Each applicant must submit a birth certificate issued by the official custodian of birth records in the country of birth, showing the date and place of birth and the parentage of the applicant, based upon the original registration of birth. Important Notice: You must submit a long form original birth certificate. Short form birth certificates will not be accepted.

 The certificate must contain the:

• Person's date of birth;
• Person's place of birth;
• Names of both parents; and,
• Annotation by the appropriate authority indicating that it is an extract from the official records.

Unobtainable birth certificates: Some birth records may not be obtainable if, for example:

• The applicant's birth was never officially recorded.
• The applicant's birth records have been destroyed.
• The appropriate government authority will not issue one.

In these cases, please obtain a certified statement from the appropriate government authority stating the reason the applicant's birth record is not available. With the certified statement the applicant must submit secondary evidence. For example:

• A baptismal certificate that contains the date and place of birth, as well as both parents' names (providing the baptism took place shortly after birth).
• An adoption decree for an adopted child.
• An affidavit from a close relative, preferably the applicant's mother, stating the date and place of birth, both parents names, and the mother's maiden name. Note: An affidavit must be executed before an official authorized to take oaths or affirmations. 

Applicants who have been convicted of a crime must submit a certified copy of each court record and any prison record, regardless of the fact that he or she may have subsequently benefited from an amnesty, pardon or other act of clemency. Court records should include:

• Complete information regarding the circumstance surrounding the crime of which the applicant was convicted
• The disposition of the case, including sentence or other penalty or fine imposed.

Persons who have served in the military forces of any country must submit a copy of their military record.

Note: Military records from certain countries are unavailable. More specific information is available online on our Reciprocity by Country webpage.

Which Applicants Need to Submit a Police Certificate

Each applicant aged 16 years or older must submit all required police certificates.

What Does the Applicant Submit

The applicant must submit police certificates that meet the following guidelines. The police certificate must:

• Cover the entire period of the applicant's residence in that area.
• Be issued by the appropriate police authority.
• Include all arrests, the reason for the arrest(s), and the disposition of each case of which there is a record.

How to obtain a police certificate

• Determine from which countries an applicant is required to obtain police certificates. The table below will assist in determining from where an applicant must obtain police certificates. Note: Present and former residents of the United States should NOT obtain any police certificates covering their residence in the United States.

• Contact the appropriate police authorities. Selecting the appropriate country from the Reciprocity by Country page will provide you with additional information on how to obtain a police certificate.

IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT POLICE CERTIFICATES: The Reciprocity by Country pages will indicate if a country's police authorities require the submission of a specific Police Certificate Request form. Some countries may require the submission of specific Police Certificate Request forms in order to properly request and obtain the applicable Police Certificate(s). Police certificates from certain countries are unavailable. More specific information is available online on our Reciprocity by Country webpage.

If you are 16 years of age or older, you must submit a police certificate from the following locations:

Note: Present and former residents of the United States do NOT need to submit any U.S. police certificates.

Important: Police certificates expire after two years, unless the certificate was issued from your country of previous residence and you have not returned there since the police certificate was issued. If at the time of your interview the following three items are all true, you must bring a new police certificate to your visa interview:

• You are more than 16 years old;
• The police certificate was obtained more than two years ago; and
• You still live in the country that issued the certificate.

For country-specific guidelines on how to obtain a police certificate, review the Country Documents section at Reciprocity by Country.

Unobtainable police certificates

If your police certificate is unavailable per the country-specific guidelines above, you do not need to submit one. If you cannot obtain a police certificate for another reason, please submit a written explanation when you submit your other documents.

You and each family member immigrating with you must submit a photocopy of the biographic data page of a currently valid passport. The biographic data page is the page with your photograph, name, date, and place of birth.

• Send a photocopy of your biographic data page to KCC.
• Bring your original passport plus one photocopy of the biographic data page to your visa interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Important: Do not send your original passport to KCC. You need this document to travel.