Well, India has over 1.4 million people. Taking care of everyone’s rights is difficult without documentation. This is where having a birth certificate is crucial. But there may be such situations where individuals fail to get it registered. This is the case of an unregistered birth. And at times, this crucial document may be damaged or lost because of theft or natural disasters like floods. The case of losing the original birth certificate will also be treated as an unregistered birth.
Whatever the situation, one must register the birth under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. This post will help you discover the application process for the non-availability of a birth certificate (NABC), which is an alternative to a birth proof.
NABC, or non-availability of birth certificate, is an official proof of one’s unregistered birth. It confirms that the person’s birth record is not present or found in government records. If the individual had it but lost it due to any reason, the registrar of the municipal corporation issues an order to find the record. Section 17 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, states to search, and if it is not found in the government register, an NABC will be issued. It is a substitute for a birth certificate.
The eligibility criteria for this certificate may be different in various states in India. But the following conditions are common:
If you are confused and don’t know what to do to get this document, this section is going to help you. Go through it and find out how you can get it.
This step is for those who have lost it and have registered their birth before. They must conduct thorough searches at the hospital where they were born. The municipality is the ultimate place where you can make this request. If the search ends with no birth record existing, follow the following steps.
You need to visit and contact the health officer in the village or rural areas where municipal corporations are not present, or the registrar of births and deaths in metropolitan cities, to request an NABC.
The registrar or health office may provide a form 10 to fill out. This won’t be acceptable unless you have an affidavit on the letterhead of a Gazette officer.
Now, you need to completely fill out the form and enclose all necessary documents for verification.
As soon as your application is verified, the concerned authority will issue the NABC. But if it finds anything doubtful, it will reject your application, and you will have to raise a request again.
Now that you are aware of the steps, let’s share the checklist of various documents required for verification.
When you apply or reapply, ensure that these documents are enclosed with your Form-10.
If you timely apply, which is within 21 days of the birth occurrence, you will be charged nothing. Yes, you don’t need to pay anything. But after that duration, be ready to pay a per-day penalty with a minimal processing fee.
The fee structure is different in each state, or village because the union government has provided this authority to the state governments. So, ensure that you have inquired about its fee.
As far as the method is concerned, you can pay through the following options:
The online method is quite different. Applicants, who are mostly non-residents or NRIs, can apply for NABC online. The procedure will differ. Instead of onsite visits, visit the website of the municipal corporation or the respective state government.
Let’s get through the general procedure to apply for a non-availability of birth certificate online.
Explore the official website of the Municipal Corporation (MC) that you belong to. Select the most appropriate from the list of all MCs.
The website will ask for registration to access its services. So, you have to provide any of these for access-Aadhar card, a voter ID card, or other identification to register.
As you register, download the form with the caption ‘Issuance of Delayed Birth Order’ and save it.
Now you have the form. Fill it accurately while inputting genuine details. These details must match the information registered in the supporting documents. So, always cross-verify before submission.
Like the offline method, you have to upload supporting documents with the application. They must be scanned copies. The checklist will be similar to the aforesaid offline method.
Pay the applicable fees online.
Before submission, there will be a last barrier, which is to pay the requisite fee online. The screen will appear to show you how to pay online using your debit card, or UPI method.
As you submit the fee, an auto-generated receipt number will pop up on the screen. So, you need to save it for further reference when you’d like to track the status of your application.
This is how the entire procedure goes on. Furthermore, the detailed procedure can be discussed with a consultant who helps with the documentation.
If you’re still puzzled and want to know how to get a non-availability of birth certificate, the aforementioned details are going to prove a real help. Both processes, online and offline, are aforesaid. You need to carefully follow all the steps. If there seems to be any confusion, consult with a consultant or solicitor who has been handling these cases.
David is a seasoned NRI Consultant with over a decade of experience in providing expert guidance to non-resident Indians through S2NRI. Specializing in legal, documentation, and property-related matters, he has a proven track record of helping clients navigate complex regulations and achieve their goals.
