Starting next month, most Qatar residents who give birth to children here should apply for their children’s birth certificates inside the hospital in which they are born, and not at the Supreme Council of Health.
In a statement, the SCH said it would stop accepting applications on Feb. 2, following the rollout of an electronic birth certificate process across Qatar’s public hospitals, including Women’s Hospital, Wakrah Hospital, Al Khor Hospital and Cuban Hospital in Dukhan.
Parents can also apply for birth certificates at three private hospitals – Al Ahli, Al Emadi and Doha Clinic.
There are some exceptions to the new rule. The SCH said it would continue to receive applications in “exceptional cases,” which include requests from:
- Parents working in government and judicial authorities;
- Non-Qatari newborns with temporary residence permits;
- Children aged above one year; and
- Those whose fathers are not in Qatar.
Its office will also continue to handle name and nationality changes of children.
Streamlined
The SCH first introduced an electronic system last July, simplifying the sometimes-arduous process of obtaining birth certificates for children not born in Women’s Hospital. Under the new system, birth certificates can be issued within an hour after submitting the proper documents.
The upgrade is a boon in terms of reducing paperwork, as some 50 births are recorded in Qatar each day.
Previously, it took days for residents whose babies were born at HMC to collect the certificate.
And those who gave birth in private hospitals were required to take the necessary paperwork to HMC’s main hospital, obtain a registration number, go to Women’s Hospital, submit an application form to the SCH office there, pay a fee, and return to the hospital up to a week later to collect the certificate (in English and Arabic).
Parents applying for birth certificates must present passport copies, marriage certificates and a notification of live birth. More information about documentation requirements can be found on the SCH’s website here.
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