My friend Rushda is an Indian national but was born in Riyadh. Over time, her parents moved to Jeddah, where they issued her birth certificate. Years later, Rushda began working in Dubai as a professional multimedia motion designer, and by this time, she had lost her original birth certificate. Rushda reached out to me in Saudi Arabia to inquire about replacing it.
I was not sure how to answer my friend, so I contacted the Civil Affairs office in Jubail, and this is what I found out.
So, How Do You Get A Replacement Birth Certificate In Saudi Arabia?
First, you book an appointment at the local Saudi Civil Affairs office (Ahawal Madinia). Second, attend the appointment, hand over the necessary documents listed below, and the clerk will check the national register. They will then print and issue a replacement birth certificate to you.
The following article outlines the necessary documents, explains how to schedule an Abshir appointment, and provides a detailed description of the process for obtaining a replacement birth certificate issued in Saudi Arabia.
Contents
(Click on the link to jump to the section, then arrow to jump back)
STEP 1 – Preparing The Documents You Need
STEP 2 – Getting A Saudi Civil Affairs (Ahwal Madania) Appointment
STEP 3 – Obtaining An Official Replacement Saudi Birth Certificate
Power of Attorney (POA) Letter Template
STEP 1 – Preparing The Documents You Need
- A printed copy of the original birth certificate issued at the Civil Affairs office
- Current passport and Saudi visa
- Your and your parents’ old passports
- Copies of your and your parents’ old residency permits (Iqama)
- Original hospital letter or notification of birth
- A letter (in Arabic) requesting a replacement due to loss
Must Haves
(1) A scanned or printed COPY of the original birth certificate is essential since it will help the civil affairs clerk to quickly trace the record of your birth certificate on the national registry. Be sure to check the certificate number, issue date, and the issuing Civil Affairs office name can be seen.
(2) A valid passport showing clear identity, valid visa status and border entry details (if no longer resident in KSA). The name (in English and Arabic) on your passport should closely match that on the original birth certificate.
(3) Your and your parents’ old passports used to obtain the original birth certificate to verify historical presence in Saudi Arabia with old visas and exit/re-entry stamps, etc.
(4) Your and your parents’ old residency permits (Iqama) to verify sponsor names, residency status and employment. (In the old days, they were individual paper booklets that contained all the family photos and details in one booklet.)
(5) The original hospital birth notification letter should show the hospital name, date of birth and medical file number, including the mother’s and the father’s names. However, the name on the birth certificate will not appear in the hospital notification record.
(6) A personally signed letter (in Arabic) stating your full name, nationality, date and place of birth, and a request for a replacement Saudi birth certificate for the lost original.
STEP 2 – Getting A Saudi Civil Affairs (Ahwal Madania) Appointment (10 steps)
To start, you should visit the Saudi government Civil Affairs (Ahwal Madania) via the Abshir website. Then, enter your username, password, and the four-digit verification code sent to your mobile phone.
Once you log into your Abshir account, click (1) Appointments, then (2) Civil Affairs, then (3) Proceed to Service.
Later, you click:
(4) Book a New Appointment
(5) Select the Region (from the drop-down box),
(6) Issue a replacement birth certificate for a lost or damaged one
(It only appears in Arabic, NOT in English as اصدار شهادة ميلاد بدل فاقد او تالف)
(7) Choose City / Branch Name
(8) Select day, date and appointment time
(9) Confirm your appointment
(10) Obtain an Appointment Ticket
The confirmation page lists the documents (written here in Arabic only) you should bring with you.
They are: 1. a copy of the original birth certificate, 2. copies of passports and residency permits and/or 3. the original but now possibly damaged birth certificate.
Now, you can scan or print the Appointment Confirmation letter in Abshir for reference and safekeeping.
STEP 3 – Obtaining An Official Replacement Saudi Birth Certificate
Attend the appointment at the Civil Affairs (Ahwal Madania) office on the booked day, date and time. Take a paper ticket, sit and wait for your turn. When your ticket number appears on the digital screen, go to the booth, hand all your documents to the clerk. If you are or have an Arabic speaker with you, the interview will be much smoother.
In the past, you had to return after two or three days to allow the officials time to manually handwrite the details onto the template birth certificate. These included your name, place and date of birth, parents’ details, but today it can be printed and collected on the same day, provided the officials can identify you and all the necessary documents are presented correctly.
Related Questions
What if my city of birth is different from the city where my original birth certificate was issued? In this case, you should return to the same issuing office in the Saudi city where the original birth certificate was issued. They will have records of sponsors or where your parents resided or were registered at the time. So, if you were born in Riyadh and had your original birth certificate issued in the civil affairs office in Jeddah, then you should go back to that office to request the birth certificate replacement.
What if I or my parents no longer have an Abshir account because I am a non-resident? Abshir is for Saudi citizens and foreign residents who have valid residency permits (Iqama). In this case, you should ask a former Saudi sponsor, Saudi or foreign friend or relative, a lawyer, or an embassy contact to make an appointment for you using their Abshir accounts. You can attend the appointment in their place, and you should explain your situation to the clerk at the civil affairs office.
I also feel confident that even without an official appointment, you can simply walk into the Saudi Civil Affairs office (Ahwal Madania) where your original birth certificate was issued, explain your situation, and they will gladly attend to you. However, please go early and on a day when there are fewer people with appointments.
What if I am unable to travel to Saudi Arabia to attend the Civil Affairs (Ahwal Madania) office? In this case, you can set up a Power of Attorney (POA or وكالة شرعية). It authorises someone else to attend an appointment, request and collect a replacement birth certificate on your behalf.
What is the format and wording of the Power of Attorney? The POA text should read something similar to the following template. Please write then translate the letter into Arabic, and then sign it. I would also include a signed copy of your current passport and/or national ID.
Who has experience requesting a replacement birth certificate in Saudi Arabia, and how may I contact them? You are very welcome to contact the author, Mohammed Francis, at the insidesaudi.com website or Motion Designer, Rusdah Adil, email: rushda.adil@hotmail.com or via her LinkedIn page.
Letter Template of Power of Attorney (POA) وكالة شرعية
I, (my name), of (nationality name) nationality and holder of passport number (number), currently residing in (country name), hereby appoint:
(Name of Principal POE), Saudi / other national, holder of National ID/Iqama number (ID number), residing in (city or town name), Saudi Arabia,
As my legal representative to:
Visit the Civil Affairs Office in i.e. Jeddah (Ahwal Madania),
Request a replacement of my lost birth certificate, submit and collect all necessary documents on my behalf, and receive the official copy of the reissued certificate.
This authorisation is valid for this specific task only and shall remain in effect until the document is obtained or revoked in writing.
Signed:
Name: (Your name)
(Your Signature)
Date: (Current Date)