Registering a birth

[bub]

A question to those of you who have had a child in Singapore:

I've read up on the ICA website about the procedure, I couldn't find information about whose family name the child gets (if parents have different names)- Is it up to the parents to decide or is there some kind of law?

Also- I saw that we need to show our original marriage certificate. Wwe don't have it here, and it's not in English. How important is this (considering that it has been submitted in the past, since I am here on a DP)?

Thanks.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Well, both of mine were born here in Singapore to a Singaporean mother and a Yank father!

Both carry my surname on their Birth Certificates, not their mother's so I would guess that they follow the paternal naming as as matter of course. My wife and I have different names which is customary in Asian countries anyway.

[Bafana]

Can have whatever name you want on the birth certificate.

On the marriage cert it is not compulsory as far as I know (was not in my instance anyways) and suggest (like all things with MOM and ICA) you go pick up a ticket and have an interview with an officer as the website, etc sometimes does not fill you in on all the blanks and they will tell you exactly what you need to do.

If both of you are non-Singaporean you will need to get your baby's citizenship by decent within 45 days (from memory) along with passport so that they can stay in the country legally. Having a Singapore Birth Certificate does not give them citizenship and does not allow them to stay here.

Most embassy's are familiar with the process (know the Aussie one is for sure) so get down there and do what needs to be done ASAP since all these things take time.