Registering a birth (UK)

[brewsterbudgen]

As I'm not married to my son's mother, it looks like the application for his UK passport will be more straightforward if I have first registered his birth in Thailand with the UK. I know it is not essential to do this in order to apply for his passport, but as an unmarried father my reading of the passport application form, is that I cannot sign the declaration unless the birth has been registered in the UK.

There is also a question about my eligibilty to pass on my UK citizenship to him, as I was born in Africa, although I am a registered UK citizen. Registering his birth in the UK will at least confirm his status.

The website for registering a birth in Thailand with the UK is fairly user-friendly although it states that the documents (child's Thai birth certificate, my birth certificate etc) must be "original copies". Now maybe I'm being dense, but does that mean that I have to send the original documents or copies of them? I'm rather uneasy about sending original documents from the 1960s that cannot easily be replaced if lost.

So, what constitutes an "original copy"?

[theoldgit]

If your birth was registered in the UK, you can original obtain copies from the GRO.

As I understand that original copies are copies of the original record, issued in this case by the GRO, rather than photocopies.

https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate

[Bangkokhatter]

Can the registration be done at the British Embassy in Bangkok ?

[theoldgit]

Can the registration be done at the British Embassy in Bangkok ?

No

[brewsterbudgen]

If your birth was registered in the UK, you can original obtain copies from the GRO.

As I understand that original copies are copies of the original record, issued in this case by the GRO, rather than photocopies.

https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate

I don't believe my birth was registered in the UK as I was born in Rhodesia and have a Rhodesian birth certificate. I will also need to send my UK Registration certificate. Do I send the original or a photocopy?

[7by7]

Birth (and marriage and death) certificates issued in the UK always say that they are a copy because they are in fact a copy of the entry in the actual register.

So when they say 'original copy' they mean this actual copy and not a copy of the copy; if that makes sense!

Usually, original documents are required, not photocopies, so in your position I'd submit your original UK registration certificate

Long time ago now, but when my wife and step daughter applied for their first British passports the original of their naturalisation (wife) and registration ( step daughter, she was under 18 at the time) certificates were required; but that was in the UK.

[brewsterbudgen]

Birth (and marriage and death) certificates issued in the UK always say that they are a copy because they are in fact a copy of the entry in the actual register.

So when they say 'original copy' they mean this actual copy and not a copy of the copy; if that makes sense!

Usually, original documents are required, not photocopies, so in your position I'd submit your original UK registration certificate

Long time ago now, but when my wife and step daughter applied for their first British passports the original of their naturalisation (wife) and registration ( step daughter, she was under 18 at the time) certificates were required; but that was in the UK.

Thanks. I'll send them by DHL.