Registering a child born in the United States costs $20 and produces the document that unlocks everything else: on receipt of the Certificate of Registration of Birth, the registrant becomes eligible to apply for a Guyanese passport. Two warnings, though, and both come from the consulate itself.
Quick facts
First: the registrant’s original birth certificate is retained. Order a second one before you file if you will need it elsewhere. Second: when the certificate comes back from the registry, check the spelling of the name immediately. If it is wrong, return it to the consulate for onward transmission to the registry in Guyana.
What each procedure needs
| Procedure | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Registration of a birth abroad | $20, documents verified | Original certificate retained |
| Applicant under 18 | Both parents present | Or notarised authorisation plus ID copy |
| Registration of a death abroad | Proof the deceased was Guyanese by birth | Plus the foreign death certificate |
| Death registration filer | Valid photo identification | Of the person registering |
| Errors on any certificate | Return it to the consulate | For correction by the registry |
The death registration service is worth knowing about: people born in Guyana who die in a foreign country are entitled to have their deaths registered at the missions, and the file goes to the registry in Guyana, which contacts the applicant when it is done.
How to file
- Order the U.S. certificate of the event from the state vital records office.
- Order a spare copy, since the original you submit will be retained.
- Book the appointment at the mission covering your area.
- For a minor, arrange for both parents to attend, or obtain a notarised authorisation with a copy of the absent parent’s identity page.
- Pay the $20 by cash, card or money order made out to the mission.
- When the certificate arrives, check the spelling before using it.
Required documents
- Original U.S. certificate of the event, which is retained.
- Proof that the parent, or the deceased, was Guyanese by birth.
- Valid photo identification of the person filing.
- Both parents present for a minor, or a notarised authorisation.
- Copy of the absent parent’s identity or passport page.
- Payment of the fee.
Where to file
At the mission covering your area, which forwards the file to the General Register Office in Guyana.
Additional notes
Order two certificates
Because the original is kept, arriving with only one leaves you without it for anything else.
Check the spelling on arrival
It is far easier to correct a fresh certificate than to discover the error years later during a passport application.
Deaths abroad
Registering a death in Guyana matters for inheritance and for property there. The entitlement rests on the deceased having been Guyanese by birth.
Then the passport
The registration certificate is what makes a passport application possible for someone born abroad. They are two separate steps.