Obtaining a birth certificate is essential for every child to establish their identity, and UNHCR highly recommends that refugees and asylum-seekers try to obtain a birth certificate for their children born in Malaysia through Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN), the National Registration Department. However, due to the challenges that some refugees and asylum-seekers have in obtaining birth certificates for their children, this is no longer a necessary step to add new-born children to the files of parents registered with UNHCR. Other documents that are proof of the child’s birth and their relationship to their parents are also accepted by UNHCR for adding children under the age of five to the files of registered parents. These include:
- Original birth registration form from the JPN
- Original confirmation of birth form from the hospital or doctor’s confirmation letter for home birth
- Original police report for home birth
- Original prenatal card (Pregnant Treatment Book) or mother’s treatment card during pregnancy
- Identity card(s) or identification document(s) of the mother and/or father
- Any other related birth document from the hospital, such as a vaccination card
- Other identification documents for the parent(s), such as marriage, divorce, and death documents, and family booklet, if any
To add a new-born child to a parent’s UNHCR file, please submit a request for family composition change via the Refugee Malaysia website, and ensure that you print or keep the reference number. You will be contacted by UNHCR with an appointment to add your child to your file. Please bring as many of the above documents as possible to your appointment.
We process such cases based on the date we receive the request and whether individuals are particularly vulnerable. Please do not come to the UNHCR Refugee Centre if you do not have an appointment. Without appointments, you will not be allowed to be in the Centre, as the number of appointments are fixed to ensure the health and well-being of refugees.