Birth Certificate for Bahrain

U.S. Birth Certificates for Family Life in Bahrain

Families moving to Bahrain, and Bahraini families with children born in the United States, need U.S. birth certificates for some of the most important steps of settling in: sponsoring a child’s residence, obtaining the child’s CPR identity card, enrolling at school, and, for children of Bahraini citizens, registering the child with the Bahraini authorities. Each of these offices expects an apostilled certified copy that clearly shows the child’s parents.

Family residence and the CPR card

An expatriate working in Bahrain who sponsors a child for residence through the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs authority (NPRA) is normally asked to prove the parent–child relationship with the child’s birth certificate. The same certificate supports the child’s CPR card, Bahrain’s personal identity number, which is needed for schooling, healthcare and almost every service. Schools in Bahrain also ask for it at enrollment.

Children of Bahraini citizens born in the U.S.

When a child is born in the U.S. to a Bahraini parent, the birth is usually registered with the Bahraini authorities through the Bahrain Embassy or consulate, or in Bahrain after the family returns. This allows the child’s Bahraini documents to be issued. The apostilled U.S. birth certificate is the core document in that file. Confirm the current registration steps and deadlines with the embassy, because they may include other documents such as the parents’ marriage certificate.

Which copy to order

Order a certified long-form birth certificate, sometimes called a full or vault copy, from the vital records office of the state where the child was born, or from the county office where the state allows it. Bahraini offices want to see both parents’ names, and some short-form abstracts leave them out. Hospital “souvenir” certificates and informational copies cannot be apostilled.

Apostille by the state of birth

A birth certificate is a public record, so it is never notarized. The apostille comes from the Secretary of State of the state where the birth was registered, even if the family now lives elsewhere. Some states first require a county-issued copy to be certified at county level. Bahrain has accepted apostilles since December 31, 2013, so no U.S. Department of State or embassy legalization is needed. A certified Arabic translation is made in Bahrain where the office requires it, and the names should be transliterated exactly as in the child’s passport.