Registration the birth of my baby in Basel Stadt

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
Dear all,

I am writing on this forum hoping to get some help regarding the registration of my baby in Basel Stadt. I and my wife are Indian by birth and nationality and also married in India. Both of us are working in Switzerland. We are expecting our lovely baby girl very soon and while checking the protocol for birth registration, we came to know that we absolutely need following documents:

1. Birth certificate of parents issued less than 6 months ago. Verified (or apostilled) by relevant authority in India.

2. Marriage certificate issued less than 6 months ago. Verified (or apostilled) by relevant authority in India.

We do have the original certificates but it is very hard to obtain the fresh certificates from India given that none of us can travel back home now. I am trying to know if other people faced this kind of situation recently ? Is there any alternative to getting the new certificates ? Is there some reliable agency which can help us getting the required work done in India ?

I heard that it is easier to get the certificates apostilled again by MEA, India but getting fresh ones, specially from village is a nightmare. I was wondering if the apostille can do the trick in this case ? Unfortunately the Indian Embassy is of no use (no surprises there...). They told that they can just get the certificates attested but nothing more than that.

I have seen a lot of posts on this topic but not from Basel Stadt and I was wondering if things are bit more lenient in Basel Stadt.

Many thanks for your replies.

2
Pleas see: Birth Certificate for a new born Indian Baby in Zurich

3
Thanks... I thought the requirements differ a bit from canton to canton... so was hoping to get a response from someone who faced similar situation in Basel Stadt. Also, if any agency can help me in obtaining the required documents from India in my absence.

Thanks.

4
In my case, not in Basel, but asked a familiar to request the certificate in my home city, and was sent to me by post.

5
At the info session at the Unispital in Basel, they made a special announcement to point to out that Indian families should request all the required information as early as possible as it often takes a long time to receive the documents thereby making birth registration difficult.

6
Congratulations and all the best for the future.

We went through the same situation as you nearly two years ago. If my memory serves me well, the birth certificates need to be original and in English (or German/French/Italian), but they need not be verified. Also, we were informed that time that MEA does not apostille documents any more.

Also, my birth certificate was issued much more than 6 months before as it was the one issued during my birth and that still worked. At the moment, I am not certain, but I will check today once I am back home and confirm.

On the webpage of Zivilstandsamt , they say what you write in your post. But perhaps its best to confirm by calling them. Essentially, if you are going to the Unispital Basel for birth, they handle the registration of the child. So you could also ask them.

If you need more information or help with the procedure, write me a PM and we could perhaps meet up.

7
"1. Birth certificate of parents issued less than 6 months ago. Verified (or apostilled) by relevant authority in India.

2. Marriage certificate issued less than 6 months ago. Verified (or apostilled) by relevant authority in India."

I suggest that you scan the present copies and send it to your Lawyer

in India and request the format you currently require, which will be

quicker and less costly than any other method?

8
Hi, in case you are around, can you pls update on the solution? We also have original birth certificate, however getting a fresh one needs our presence or our parents presence (by putting false missing case).

Can anyone please let me know why they ask fresh birth certificate every time ?

9
Because for the Swiss it works like that. You ask the relevant authority for a copy of the certificates from the family book. The copies have to be less than six months old in order to help ensure that the situation hasn't changed (a bit weird with birth certificates, but never mind!).

I'm British and had to go through similar processes. Fortunately, we can order copies online and they're sent through the post. The weird thing is, the copies are undated... but they were accepted anyway!

10
I hate this rule, but I discovered this rule is subject to interpretation... Sometimes you have to find a lawyer to help you get through some loophole, especially if you literally can't get this requirement passed due to various reasons (country no longer exists, not safe to travel to, no diplomatic relations, etc...).

11
The color was in honor in of your baby girl who is on her way. I don't recall using any other docs that we didn't already have in our possession. The 6 months requirement is news to me.

There is a small room on the ground floor of the women's hospital side. This is the office who takes your paperwork to register your baby. Go there and ask them. The office is not so difficult to find. It's in the Frauenklinik. Deliveries are done just upstairs. There is a large waiting room where people go to see doctors just outside this office. Go there during office hours and ask them about this requirement....they should know.

They send the form that you complete about your new baby's name. They send this form to some local govt office that does the registration. You could also find out who they are and ask them. I had to call them once because I couldn't decide on the baby's name, and had to send them the form myself. I was curious how much time I had to decide. Anyway, go directly to these people and they'll tell you what you need (or maybe don't need in this matter).

Best wishes to you and yours,

Another papa in BS

12
With the current restrictions at many countries and postal system not delivering international letters, it's almost impossible to prepare new birth certificate. Specially from.country like India which is still at the middle of coronavirus.

13
Yes to the interpretation.

Sometimes it can help to apply to whatever most likely office there is, in the country of birth, or whatever country that has since become, and then to document the process meticulously, with all proof-of-sent papers.

It might go, for example: DATE Print-out of government website stating that applications can no longer be made to A, but must now be made to B (translation into local Swiss language) DATE Application sent to B by mail, no reply (copy of mail, (translation into local Swiss language) DATE Phonecall to local Swiss agent of that country, NAME, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER, who confirms the address. DATE Application sent to ADDRESS by DHL (copy of application made, copy of attached documents, translation into local Swiss language, copy of DHL collect receipt, copy of return by DHL noting "delivery not possible") DATE Affidavit from my mother, NAME, of ADDRESS, confirming that she was present in the home, with my wife, all day on the day of the birth, and attended to her during and after the birth (translation into local Swiss language) DATE Affidavit from my wife's sister, NAME, of ADDRESS, confirming that she was present in the home, with my wife, all day on the day of the birth, and attended to her during and after the birth (translation into local Swiss language) DATE Letter of confirmation from the midwife at postnatal check-up, that the baby was born on DATE (letter, copy of clinic records, translation into local Swiss language).

DATE Letter of confirmation from the priest/bishop/rabbi/minister/imam, stating that the newborn baby was brought to the temple/church/mosque/synagogue (or the leader visited the baby at home) for a ritual/ceremony, during which the procedure x was followed (letter, copy of record of the religous institution, translation into local Swiss language) DATE Letter of Authority to my brother NAME, ADDRESS, authorising him to make the application for the Birth Certificate, on my behalf. DATE Letter of refusal issued by B, informing my brother that due to Corona no applications will be processed until 1st January 2021, at the earliest (translation into local Swiss language).

14
I think it might be better to bring a friend (that speaks Swiss German) with you and go to the local government office and ask directly at the source. There's sometimes loopholes involving going to a notar and getting some der original documents translated. If this doesn't work, contact an immigration lawyer and have them look up the process for India and acceptable loopholes.

I know a couple of people that were literally born in countries that no longer exist and exceptions were made since there's no way for them to have birth certificates reissued.