What Is an Affidavit of Birth? [ Definition, Uses ]

Often, we need to provide a formal letter to the authority in order to comply with the rules and regulations of a state. These letters may be for verifying an identification, and even certifying that you are a true witness to an incident. However, not only letters will be helpful for authorities but also forms and documents to acquire the sufficient information that they will be needing.

A known document which will aid the authorities in verification and identification is an affidavit form. This form is a written statement or a factual affirmation of an individual about a particular subject. There are various types of affidavit forms which depend on the user and the authority’s needs. These affidavit forms may be used for acquiring sufficient pieces of evidence for passport, visa, and job application. One affidavit form which has the main intention of proving an individual’s identity and nationality is a birth affidavit form.

Birth affidavit forms are used whenever an individual was not fully registered in the state’s registrar. It should be submitted together with a notice form from the authority stating that the individual using the affidavit or the affiant had no legal records of birth. This affidavit may also be used by another person who is a proven witness and has known the affiant well to signify a proof that the affiant is indeed a citizen of the country. The form will contain the following information:

• The Applicant’s Information. This area will state the general information of the affiant or the applicant which includes his full legal name, gender, his date of birth, place of birth, and his recent home address.

• The Relatives of the Affiant or Applicant. It is vital that the closest relative or family member of a birth affidavit filer will stand as a witness or proof for the affidavit. This is to assure the authorities that the affiant is claiming a true identity and not falsifying his information. The relatives will have to state their names, the number of years that they have known the affiant, and their relationship to the affiant.

• The Facts and Statements. This area is similar to a witness statement form wherein the relative or the witness of the birth will have to write down all the factual information and what he knows about the affiant’s birth claim.

• The Declaration. Any legal form which will be used for meeting the requirements of a state government will demand a declaration of all the parties involved. The declaration will have the signatures of the affiant, the family relative, and the significant dates for verifying the birth affidavit.

Most birth affidavit forms have an attached privacy statement and confidentiality agreement after the areas which needed to be filled out by the parties. This agreement is vital for the purpose of protecting the data and allowing the authorities to conduct further research in order to assure and verify the claims. Lastly, a disclosure statement is also evident in this form which shows the power and rights of the applicant to choose between providing his identification numbers or not.