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Original poster

Birth certificates for passports? URGENT

39 replies

waterfalls · 18/04/2006 00:14

iNEED TO SEND PASSPORTS OF TOMORROW, BUT JUST HAD THE MOST AWFUL THOUGHT (sorry about caps)
DS was born before me and dh were married, does that mean that his birth certificate is not valid and will be rejected by the passport office?

OP posts:
lou33 · 18/04/2006 00:19

no

Original poster
waterfalls · 18/04/2006 00:20

NO ITS NOT VALID, OR NO IT WONT GET REJECTED?

D'oh sorry,caps again.

OP posts:
SaintGeorge · 18/04/2006 00:28

\link{http://www.passport.gov.uk/passport_child_docsfirst.asp#borninuk\What you need}

Have you changed DS's surname since you married? If so you will probably need any documentation from that, otherwise I think your mariage certificate covers it.

Original poster
waterfalls · 18/04/2006 00:30

He was given dh name, so no name change, and I am sending marriage certificate for the renewal of mine, so does that mean it will be ok (fingrs crossed) on the verge of hysteria hereGrin

OP posts:
lou33 · 18/04/2006 00:36

it wont get rejected

dd1 was born before we got married, and had my name, she took his name as well when we got round to marrying, and when we applied for a passport her bc was in her original name, it was still no problem

Original poster
waterfalls · 18/04/2006 00:36

Thanks SaintGeorge for the link, it would seem the birth certificate he has is okGrin

OP posts:
Original poster
waterfalls · 18/04/2006 00:37

Thanks lou33.................phewwwwwwww.

OP posts:
Original poster
waterfalls · 18/04/2006 00:38

I love MNGrin
I would not have slept tonight if I had to wait til tomorrow to call the passport office.

OP posts:
cece · 18/04/2006 08:03

It should be fine but make sure you send the full one. I sent the shorter one and it got sent back and I then had to send th elonger one , which delyed things a bit.

Original poster
waterfalls · 18/04/2006 09:36

Oh god, I think it is, its on size A4, the short ones are on A5 are'nt they?

OP posts:
merrymum · 18/04/2006 10:19

did you know that you are supposed to re-register your childs birth if you married after they were born?

lou33 · 18/04/2006 11:57

thats not what we were told about our oldest when we got married

Squarer · 18/04/2006 12:41

That seems crazy MM. A birth is a birth, whether mum and dad were married or not. Can't see why it would have to be re-registered?

SaintGeorge · 18/04/2006 13:03

I don't think it is a legal requirement. Some websites say 'you should' but the majority say 'you may' re-register to show that the child is from that partnership.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 18/04/2006 13:31

You are supposed to re-register although no-one will come after you with a big stick.

Re-registering 'legitimises' the birth. Can you tell the laws surrounding birth registration need updating ?!

beckybrastraps · 18/04/2006 13:39

Check the birth certificate. Both my full one and my short one are on A4. The full one has all the info about occupations etc.

lou33 · 18/04/2006 13:43

i thought there was a law that came into force automatically legitimising children born outside marriage, when their parents wed?

Anyway i'm not that bothered. I didnt do anything officially for dd1 when she changed her name either, all i did was send letters saying she was now known by x name. When i applied for a passport for her, all i had to do was provide a letter from her dad saying she was using his name from now on, and that was that

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 18/04/2006 14:11

Yes Lou the Legitimacy Act 1976....the birth is legitimised by the marriage......bit rusty on it but think it's a requirement under the act to re-register.

No-one bothers you if you don't though IME.

KristinaM · 18/04/2006 14:17

waterfalls - the full birth certificate is the one with the parents names etc on it. its to establish that the child is a british citizen so is entitiled to a british passport. the short one just has the child's name and DOB on it so its no use for the first passport

lou33 · 18/04/2006 14:17

when one of the other kids was born, and we were actually married, we were talking to the registrar when he had done the certificate, about dd1, and he never said anything about having to re register her since we got married

saggar, i was talking about something more recent than that, i am sure i read something in the last few years

beckybrastraps · 18/04/2006 14:18

HATE the expression "legitmacy". My mum wasn't married when she had me. When she got married and her husband wanted to adopt me, she had to as well, even though she gave birth to me! She was unimpressed. Consequently, I don't have a birth certificate I can use, just a copy of an entry in the register of adopted children.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 18/04/2006 14:31

I know Becky - it's an odd state of affairs.

Lou dunno - probably some stuff in the Family Law thing 1995 and there was that parental responsibility change in 2003 too.

SaintGeorge · 18/04/2006 14:39

Something has definately changed in the law since 1988. I know because when I originally met DH he was technically a bastard, but the law changed after I met him and made him legit.

Opinions vary as to how much it really changed him Grin

SaintGeorge · 18/04/2006 14:40

becky - you should be able to get a birth certificate. DH's parents had to adopt him although they are his birth parents (long story) but he has a birth certificate with his correct name on it.

beckybrastraps · 18/04/2006 14:46

Apparently I can have a short birth certificate in my new (now old!) name, but not a full one. That has to be the adoption thingy. No idea why. Not especially bothered by it. My mum however still fumes whenever she remembers being assessed to see whether she was a fit parent for the child ahe had given birth to and looked after for 4 years!

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