Birth certificate problem and residency

sunflowers1980 Active member

Member since 21 June 2013

sunflowers1980Active member02 June 2014 12:55:23

I'm a British woman married to a Moroccan (from Marrakech).
I'm hoping to apply for a Moroccan residency permit but have a question regarding my birth certificate:
When we got married in Marrakech last year, the Morrocan authorities insisted on keeping my original birth certificate and left me with just a photocopy. Our marriage certificate mentions my birth cert and it's unique serial number (this appears in the top right hand corner of a full UK birth cert).

This meant I had to contact my local registry office and obtain a new "original" birth cert after returning to the UK. They isssued this for a small fee and it's the same as the first one but the serial number in the top corner is DIFFERENT to the one used for marriage purposes:

I know an original birth cert needs to be provided when applying for Moroccan residence card but will it matter if the serial number on the one I now have is different to the one shown on the marriage certificate?

Have any other Brits been in this predicament? If so, how did you get around the issue and do the Morrocan authorites understand that each replacement UK birth cert has a different serial number (even though all other details remain the same?)

It's really not my fault that the Moroccan authorities kept the first one, I tried hard to get it back but they wouldn't let me have it back

Please advise! Thanks

See also

Getting married in Morocco - Guide
Tax advisors In Marrakech - Business
Certificate of non pregnancy - 8 Replies
Marriage Certificate Legalisation - 6 Replies
Police clearance certificate - 2 Replies
Certificate of Residence - 4 Replies
Residency / housing certificate - 3 Replies

RWT Member

Member since 07 December 2013

RWTMember02 June 2014 16:09:59

This should not have happened if you hold UK citizenship whether you are Muslim or not. Are there any other factors to be taken into account? A photocopy of your birth certificate, notarised by an avocat here (with the usual stamps and signatures of course) should have been sufficient. Never surrender important original documents to the authorities. Your husband, if resident in Marrakech, should argue your case with the prefecture de police. Otherwise you can always consider the British vice consulate in Marrakech. If all else fails I can recommend an English speaking Moroccan lawyer who specialises in expat issues. I would of course do this privately.

sunflowers1980 Active member

Member since 21 June 2013

sunflowers1980Active member02 June 2014 16:20:49

Thanks for your reply RWT, I know it shouldn't have been allowed to happened and tried to persuade the authorities to give me back the original at the time but they wouldn't

I'm just curious to hear from any other British people who have had the same experience and whether or not it caused problems when applying for the Moroccan residency card.