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In depth
An affidavit is a written statement made under oath before a notary public or other authorized official. In CBD cases, affidavits are used to: (1) resolve discrepancies in names or dates across documents, (2) provide testimony when documentary evidence is missing, and (3) declare 'same person' identity when names vary across documents.
Common CBD affidavits include: 'one and the same person' affidavits (when an ancestor's name varied across documents), 'no record' affidavits (when vital records cannot be found), and 'chain of custody' affidavits (when documents have been in family possession).
Affidavits must be notarized and (if used in a foreign country) apostilled and translated. Some authorities (Italian consulates) require specific affidavit formats.
Related terms
A notary public is a public official authorized to witness signatures, certify documents, and administer oaths, used in CBD cases for document certification.
An apostille is a certification that authenticates the origin of a public document for use in another country that is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.
A certified copy is a copy of a document that has been verified as a true and accurate copy by the issuing authority, typically required for CBD applications.
A long-form birth certificate is a detailed birth certificate that includes the child's and parents' full information, required for most CBD applications.
A short-form birth certificate is a simplified birth certificate showing only the child's basic information, typically not accepted for CBD applications.
A vital record is a government-recorded document that certifies a vital event — birth, marriage, divorce, or death — and is the primary evidence in CBD cases.