Many of you don’t know that, but there are 2 different birth certificates: short-form and long-form.
Essentially, both forms attest to an individual’s birth and present details such as place, time, and parents. Both short and long-form birth certificates serve the same purpose: Establish legal proof of birth in the U.S.
Obtaining a copy of a long-form certificate- may take longer than requesting its short-form counterpart.
Many of you don’t know that but there are 2 different forms of birth certificate: short form and long form.
Essentially, both forms attest to an individual’s birth and present details such as place, time and parents. Both short and long form birth certificates serve the same purpose: To establish legal proof of birth in the U.S.
Obtaining a copy of a long-form certificate- may take longer than requesting its short-form counterpart.
A long form birth certificate is sometimes referred in New York City as a “Vault copy” has all of the information you would expect to see on a birth certificate:
Long form is a digital image of the original paper document that carries signatures of those present at birth. It is 8.5′ x 11′ long and very often is accompanied by Letter of Exemplification.
You will need a long form birth certificate if you are trying to get a new passport, applying for a dual citizenship, etc.
A short form birth certificate (called Certification of Birth) contains all of the most important information except it does not have signatures or detailed parents information on it. It can usually be used for proving citizenship and for proof of identity but it may not always be accepted for all applications.
Short form birth certificates are also often called “abstracts,” because they only provide a portion of the information included on the long form. In essence, the short form serves as proof that a full birth certificate has been filed for you.
If a person requires official proof of his or her birth in New York City with an apostille or certificate of authentication, the applicant must first obtain a copy of the birth certificate with a letter of exemplification from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Vital Records Division. That Department will issue the letter of exemplification only upon request. Applications may be made in person at the Department’s Office, by mail, or on-line. There are restrictions on who may submit the applications (the person named in the certificate or parents). Proof of identity is required. Processing of applications by mail takes about 30 days at present. Applications on-line must be paid for by credit or debit card or electronic check. Online applications are processed within 24 hours. An additional ten business days will be required for long-form/vault certificates and letters of exemplification.
The County Clerk must authenticate new York City issued Birth Certificate to be submitted for apostille or certificate of authentication. A birth certificate must bear a letter of exemplification (more about the letter of exemplification here).
Due to the volume of matters received, the County Clerk of New York County generally requires three weeks to process applications for authentication submitted by mail. Documents presented in proper form in person are processed immediately.
The third step in the process is the issuance of the birth certificate apostille or certificate of authentication by the New York State Department of State. An application form must be completed. The documents in question, properly authenticated, must be attached and a fee paid.