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.
When to apply for a birth certificate renewal
The need to restore a birth certificate may arise if it:
- damaged (torn, part missing, etc.);
- became dilapidated;
- stolen, lost;
- laminated (some parents laminate the entire document in order to prevent deterioration, while this is unacceptable and automatically renders it unusable);
- has become unreadable (text, details, government agency seal or signature are not visible).
If one parent does not give the document to the other
Due to family conflicts and other reasons, one parent hides or simply does not give evidence to the other. The second parent can order a duplicate from the registry office - this is permitted by law, but the reason for the application will need to indicate “other circumstances for which it is impossible to use.” Both original and duplicate will be valid upon presentation.
What to do if the registry office refuses
If the registry office refuses, you must ask for the refusal to be formalized in writing. Based on this document, they go to court at the place of registration of the applicant. The court must establish the identity of the person who needs a duplicate birth certificate. The law does not provide for a specific form for such statements, so it is advisable to ask specialists in the court office to help with the formulation. Any documents that contain a photograph can be used as documents confirming the identity of an adult:
- driver's license;
- military ID;
- educational documents;
- personal file of the student at the educational institution;
- volunteer personal book;
- expired documents;
- accreditation card;
- donor book, etc.
A service pass can become one of the identity documents
It is important that a person can be identified from the photograph: the photo should not be old and clearly visible. One document cannot serve as confirmation; there must be several. In addition, you can apply for a fingerprint examination and requests to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. For example, a man had a criminal record. Through a request to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it was possible to identify the person.
You can also bring a witness (for example, a brother). He will also be able to provide some documents. The state fee for filing such a claim will be 200 rubles. After 30 days, the court will issue a ruling, which must be submitted to the registry office, and a certificate will be issued on its basis.
If we are talking about restoring a child’s birth certificate, the parent only needs to present a mark in the passport, this is confirmation of the child’s identity.
Reasons for refusal
There are two main reasons for refusing to accept an application:
- The applicant does not have the right to receive repeated certificates and other documents from the civil registry office.
- The documents submitted by the applicant do not meet the requirements imposed on them by regulatory legal acts.
Where to contact
- Civil Registry Office - it is better to submit an application for a duplicate to the branch of the Civil Registry Office where the original copy was issued.
- An application for a duplicate can be submitted through the government services website.
- MFCs are multifunctional centers for receiving applications/issuing documents.
What to do if parents have lost their birth certificate in another city?
- Then, if it is not possible to come to your previous place of residence, you can contact the department at your current place of residence - they will make a request to the city where the birth record is stored.
- There is another option: send an application for a duplicate by mail to the department where the original was issued. You will receive a repeated certificate in the registry office department that you indicate in the application, that is, at your new place of residence.
At the moment, a unified civil registry office database is being launched throughout the country, so soon it will be possible to contact any civil registry office branch to obtain a duplicate.
Please help
Hello Pikabu! I am writing here because I have no one else to ask for help. It so happened that about 1.5 months ago my mother (50 years old, a widow, officially working) decided to make her old age easier and at the same time help me with the mortgage and my younger sister, a student, with money. She decided to do this through trading on the stock exchange, more precisely through the Metatraider 4 application, having fallen for an ad on Instagram. The “reputable” office immediately contacted her and began processing her. They installed third-party software for her, vaguely reminiscent of Metatraider 4, and drew quotes whatever they wanted. The apotheosis was a call from my mother asking me to borrow 240 thousand rubles. in order to return the collectors with her bargained 4 million. Allegedly, when the collectors arrived, she “wrongly” said some kind of verification code and they left, doubting that it was she who was carrying the money. As can be seen from the last two sentences, suspicion is already creeping in of some kind of scam, which is confirmed by a minute of Googling information about these “brokers”. Next, I’ll post a screenshot from her phone with this fraudulent software so that the name of the broker can be seen, maybe this will save someone from a similar problem.
Documents and state fees for obtaining a duplicate certificate
When contacting the Civil Registry Office you will need:
- an application drawn up in the department using special form No. 18 (usually filled out by hand and the forms are available to employees). The application indicates the child's full name, date, place of birth, information on the parents, the reason for requesting a duplicate, the name of the registry office that recorded the birth, the date and number of the record. The latest information may not be known, but if documents are submitted to the registry office, the employee will prompt you with these details;
- passport (you will need a copy, which will be verified with the original);
- marriage certificate (if available);
- receipt of payment of the state fee (350 rubles), details can be found in the registry office.
If a citizen applied by mail or through the government service website, then the originals of these documents are presented to the civil registry office employee on the day the duplicate is received.
How to restore a lost child’s birth certificate if there is no passport?
In this case, in order to avoid refusal, it is better to apply for a certificate to the other parent who has a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation. If this is not possible, then you first need to obtain a general passport (through the migration department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs), especially since administrative liability is provided for its absence.
