How to request a birth certificate in Puerto Rico

It is the certified copy of the birth record filed with Puerto Rico’s Demographic Registry. It is the foundation document for almost everything else: it is used as evidence of citizenship for a passport, for REAL ID, for school enrollment, for benefits and for inheritance matters. It is not the same as the hospital paperwork or an old photocopy: what agencies ask for is a certified copy issued by the Registry.

The person named on the certificate may request it, and generally so may immediate family such as parents, spouse, children or siblings, along with duly authorized legal representatives. If you are requesting a minor’s certificate, a parent or guardian does it. The Demographic Registry defines who qualifies and what proof of relationship it accepts, so confirm before paying or showing up.

• Being the registrant yourself or an “interested party”: the Demographic Registry states that eligibility is determined under the interested-party definition in Act No. 24 of April 22, 1931, the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry Act.Verified against the official source
• If you are acting for someone else, the proof matching your role: a custodian or legal guardian sends a copy of the certified court order; heirs send a certified copy of the will or declaration of heirs; and an adult over 18 who cannot appear in person sends an authorization letter together with their valid ID. The Registry warns that court documentation may be subject to a validation procedure in Puerto Rico.Verified against the official source
• The birth must be registered with Puerto Rico’s Demographic Registry.
• Know the birth details: full name as registered, date, municipality, and the parents’ names.
• Have a valid mailing address if you want it mailed to you.

• Current photo identification issued by the government of your state or country of residence. The Registry names a driver license, a passport or a state ID as the most widely accepted; foreign nationals must present a current passport, visa or residence card.
• If you apply by mail, a photocopy of both sides of your current ID showing name, photo, signature, issue date and expiration date. Through that channel the Registry accepts only a passport, a driver license issued by a U.S. state or territory, or an ID card issued by a state or territory. If your ID carries a married surname, you must include a copy of your marriage certificate or divorce decree to validate the use of that surname.
• If you apply by mail, the correct form: for a birth it is RD-225, “Solicitud por Correo de Certificación de Nacimiento en Puerto Rico”, revision date February 2020, available in Spanish and English. The Registry warns that any other format or template will NOT be accepted, and that the request must be complete and include the applicant’s signature and a valid email address.
• Proof of relationship, if you are requesting another person’s certificate.
• Written authorization or power of attorney, when that applies to your case.
• A payment method accepted by the channel where you apply.

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   Step 1: Confirm who is allowed to request it in your case

   Not just anyone can request someone else’s certificate. If it is not yours, check on the official site which relationships the Registry accepts and what proof you must bring. This avoids the most common wasted trip in this procedure.

2. 2

   Step 2: Gather the exact birth details

   You need the full name as it was registered, the date, the municipality where the birth occurred, and the parents’ names. If the registered name differs from the one you use today — through marriage, a surname spelled differently, or a registration error — note that, because the search runs against what the original record says.

3. 3

   Step 3: Choose the channel: online, by mail, or in person

   The Demographic Registry publishes four routes: visiting a local office (it has offices across the Island, and the San Juan one is at Centro Gubernamental Minillas, Torre Norte, first level, Santurce); ordering online through PR.gov; ordering through VitalChek, online or by calling toll-free (800) 255-2414, which has a bilingual call center and offers express service; or mailing the request. In person is usually best when there is a discrepancy in the record or when you need same-day resolution; mail is by far the slowest. Online and through VitalChek most credit cards are accepted, and the Registry expressly asks that you send neither cash nor personal checks.

4. 4

   Step 4: Complete the request and pay through the official channel

   The agency’s own official form may ask you for identifying information; you fill that form out on the government site, never on PRFácil. Avoid intermediaries that appear in search results promising to send you the certificate: they charge on top of the official procedure.

5. 5

   Step 5: Request extra copies if you know you will need them

   Several agencies keep the certified copy you hand in. If you are going to apply for a passport, a REAL ID and something else, thinking through how many copies you need up front saves you from repeating the whole process.

6. 6

   Step 6: Check the certificate as soon as you receive it

   Check names, surnames, date and municipality before using it. A typo you did not notice turns into a rejection at the counter of your next procedure, and correcting a record is its own process before the Demographic Registry.

Through the Demographic Registry’s online services, by mail, or in person at a Demographic Registry office of the Department of Health. The official site keeps the current list of channels and offices.

• Presenting hospital paperwork or an old photocopy instead of a certified copy issued by the Demographic Registry.
• Searching under the name you use today rather than the name as it was registered at birth.
• Going to the office to request someone else’s certificate without the proof of relationship or authorization the Registry requires.
• Requesting a single copy when you have several procedures ahead that keep the document.
• Using online intermediaries that charge extra for something you can do directly with the government.
• Mailing a personal check, or a handwritten request on your own template: through that channel the Registry accepts only money orders and only form RD-225 as revised in February 2020.
• Being 60 or older and residing in Puerto Rico, and paying for the copy without knowing one a year is free. The same applies to resident veterans and to their widow, spouse and minor children.

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

• Departamento de Salud de Puerto Rico

  Salud

  www.salud.pr.gov

• Demographic Registry — online services

  Departamento de Salud

  www.salud.pr.gov

• Demographic Registry — general information

  Departamento de Salud

  www.salud.pr.gov

• Department of Health — official site

  Departamento de Salud

  www.salud.pr.gov