Long form NYC birth certificate
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:
- Full name
- Date and time of birth
- Precise place of birth (such as the hospital address)
- Gender
- The name of the doctor or midwife who attended your birth
- Parents’ full names, including mother’s maiden name
- Parents’ dates and places of birth
- Signatures
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.
Short form NYC birth certificate
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.