAME. applicant, passport data: indication number and series;
- date, place of birth and city of receipt of the original certificate;
- information about next of kin;
- list of submitted documentation and applications;
- date of completion and signature.
Please note: the application form must only be completed by hand in neat, legible handwriting. The ink must be black or blue. When filling out the columns, you should not use abbreviations or make corrections. All information provided must exactly match the information on the identity card.
Deadlines for issuing a certificate (for all cases)
The period within which a duplicate is issued through the registry office is from 5 working days. This information can be obtained in more detail from the center’s specialists when submitting a package of documents. If you live in another city, the process may take up to 2 weeks. In any case, you must be informed about the readiness of the duplicate at the postal address specified in the application form or telephone number.
If you contact the multifunctional centers of your city, the requested copy will be ready for issue immediately.
When applying through the State Services portal, you will wait at least 10 days.
If the application to the MFC was remote, the deadline for production and issuance of the document will be extended by 10 days and sent by mail to the address specified by the applicant.
The role of registration
Where can I restore the documents of deceased relatives? Usually you need to contact passport offices and registry offices. Today, more and more often, applications are accepted at the MFC.
Does registration play any role in the task at hand? Partly yes. The point is that when restoring citizens’ certificates, it is better to contact the institutions at the place of registration of the deceased. This technique will significantly speed up the process of providing services.
However, if necessary, relatives can submit an application of the established form to any registration authority. The registry office will issue a duplicate birth certificate, but this will take a lot of time.
Where to contact?
If a citizen applied to the civil registry office at the place of registration, but the restoration of his birth certificate was denied in writing, the problem that has arisen will have to be resolved with the help of the court.
Refusal may be due to various circumstances. For example, the applicant personally restores the certificate, but his parents are divorced or deprived of rights to the child.
The registry office will not have the right to issue a duplicate due to the impossibility of establishing the identity of the person submitting the application. In such a situation, only the court will be able to establish the identity and document this, after which the registry office will issue a duplicate certificate of an adult or a child.
If a citizen does not actually have the opportunity to appear in person to submit an application, then a registered letter must be sent to the registry office. The application is supported by copies of the parents’ passports, a receipt and a copy of the marriage registration certificate. Actually, the package of documents is the same as for a personal application, the only difference is in the method of submitting the application.
But at the moment when the applicant picks up the finished duplicate, he will be obliged to provide the registry office employees with the original documents, copies of which were present in the registered letter.
The law does not leave clear regulations regarding the timing of issuing a duplicate after receiving an application. In theory, the issuance can be carried out on the day of submission of the application, but given the high workload of the registry office employees, or the lack of necessary documents, the period may take longer, sometimes up to several weeks.
Upon receipt of a document without the involvement of out-of-town civil registry offices, employees of the local office will notify the applicant by telephone that the completed duplicate can be picked up.
If a citizen does not know where the birth certificate was issued, civil registry office employees are required to find the place of issue using archival records.
Grounds for restoration
To obtain a duplicate birth certificate, a citizen, or his representatives, must contact the appropriate authority.
Adult citizens and parents of children have the right to such treatment.
If parents who were previously deprived of parental rights apply to the authority, the certificate will not be restored based on such an application.
The basis for obtaining a new document is the loss or damage of a valid document. After submitting an application for loss or damage, the citizen will be issued a duplicate that fully corresponds to the lost document.
List of reasons for replacing a certificate:
- The document has become unusable - in this case, the applicant is obliged to provide a damaged copy to the civil registry office staff to confirm its damage.
- Change of first or last name of the owner for any reason - when changing personal data, the applicant must fill out an application in form No. 15, indicating in the appropriate column the reason for the change in last name or first name. If the applicant has a personal desire for a change, this should also be displayed. For minor citizens, parental or guardian consent will be required to change data. The application must be accompanied by documents providing justification for the change: marriage certificates, divorce certificates, etc.
- Any other circumstances that led to the need to make a replacement - this includes court decisions that entail such a need, or other circumstances at the administrative level. The application is drawn up in Form No. 18 with the provision of a standard package of documents.
You can get a duplicate:
- Owner of the certificate.
- Relatives of the deceased certificate holder.
- Parents or guardians of the minor certificate holder.
- Legal representative of the owner of the lost certificate.
Methods for restoring a certificate
In 2021, the applicant can use the following methods:
- through the registry office;
- through the MFC;
- through State Services;
- by mail.
Through the registry office
You can submit an application directly to the civil registry office only to the department that issued the original. When contacting the required department, the document is issued on the day of application.
The applicant also has the right to contact any other department, but he must inform the specialist which department registered the death. In such a situation, a formal request will be issued. The delivery time depends on the duration of the shipment.
Through MFC
You can submit an application through the MFC if the civil registry office that registered the death is located in the same region. The document issuance period is 1 month.
Through State Services
The applicant has the right to apply for a duplicate in electronic form. To do this, you must have an authorized personal account on the State Services portal.
Reference! The portal only allows you to order a service. The document is submitted for issue to the civil registry office of the applicant's choice.
You can pay the fee for the service directly on the portal. The required documents must be scanned and attached to the electronic application.
The application is signed with a simple electronic signature.
The applicant must receive notification of the forwarding of the duplicate (the norm is valid until 01/01/2021, after which it will be cancelled).
By mail
When sending an application by post, you must prepare and attach an inventory of the attachment. It must list all the documents that are enclosed in the envelope.
Reference! The receipt for payment of the state fee is attached in the original. Copies of documents must be notarized.
Application methods
We found out where to get a copy of the deceased's birth certificate. How exactly to do this?
There are several ways to submit applications for the issuance of the previously mentioned paper. For example, you can solve the problem by:
- personal appeal to the registration authority;
- submitting a request through a representative (by proxy);
- by sending an online request;
- sending an application in the prescribed form by mail.
The last appointment is quite long. And therefore it is better to avoid it. If this is not possible, you will have to prepare for a long wait for a response from the registration authority. This is quite normal.
List of required documents
How to change a birth certificate in government agencies? Mainly, you need to collect the necessary papers that will be useful for this procedure. And here are the main ones:
- Passport of the person who carries out this procedure.
- An application requesting a new copy to replace the lost or damaged one.
- A receipt indicating payment of state duty. The amount is small, approximately 300 rubles.
Let's figure out how to get a child's birth certificate to replace the lost one. One of the parents can handle the issue but the passports of both will be required. If one of the parents has passed away, a death certificate will be required. Originals required for this:
- Passports of two parents or other legal representatives.
- A statement drawn up by one of the child's representatives.
- Document on marriage (in some cases on death).
- A receipt indicating that the state duty has been paid.
Some legal transactions, for example, entering into an inheritance, may require a certificate for a person who has long since died. Perhaps he did not lose it during his lifetime, but where he hid it or to whom he gave it is no longer possible to know. In this case, we need to know exactly how to restore the birth certificate of a deceased relative and what is required for this. Let's list all the required papers:
- Passport as the applicant's main identification document.
- Death certificate of your relative.
- Any documents that can confirm your relationship with him. This could be a marriage certificate, house register, certificate of marital status, etc.
Read also: What is a house book?
But the question of whether it can be restored if a distant relative has died remains open. To do this, you will need to collect a considerable amount of papers that will confirm that you really are not strangers. In such cases, it is best to seek help directly from the family members of the deceased relative.
Documents for obtaining a duplicate birth certificate for an adult.
