Some advice please on getting your Parent's birth certificate

[Indenturedebtor]

Anyone have any idea how I could get my Father's birth certificate without his permission?

If things continue to degrade here in the States, the wife and I are seriously considering moving to Germany and sliding on into the EU. To do so I would need to prove that my father was born there.

Though I haven't brought it up to him I know that his head would explode. He's a good man but he's a Republican and has his head firmly planted in the sand.

[Captain Angry]

1. You could be somewhat dishonest

"I'm thinking of getting into genealogy..."

"I'd like to scan all of our important family documents and back them up on a CD to keep in the safety deposit box..."

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Maybe a call to the German Consulate in NYC to see what the

procedure for getting the birth certificate in Germany in your father's particular town or district.

[Whoa_Nelly]

3. Doesn't your birth certificate state where your father was born?

Mine does.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_certificate#Birth_certificates_in_the_United_States

<snip>
Birth certificates in the United States

Long forms


Long forms, also known as certified photocopies, book copies, and photostat copies, are exact photocopies of the original birth record that was prepared by the hospital or attending physician at the time of the child's birth <2>. The long form usually includes parents' information (address of residence, race, birth place, date of birth, etc.), additional information on the child's birthplace, and information on the doctors that assisted in the birth of the child. The long form also usually includes the signature of the doctor involved and at least one of the parents <3>.

In the U.S., the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics creates standard forms that are recommended for long form birth certificate use. However, states are free to create their own forms <4>. These "forms" are completed by the attendant at birth or a hospital administrator, which are then forwarded to a local or state registrar, who stores the record and issues certified copies when requested <5>.

Long forms may become obsolete in years to come, as many states have begun to use Electronic Birth Registration systems <6>. The use of these systems will enable information typically seen on certified copies (long forms) to be available in computer databases that typically issue short form certificates, thus eliminating the need for "hard copy" long form certificates and having all birth information stored in computer databases only. This benefits parents in many ways; registration can be completed via computer at the hospital, meaning that parents can stop by their Vital Statistics office on the way home from the hospital to purchase the birth certificate instantly <7>. It also means that the extra cost for long form certificates will no longer be a factor.

[Indenturedebtor]

5. Wow fantastic! Thanks so much. I've never actually seen mine

As I've always had an SS card and a Passport since I was a child.

It's good to know that one has options.

[Robbien]

4. Start the questioning at the Embassy. Just don't mention

that your dad is still alive when asking about getting proof of heritage for yourself.

[renate]

6. this may just apply in the U.S.

If your father has a sibling who's willing to request it (or a surviving parent), you might be able to get it that way.

Do you know whether you even need his permission? Could you just apply, check the box saying "my dad was born here," and let the German bureaucracy request the birth certificate, or do you need it to even get past the first round of paperwork?

Good luck.

[Indenturedebtor]

7. I don't know yet actually we haven't gone that far yet

I should really look into it more now in case we need to make a quick exit.

Anyone in his family would be similarly hesitant to help me move to Germany... I would bet a thousand dollars on it if I had the money!