The Puerto Rico birth certificate application PDF is Form RD-225, “Solicitud de Certificado de Nacimiento,” available for free download from the Puerto Rico Department of Health at salud.pr.gov.1Registro Demográfico. Registro Demografico The form is fillable, so you can type your information directly into the PDF before printing. The first certified copy costs $5.00; each additional copy on the same request costs $10.00.2Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Issuance of New Birth Certificates for Residents of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Any Certificate Issued Before July 1, 2010 Is Void
Before you order, know this: if you already hold a Puerto Rico birth certificate from before July 1, 2010, it will not be accepted. Law 191 of 2009 voided every certified copy issued before that date effective September 30, 2010, and the U.S. Department of State stopped honoring the older certificates for passport applications on October 30, 2010.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Memorandum PM-602-0007 – Validity of Puerto Rico Birth Certificates as Evidence4U.S. Department of State. New Requirements for Passport Applicants with Puerto Rican Birth Certificates Federal agencies, employers running I-9 checks, and state DMVs followed. A pre-2010 copy in your file drawer has no official use. You need a new one.
Who Can Request a Copy
The Demographic Registry limits requests to people with a direct connection to the record:5Departamento de Salud de Puerto Rico. Solicitud de Certificado de Nacimiento
- The person named on the record, if they are 18 or older
- A parent of the person named
- A child, grandchild, or grandparent
- A spouse or sibling
- A legal representative or heir
- Any person with a legitimate interest specifically authorized by the Registry
Third-party requests without documentation of the relationship or authorization are rejected. Attorneys applying on a client’s behalf must include a Certification of Legal Representation and a copy of their bar card or a government-issued photo ID.5Departamento de Salud de Puerto Rico. Solicitud de Certificado de Nacimiento
Filling Out Form RD-225
Puerto Rico law requires the application to show the applicant’s name and address, the relationship between the applicant and the person named on the certificate, the reason for the request, and the identifying data needed to locate the record.6Justia. Puerto Rico Code 24 1237 – Copias Certificadas de Certificados On the form itself, that means the full name at birth, exact date of birth, municipality where the birth occurred, and the full names of both parents.
Wrong spelling or a mismatched date is the most common reason an application stalls. Check every field against another document before you print. If the Registry finds a discrepancy against its historical records, staff will call or email the number and address you put on the form.
Identification You Have to Include
Attach a legible photocopy of a current government-issued photo ID: driver’s license, passport, or state ID card. Copy both sides if there is information on the back.
If you do not have a primary photo ID, the Registry accepts secondary documents in its place. Acceptable secondary IDs include a voter registration card, an original Social Security card, a W-2, a baptismal certificate, a student ID, a life insurance policy, or a public utility bill for water or electricity.5Departamento de Salud de Puerto Rico. Solicitud de Certificado de Nacimiento Each must clearly show your name.
Fees and How to Pay
The first certified copy is $5.00. Each additional copy on the same application is $10.00. Veterans and applicants aged 60 or older receive one free copy; additional copies still cost $10.00 each. If you qualify, note your status on the form so the waiver is applied.
For mail-in requests, pay by money order made out to the Secretary of the Treasury of Puerto Rico. Personal checks are generally not accepted, and cash should not be sent through the mail. Online orders through the PR.gov portal charge the same government rates by card. VitalChek, the authorized third-party vendor, adds its own service fee on top.
Where to Send the Application
By Mail
Mail the completed Form RD-225, your ID photocopy, your money order, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
Puerto Rico Demographic Registry
P.O. Box 11854, Fernandez Juncos Station
San Juan, PR 00910
Forgetting the return envelope is a common misstep; without one the Registry has no way to send the certificate back. Certified mail or a tracking number lets you confirm the packet arrived.
By Courier
FedEx, UPS, and DHL do not deliver to P.O. boxes. Use the physical address instead:7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Where to Write for Vital Records – Puerto Rico
Department of Health, Demographic Registry
Metro Center Building
5 Mayaguez Street, 9th Floor
Hato Rey, PR 00918
Include a prepaid return label from the same courier if you want the certificate returned that way.
Online
Two sites take online orders: the official PR.gov portal and VitalChek. Both accept credit and debit cards. You complete the form on-screen, upload your identification, and receive a digital receipt with tracking. VitalChek offers expedited processing for an added fee.
How Long It Takes
Mail-in applications take about 10 to 15 business days to process once the Registry receives the packet.5Departamento de Salud de Puerto Rico. Solicitud de Certificado de Nacimiento That clock starts on arrival in San Juan, not at your local post office. Add postal transit both ways, and a stateside mail request runs closer to three or four weeks end-to-end.
Online orders skip the inbound mail leg because the data enters the system immediately. VitalChek’s expedited option shortens processing further, though the exact turnaround depends on Registry volume. If you have a pending application and need to check on it, the Registry’s phone line is 866-842-6765.
If the Record Itself Has an Error
Form RD-225 orders a copy of what the Registry already has on file. It does not fix mistakes in the record. A misspelled name, a wrong date, or a name change falls under Law 24 of 1931, the Vital Statistics Registry Act, and has to be handled separately.8Poder Judicial de Puerto Rico. Change of Name You can file a petition in Superior Court, or you can use the non-contentious route before an attorney-notary under Law 282 of 1999, which is usually faster and cheaper for a simple spelling correction. Once the change is recorded with the Demographic Registry, order a fresh certified copy on Form RD-225 the normal way.