Provide full information about the date, place of the event, and the parties involved to ensure the custodian of the record locates the correct registration promptly.

For information on where to write and any special information about requests to the country involved, see GN 00312.010 through GN 00312.450 .

In addition to any other information required in those sections, requests for birth certificates must include the claimant's:

1. a. 

   Name at birth (both the English and the foreign-language versions);

2. b. 

   Full date of birth (to avoid any misunderstandings spell out the month of birth);

3. c. 

   Place of birth (town/village/city and province or state);

   If the claimant was born in a large city, show the district in which they were born or the address of the claimant's parents at the time of their birth. Large cities such as Paris, Stockholm, Berlin, Mexico City, Warsaw, etc. maintain their records by district or parish, and it is extremely difficult to locate the record without this information.

4. d. 

   Parents' full names at the time of the birth.

   Be sure to show the full double surnames (as explained in GN 00307.160) of all parties when requesting evidence from a Spanish-speaking country.

   Suggest the request be sent by airmail.

   NOTE: Unless prohibited in the following sections, an international reply coupon can be enclosed with the claimant's letter. This coupon serves as postage from foreign countries and ensures postage by surface mail for one unit of mail (usually one ounce or a fraction). If airmail delivery is desired, additional coupons can be purchased. Information on the cost of airmail from any foreign country may be obtained from any post office.

If the cost of a record is not known, advise the claimant that their first letter must state the pertinent facts and ask for all charges.

If the cost of the document is shown in foreign currency and the U.S. currency equivalent is not shown, ascertain the current exchange rate and compute the cost. Exchange rates for most foreign currencies may be obtained from:

• •

  The foreign department of local banks, or

• •

  Internet currency conversion sites; or

• •

  Other sources which use data from a Treasury Department or Federal Reserve publication on official exchange rates as a basis for their data.

When the correct fee is known, pay this amount using the instrument required in the section for that country. If the method of payment is not specified, use:

• •

  An international postal money order (available in all first-class post offices and some other post offices);

  EXCEPTIONS: International postal money orders are not acceptable in Bulgaria, Jordan, Portugal and Spain.

• •

  A foreign draft; or

• •

  A commercial money order if the registrar is located in a town that is accessible to an office of the company that issued the order.

Advise the claimant to avoid underpayment. To ensure the payment is adequate, the claimant should raise the fee amount to the next higher dollar amount (e.g., $4.32 would be raised to $5.00). This will normally be enough to pay for increased fees, further currency fluctuations, additional charges, postage, etc.

The State Department charges a $15.00 fee for handling and processing requests for documents. Therefore, when requesting evidence through a U.S. Embassy or consulate, include a check or money order of $15 payable to the appropriate embassy or consulate.

Requests for foreign records are usually sent directly to the custodians of the source records, as outlined in the sections of this POMS chapter, because the evidence is received faster and with fewer problems. If a request for such evidence is made through the FO servicing the area in which the custodian is located, explain the special circumstances which necessitated a change in the normal procedures.

The fax number and website addresses of registrars are shown where they are known and it appears that they can be helpful. However, where these sites are not English-language sites or do not provide English-language translations of the information, their use is limited to individuals familiar with those languages.

For information on the acceptance of computer-generated certifications, see GN 00301.031. For information on the acceptance of fax copies, see GN 00301.030.