• Hello Members, This forums is for DV lottery visas only. For other immigration related questions, please go to our forums home page, find the related forum and post it there.

Birth certificate and marriage certificate - any issue date is fine?

The birth and mariage certificates do not have a date limit. But I sill advice youdo not have them over than 2 years old...
Its only the police clearance that has an expiry date depending on countries!
Some 3 months some 6 months......
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks. The birth certificate extracts show place of birth, dob, sex, surname and given name, plus full names of both parents.
Besides, they are multi-lingual versions, even though that is not necessary as the rule is documents can be in the language of the country where the interview will take place. (which means I assume the CO at the embassy can read German issued documents).
 
Our marriage certificate is actually both the original US version (as we married in the US as non-US citizens) and a German certificate stating that the marriage has been registered here.
 
The birth and mariage certificates do not have a date limit. But I sill advice you to get do not have themover than 2 years old...Its only the police clearance that has an expiry date depending on countries!
Some 3 months some 6 months......

I'm not quite sure what the date of issue of the documents being "over 2 years old" is supposed to mean. I don't quite get this post.
 
Hi can someone tell me if there is any requirement regarding the date of issue of birth and marriage certificates?

Our birth certificates (extracts from the official records) that we have available are original documents and dated 1996, while the marriage certificate is dated 1997.

I cannot see any requirement as to date of issue:
http://travel.state.gov/content/vis...ty-visa/instructions-for-selectees/civil.html

The date of issue of those documents is really irrelevant. As a matter of fact, the date of issue could be this year, while the date of birth itself or the marriage could be several years in the past. It is reasonably understood that one might have not had such documents issued the year(s) those events actually occured.
 
I'm not quite sure what the date of issue of the documents being "over 2 years old" is supposed to mean. I don't quite get this post.
Ok I was advicing onthego that the date of issuing of his birth cert and mariage cert must rather not be more than two years old
I mean if he has a full birth cert that was issued 40 years ago ! It would brobably better to get a fresh one isn't it ?
 
Ok I was advicing onthego that the date of issuing of his birth cert and mariage cert must rather not be more than two years old
I mean if he has a full birth cert that was issued 40 years ago ! It would brobably better to get a fresh one isn't it ?

Oh, I see. But no, he wouldn't need to get a new one. The date of issue is irrelevant as long as the certificate is genuine and has all the required information.
 
The date of issue of those documents is really irrelevant. As a matter of fact, the date of issue could be this year, while the date of birth itself or the marriage could be several years in the past. It is reasonably understood that one might have not had such documents issued the year(s) those events actually occured.

All I am saying is that I wanted certainty that it is okay to present birth certificate extracts and a marriage certificate that were issued a long time ago, i.e. 17 and 18 years respectively and that it is NOT necessary to have them reissued for some reason that I may have missed.

You see, on the same link I quoted above there is no specific mention of expiry dates of police certificates, either.
Even when I click through to the "reciprocity-by-country" page and check for the relevant info for Germany, there is no mention on expiry dates, yet from what has been said they should be issued recently. (i.e. we have police certificates for multiple countries we used to live and they are all dated >10 years - they certainly would not prove that we didn't go back there and commited some kind of crime - as an example).

Likewise, a marriage certificate issued 17 years ago is no ultimate proof that I didn't get divorced and remarried again (as an example).
 
Oh, I see. But no, he wouldn't need to get a new one. The date of issue is irrelevant as long as the certificate is genuine and has all the required information.

Agreed. but my self I would rather play it safe and get newer once for ''in case'' that my
Opinion ! And thanks for correcting me I really made a huge typo
 
All I am saying is that I wanted certainty that it is okay to present birth certificate extracts and a marriage certificate that were issued a long time ago, i.e. 17 and 18 years respectively and that it is NOT necessary to have them reissued for some reason that I may have missed.

You see, on the same link I quoted above there is no specific mention of expiry dates of police certificates, either.
Even when I click through to the "reciprocity-by-country" page and check for the relevant info for Germany, there is no mention on expiry dates, yet from what has been said they should be issued recently. (i.e. we have police certificates for multiple countries we used to live and they are all dated >10 years - they certainly would not prove that we didn't go back there and commited some kind of crime - as an example).

Likewise, a marriage certificate issued 17 years ago is no ultimate proof that I didn't get divorced and remarried again (as an example).

And that is precisely what I'm saying too. I only added the "re-issue example" as another case of why the issue date is irrelevant.
 
Agreed. but my self I would rather play it safe and get newer once for ''in case'' that my
Opinion ! And thanks for correcting me I really made a huge typo

Whatever rocks your boat, you do what you think is best for you. My question with regards to your post really wasn't intended to point out any typo what so ever, I just didn't understand it and I wanted a little bit more information.
 
Whatever rocks your boat, you do what you think is best for you. My question with regards to your post really wasn't intended to point out any typo what so ever, I just didn't understand it and I wanted a little bit more information.

Well if you didn't understand it I rectefied it and its now very clear !
And if I have different opinion than yours ! That is it . no need for fancy words to desagree !
 
Well if you didn't understand it I rectefied it and its now very clear !
And if I have different opinion than yours ! That is it . no need for fancy words to desagree !

Jeez Louise!!! Stop getting so worked up, nobody is picking a frigging fight with you. Obviously everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, which is what I inferred when I wrote 'whatever rocks your boat'.

Fancy words in expressing disagreement??? Again your point of view, to which you're completely entitled.
 
Thanks. The birth certificate extracts show place of birth, dob, sex, surname and given name, plus full names of both parents.
Besides, they are multi-lingual versions, even though that is not necessary as the rule is documents can be in the language of the country where the interview will take place. (which means I assume the CO at the embassy can read German issued documents).

The only thing that may be an issue, if they are that old, is if they are not computer printed. If they are, and your birth certificate has full names of both parents, you're good to go.
 
Jeez Louise!!! Stop getting so worked up, nobody is picking a frigging fight with you. Obviously everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, which is what I inferred when I wrote 'whatever rocks your boat'.

Fancy words in expressing disagreement??? Again your point of view, to which you're completely entitled.

Ok momy I'm sory I also didn't mean to trigger any kind of argument !
Just that you got a funny way to respond sometimes to my posts that lead me to think
That you making fun of me !
But its ok and I'm sory if I made you upset.
 
Ok momy I'm sory I also didn't mean to trigger any kind of argument !
Just that you got a funny way to respond sometimes to my posts that lead me to think
That you making fun of me !
But its ok and I'm sory if I made you upset.

It's not my intention to make you or anyone else feel inferior to me, so I'm sorry if my postings came across that way. I have nothing to gain by making fun of you, English isn't my first language either and I hold no monopoly of knowledge on DV related issues. I just happen to have this 'unfortunate' habit of asking for clarifications when some posts do not appear clear to me.
 
Right Vladek! The newer the better! I, personally, wouldn't even show or file documents older than 3 months if I could.

Pryanik :)

Ok I was advicing onthego that the date of issuing of his birth cert and mariage cert must rather not be more than two years old
I mean if he has a full birth cert that was issued 40 years ago ! It would brobably better to get a fresh one isn't it ?
 
The only thing that may be an issue, if they are that old, is if they are not computer printed. If they are, and your birth certificate has full names of both parents, you're good to go.


They are standard printed forms and completed using a typewriter. Originals with blue ink stamps and signature.
I would say they are all good as they are. :D
 
Top