Children born to Namibian parents abroad can be registered as Namibian citizens if the parent(s) meets requirements stated in the Namibian Citizenship Act of 1990. The information on this page will provide you with the steps necessary to register your child’s birth.

Before applying for consular birth registration

If your child is born outside of Namibia, you must register the birth with the local authorities in the country of birth. You’ll not be able to apply for a birth registration at the embassy without the local (overseas) birth certificate.

What documents do you need to provide?

You can apply for a birth registration at the nearest Namibian Embassy or Consulate (e.g. the Namibian embassy in Washington DC). The embassy will verify your child’s claim to Namibia nationality. Once this has been established, the birth will be registered and the necessary documents will be forwarded to you.

To register the birth of your child, you’ll need the following:

1. Two duly filled application forms [PDF]
   • The Notification of Birth form
   • Application for the registration of birth in terms of the Namibian Citizenship Act of 1990
2. Certified copies of legal documents showing proof of Namibian descent
   • The mother’s Namibian Passport (*If the mother is not a Namibian citizen, a photocopy of their passport or birth certificate will be required.)
   • The father’s Namibian Passport (*If the father is not a Namibian citizen, a photocopy of their passport or birth certificate will be required.)
   • Original or certified copy of the parent’s birth certificate
   • The parents’ marriage certificate or civil partnership registration
3. The child’s birth certificate
   • This is the birth certificate issued by local authorities. This document must show the biological parents’ names. If the birth certificate is not in English, an informal translation must be included.
4. Photo ID of the child, if applicable (this is not necessary for newborns)
5. Application Fee of US$20.00 (money order or certified check – personal checks are not accepted)
6. A self-addressed, pre-paid envelope from DHL, FEDEX or United States Postal Service only with tracking. Receipt of payment for the envelope must be attached;

What do I do with the completed documents?

Once you have all the required documents, please place them in one envelope and mail the to the following:

How long does it take?

In general the process of registering a child’s birth ranges from 2 – 4 months. However, the speed at which your papers will be processed depends greatly on your ability to furnish the Embassy with all the proper documents. It is always recommended that you send your application material far in advance of when your need them and that you make copies of your records before sending them through the mail.