Chadian civil records are held at home and the embassy’s role for families abroad begins with consular registration. Registration coverage inside Chad has historically been uneven outside the main towns, so what counts as evidence in a given case is a question for the embassy rather than a checklist.
Quick facts
For a child born in the United States to Chadian parents, the American certificate goes through the legalisation chain and is translated into French, with the parents’ documents establishing the link.
Fees breakdown
| Service | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Consular registration | Not published | Ask the embassy |
| Civil certificates | Charged in Chad | Through the civil registry |
| Legalisation of foreign certificates | Not published | At the embassy |
| U.S. certificate | $15–$50 | State vital records office |
| French translation | Per page | Where required |
Where a record cannot be obtained from a particular locality, ask the embassy what alternatives it accepts. It is a routine question for a mission serving a country with patchy registration, not an unusual one.
How to file
- Register with the embassy if you have not already.
- Establish which Chadian documents the family still holds.
- Ask what evidence the embassy accepts in your circumstances.
- Order the U.S. certificate and put it through the legalisation chain.
- Arrange the French translation.
- Keep copies before anything travels.
Required documents
- Parents’ Chadian passports or identity documents.
- Child’s U.S. certificate, legalised and translated.
- Parents’ marriage certificate where applicable.
- Proof of status in the United States.
- Photographs where a document is being issued.
- Completed forms, in French.
Where to file
At the embassy in Washington, within its hours, or through the civil registry in Chad.
Additional notes
Ask about alternatives
Where records are unobtainable, the embassy is the right place to ask what else will be accepted.
Register the family
It is the step every later procedure assumes has happened.
Names in French and Arabic
Transliteration varies considerably. Settle one spelling and use it consistently.
Keep copies
Replacing documents that have travelled is slow.