Recovery procedure
The process does not take much time. If you contact the registry office at your place of birth, it will take no more than a few hours. The following algorithm of actions is performed:
- collection of documents;
- contacting the Civil Registry Office, MFC or through State Services;
- payment of state duty;
- filing an application;
- obtaining a birth certificate.
A completed application is submitted to the registry office. Which should include information about the applicant’s full name, the reason for issuing the duplicate, and the name of the institution where the document will be issued. The date and signature of the applicant are affixed. If everything is in order, the employee will accept the documents and issue a completed duplicate on the form.
If a foreigner needs to restore his birth certificate, he must contact the migration service. Here you submit your application, documents and pay the state fee. Since you will have to request information in another state, the period may increase significantly.
One of the most difficult options is to restore a birth certificate for those who do not have a passport or have not been issued one. You will have to file a claim in the district court to establish your identity. After the decision is made and comes into force, you can obtain a passport. A birth certificate is issued only after it is received.
If a citizen is abroad, he will have to contact the embassy or consulate of the Russian Federation located in his country of residence.
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.
Who can do this?
According to the regulations that regulate legal relations in the field of civil status, the restored form can be issued to the following persons:
- citizens of the Russian Federation who have reached the age of majority;
- official representatives of minor children;
- trustees, trustees, guardians and adoptive parents;
- legal representatives of government agencies.
Other citizens, including parents, who have ever limited or deprived parental rights to a child, do not have the right to receive a certificate. Lying and concealing these facts from employees may result in criminal liability.
Time limits for consideration of an application for extradition
To restore a lost child’s birth certificate, it will take no more than 1 day , provided:
- lack of grounds for refusal;
- storing the birth record in the department of the registry office where the application was made;
- personal appearance.
Resolving the issue of issuing a duplicate will take more time if it is necessary to request a record from another department of the registry office. A duplicate can be issued an unlimited number of times, subject to justification for your request.
If you don't have a passport
Situations often arise when certificates are lost. The citizen also loses his main identification document - his passport. What to do in this case? In the absence of a passport, the only way to restore the certificate is to file a lawsuit to establish the identity of the citizen.
Read here how to restore your passport after loss.
After the citizen’s identity is established in court, he will be able to restore his passport and only after that his birth certificate.
Getting a certificate, and then a passport, will be more difficult and in most cases almost impossible.
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.
Certificate of birth of a child
According to Article 16 of Federal Law No. 143-FZ, parents can obtain a certificate of the birth of a child.
The legislation sets a period during which parents must complete the document, but in fact no fine is charged for failure to meet the deadlines.
This is done by the parents or, in the absence of such an opportunity, by one of the relatives or an authorized person.
This right is granted to an official of a certain organization where the mother was during childbirth (the child was arriving) or a medical worker.
The birth certificate of a child is a form 24. It is similar to a baby’s birth certificate. It contains the details of the parents and place of birth.
Why do we need birth certificates for children?
There are two types of child birth certificates.
Immediately after the birth, a certificate is issued in the maternity hospital to confirm the fact of the birth of the baby. It is provided at the Registry Office for issuing a birth certificate for a child.
The document is also drawn up at the civil registry office itself in order to provide the employer with evidence that confirms the birth of the child.
So the father or mother can apply for benefits. Young parents need to take advantage of this opportunity within 6 months.
Then the certificate loses its validity, since according to the law it is impossible to receive child care assistance from the state for 1.5 years.
The paper along with other documents must be provided in its original form. A photocopy will not work.
After the benefit is issued, the certificate is not returned to the parents, but, in fact, they will no longer need it, since the assistance is issued only once, and will not be needed in other places and authorities.
But if there is a good reason why the parents did not apply on time, then the local Social Insurance Fund may decide to accrue benefits.
Thus, a birth certificate for the baby is required for one of the parents, but for whom child care benefits are issued.
It is provided with the rest of the documents to the employer (or if the parents are unemployed, then to the Social Insurance Fund).
Also, a certificate, which is issued directly from the maternity hospital itself, is provided for issuing a birth certificate.
Recovery in another city
There is no need to travel to the city of your birth if you live far away. If a citizen lives on the territory of the Russian Federation, he needs to contact any registry office and submit documents with an application. In this case, the period for submitting the document increases to 30 days, since a request to the registry office at the place of birth is required.
The employee will send the request to the remote branch by sending a registered letter. And the applicant needs to apply for a completed certificate at the place where the documents were submitted.
This method of restoration is quite long and requires several applications to the registry office. If the city of birth is relatively close, it is better to go there to obtain the document. If the certificate is not urgently required, you can submit an application through the registry office at your place of residence. In this case, the procedure is no different, but the period for issuing the document will be impressive.
