For any family, having a baby is an exciting and amazing time. However, as a foreigner living in Saudi Arabia or an international real estate investor you also need to take into consideration the legal documents.Now getting an official document for your newborn baby may look complex and tedious, but in fact the Saudi government with its to-do system has made it extremely smooth as well as digital. This detailed guide will take you step by step on how exactly to go about getting a birth certificate saudi arabia, what your options are when it comes to lost birth certificate saudi arabia and how get your document stamp MOFA Attestation so you can use it anywhere in the world.
Once a child is born in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, there are government procedures to register that birth. A birth certificate is not simply a piece of paper. This is your child’s first official ID document.
This document is vitally important, without it you cannot carry out other critical activities as:
Parents must register the child within 30 days from the date of birth, according to a directive by the Saudi Ministry of Interior. If you cross these 30 days, you will have to confront the delayed applications of Visa and pay an administrative fine for being late. So why not begin the process as soon as possible?
In fact, the process of obtaining a birth certificate begins right within the delivery room at the hospital where your baby is born. You do not need to wait until you get home to take the first step.
In Saudi Arabia, all the modern-day hospitals are part of a direct connection with the government digital network. When your baby arrives, hospital staff WILL register the birth straight into a system (as early as discharge). This notification is transmitted directly to the Ministry of Interior via the online Absher platform.
Don’t pack your bags and head out the hospital, rather visit the hospital’s administration desk. Request a paper notification of the birth stamped. Put this paper in a file cause you are going to need it for the following steps.
Thanks to Saudi Arabia’s modern digital vision, foreign residents do not have to stand in long lines at government offices just for a birth certificate. Now you can do nearly everything on your phone or computer.
You will prepare with documents before you open the computer:
The Ministry of Interior has an electronic service named Register Newborn You can complete the entire process for a birth certificate online and even have it delivered to your home with this service. Here is how to use it:
After finishing these, the Civil Affairs office will print and mail the official birth certificates to you. As per the Saudi National Portal (GOV.SA), it will then be sent to your home through Saudi Post (SPL) in 3–5 working days. It removes the necessity of physically going to a Government office altogether.
Saudi Civil Affairs would then provide an official written birth certificate in Arabic. Although this is fine to use within Saudi Arabia, sending it home or using it for international business purposes means that it will not be accepted. This way, you are concerned to follow a legal chain of stamps that ensures the document is legal for international use and acceptance.
Initially, go to a professional certified translation office that is licensed by the Saudi government and carry out your Arabic birth certificate. They will translate either into English or into the native language of your home country for the certificate. This translation will be printed on their official letterhead along with a seal.
The second thing you need is a MOFA Attestation. This means that the document was stamped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to certify that this birth certificate is real and validated.
After MOFA stamping, take both original and translated documents to your country embassy/consulate in Riyadh or Jeddah. The final stamp from the embassy will be added. At this point, the birth certificate of your newborn has now been completely legalized for use outside Saudi Arabia (although many parents do opt to get the Arabic copy as well) so you can register the child for a non-Saudi passport or prepare them for school enrollment back home.
People lose documents during house moves or travelling internationally. If you recognize that your child or girl has a sitting document missing, do no longer panic. You can request a replacement.
The entire recovery process must be completed in Saudi Arabia within 20 to 25 business days if you have lost a birth certificate. This is contingent on how soon you can schedule an appointment and submit the background records.
|
Service Item
|
Allowed Timeframe
|
Official Government Fee
|
|---|---|---|
|
Initial Birth Registration Deadline |
Within 30 days of the baby's birth |
Free of charge |
|
Late Registration Penalty |
Exceeding the 30-day limit |
Administrative fine for being late |
|
Home Shipping Delivery (SPL) |
3–5 working days |
Standard postal delivery fee |
|
Official MOFA Attestation |
Available upon digital request |
SAR 30 per personal document |
|
Lost Document Replacement Process |
Takes 20 to 25 business days |
Required replacement service fee |
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