Q: I was born at the Yokosuka Naval hospital on Oct. 31, 1960. I am trying to get a copy of my birth certificate. Would your hospital have a copy of my birth certificate? If not, could you please point me in the right direction? I will be getting married this week, and just realized that I cannot locate my birth certificate (I need a copy for my future wife’s immigration paperwork). Thanks for your help.

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A: The hospital only maintains copies of birth certificates for two years. Also birth certificates generated by the hospital cannot be used as an “official birth certificate.” American citizens born abroad can obtain a Certificate of Birth Abroad (acceptable for all legal purposes) from the U.S. Department of State. For more information, please visit the Department of State Web site at http://travel.state.gov/ family/issues_birth.html. I hope this helps and congratulations on your marriage!

I had a hard time just going with that link but after further reserch I found the information I was looking for(friend needed this also)........


How to Apply for a Certified Copy of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad


Submit a signed and notarized written request including all pertinent facts of the occasion along with a copy of the requester''s valid photo identification. Only the subject, parent, or legal guardian may request a birth record. The following information must be included in the request:

General Information

Date of request
Purpose of request
Document Requesting (Certificate of Birth, Report of Death, Certificate of Witness of Marriage, or Certification of No Record)
Number of documents requesting
Current mailing address and daytime telephone number
Facts of Birth, Death, or Marriage

Name (at birth/death/marriage)
Name after adoption (if applicable)
Date of birth/death/marriage
Country of birth/death/marriage
Father’s name
Father’s date and place (state/country) of birth
Mother’s name
Mother’s date and place (state/country) of birth
Passport Information
Passport used to first enter the U.S.

Name of bearer
Date of issuance
Passport number
Date of inclusion (if passport was not issued to the subject)
Current passport

Name of bearer
Date of issuance
Passport number
Fees
Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240) - $30.00 - ONE REPLACEMENT ONLY
(Request for a FS-240 must include the original FS-240 or a notarized affidavit attesting to its disposition.)

For the following documents, the fee is $30.00 for the first copy and $20.00 for each additional copy:

Certificate of Birth (DS-1350)
Report of Death
Certificate of Witness to Marriage
Certification of No Record
Check or money order must be signed, dated, and made payable to “Department of State.”
Remittance must be payable in U.S. dollars through a U.S. bank.
Do not send cash.
Additional Requirements

Notarized signature
A copy of a valid identification of the requester, such as a driver’s license, military ID, or passport.
If you possess a Report of Birth/Death or Certificate of Witness to Marriage, please enclose a copy to aid in our file search.
If you are requesting an amendment or correction to a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, please include certified copies of all documents appropriate for effecting the change (i.e., foreign birth certificate, marriage certificate, court ordered adoption or name change, birth certificates of adopting or legitimating parents, etc.). The original or replacement FS-240, or a notarized affidavit concerning its whereabouts also must be included.
SUBMIT YOUR REQUEST TO:

U.S. Department of State
Passport Services
Vital Records Section
1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 510
Washington, DC 20522-1705

Turnaround Time
Most consular vital records must be retrieved from off-site repositories, including the National Archives. Thus, the time it takes varies greatly based on the type of record and date of occurrence, making it difficult to give a definite timeframe. However, in most cases, turnaround is four to eight weeks.

Expedited Service
Overnight delivery can save about ten days processing time, but there is no way to reduce the retrieval time. Overnight return via Federal Express is available for an additional $16.25 or the requester may provide a pre-paid airbill for the carrier of choice.

Additional Information
The Vital Records Section can be reached at (202) 955-0307


Hope this helps for furture inquirers...........