Loading…
In depth
A vital record is a government-recorded document that certifies a vital event — birth, marriage, divorce, or death. Vital records are maintained by civil registry offices (anagrafe, USC, Standesamt, Registro Civil, GRO, etc.) and are the primary evidence in CBD cases.
For CBD cases, vital records establish the citizenship chain: the birth certificate of each person in the line (showing the parent-child relationship), the marriage certificate of each couple (showing legitimate descent), and the death certificate (if applicable).
Vital records are typically issued as 'certified copies' (copia integrale, certified copy, copia certificada) — notarized by the issuing authority. Some CBD applications also require apostilles on foreign vital records.
Related terms
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 marriage certificate is a vital record that certifies a marriage, required for CBD cases to establish the legitimacy of the descent line.
A death certificate is a vital record that certifies a death, sometimes required for CBD cases to confirm that the ancestor is deceased.
A civil registry is the government system for recording vital events (births, marriages, deaths), maintained by local authorities and used as the primary source of vital records in CBD cases.
A short-form birth certificate is a simplified birth certificate showing only the child's basic information, typically not accepted for CBD applications.
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.