Salvadoran birth certificate and civil registry from the US

What civil registry procedures the consulate offers

The Salvadoran consulate acts as the link with the civil registry for compatriots living outside the country. This means you can handle the vital events affecting your family from the US without having to travel to El Salvador.

In El Salvador, birth certificates are issued by the city hall (Alcaldia) and the National Registry of Natural Persons (RNPN). The consulate helps with the request and registration for those in the US, but the final document is issued by the corresponding registry.

How to get a birth certificate

If you are already recorded in El Salvador's civil registry (that is, you were born there or were already registered), your birth certificate exists and you only need to request a certified copy. The consulate can guide you on how to obtain it remotely.

1. Book an appointment at the consulate through the portal or the Call Center.
2. State the municipality where you were registered, since the city hall (Alcaldia) keeps the record.
3. Present your Salvadoran ID (DUI national ID card or passport) to prove your identity.
4. Request the certified copy and follow the consulate's instructions on timing and delivery.

The birth certificate is a key document: you will need it to apply for your Salvadoran passport, register your children, get married, or carry out many other legal procedures.

How to register a child born in the US (step by step)

When your child is born in the United States to a Salvadoran father or mother, they have the right to Salvadoran nationality, but they are not automatically recorded in El Salvador. For the child to be recorded in the civil registry, you must complete the birth registration at the consulate.

1. Gather the documents: the child's US birth certificate (usually apostilled) and the parents' identity documents.
2. Book an appointment at the consulate that serves your place of residence.
3. Come with your child and the parents as instructed by the consulate, and submit the complete documentation.
4. Complete the birth registration so the child is recorded as Salvadoran.
5. Obtain the child's Salvadoran birth certificate once the registration is complete.
6. Then apply for the child's Salvadoran passport, now with the birth certificate in hand.

Registering the child is the essential first step: without that registration, they cannot get their Salvadoran birth certificate or, later on, their passport.

Required documents and the apostille

Although each consulate may ask for additional documents, to register the birth of a child born in the US you are normally asked for the following:

A birth certificate issued in the United States usually needs an apostille to be valid in El Salvador. The apostille is the international certification that authenticates the document. If you are not sure how to get it, see our guide on apostille and document legalization.

Before your appointment, confirm with the consulate exactly which documents you need and whether the certificate must be apostilled and translated, since requirements can change.

Marriages and deaths that occurred abroad

The consulate's civil registry is not limited to births. You can also register other vital events that occurred outside El Salvador so they have legal effect in the country:

Each process has its own documents and, as with births, US certificates usually require an apostille. Check the specific requirements with your consulate before starting the process.