My birth certificate has been MIA for some time and a few months back it surfaced but the problem was the original date was 1962. The thing about an aged birth certificate is it fades, sometimes tears and I hate to admit it, this birth certificate is 48 years old. Well almost. When I found my birth certificate I was so happy, after all we need these important documents for various reasons. When I found my 48 year old document it was in 6 pieces. The paper tore with time and wear and tear in the same shape as the birth certificate was neatly folded and tucked away and forgotten. There is writing on both sides of the document, I thought about piecing it together but if I were to tape it together, I think no one would take it especially in this day and age and with my luck immigration would show up at my door. LOL
I had been freaking out because I thought I would have to go through hoops to get another copy. Here’s the thing, I was born in Japan, on U.S. soil..in a army hospital, my biological father was American in the Navy and my mother was Japanese. I have a social security card and everything to obtain another copy but I had no idea where to obtain a duplicate copy of my birth certificate when I was born in Japan on a U.S. Army hospital.
The best way to obtain a copy of your birth certificate if you were born in Japan and either born in a military hospital or United States Military base in Japan here is what you need to do:
Submit a signed and notarized written request including all pertinent facts of the occasion along with a copy of the requester”s valid photo identification. Only the subject, parent, or legal guardian may request a birth record. The following information must be included in the request:
General Information
Date of request
Purpose of request
Document Requesting (Certificate of Birth)
Number of documents requesting
Current mailing address and daytime telephone number
Facts of Birth
Name (at birth)
Name after adoption (if applicable)
Date of birth
Country of birth
Father’s name
Father’s date and place (state/country) of birth
Mother’s name
Mother’s date and place (state/country) of birth
Fees for Certificate of Birth the fee is $30.00 for the first copy and $20.00 for each additional copy:
Certificate of Birth (DS-1350)
Check or money order must be signed, dated, and made payable to “Department of State.”
Remittance must be payable in U.S. dollars through a U.S. bank.
Do not send cash.
Additional Requirements
Notarized signature
A copy of a valid identification of the requester, such as a driver’s license, military ID, or passport.
If you possess a Report of Birth/Death or Certificate of Witness to Marriage, please enclose a copy to aid in our file search.
If you are requesting an amendment or correction to a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, please include certified copies of all documents appropriate for effecting the change (i.e., foreign birth certificate, marriage certificate, court ordered adoption or name change, birth certificates of adopting or legitimating parents, etc.). The original or replacement FS-240, or a notarized affidavit concerning its whereabouts also must be included.
SUBMIT YOUR REQUEST TO:
U.S. Department of State
Passport Services
Vital Records Section
1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 510
Washington, DC 20522-1705
Turnaround Time
Most consular vital records must be retrieved from off-site repositories, including the National Archives. Thus, the time it takes varies greatly based on the type of record and date of occurrence, making it difficult to give a definite timeframe. However, in most cases, turnaround is four to eight weeks.
Expedited Service
Overnight delivery can save about ten days processing time, but there is no way to reduce the retrieval time. Overnight return via Federal Express is available for an additional $16.25 or the requester may provide a pre-paid airbill for the carrier of choice.
So why did I write a post about this? I googled and searched and never came up with anything for months on end. Really its been stressing me out and it really surprised me in how difficult it was to find the information. So I thought I would share.
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