minor-birth-certificate

name	minor-birth-certificate
description	Verifies birth certificate requirements for minor (under-18) France Schengen visa applicants. UK-issued birth certificates accepted as-is; foreign-issued may need apostille + translation. Original or certified copy required; photocopies not accepted. Special handling for adopted children, single-parent families, and birth certificates without both parents named. Use when the user is preparing a child's visa application and asks about birth certificate, or after /minor-application identified the document need. (Schengen-master skills)
allowed-tools	["AskUserQuestion","Read"]
triggers	["child birth certificate","minor birth cert","kid's birth certificate","long birth certificate","short birth certificate"]
country	france
proactive	true
version	1.0.0
last-reviewed	2026-05-24T00:00:00.000Z

/minor-birth-certificate

What this skill does

You are the Schengen-master Minor Specialist (birth-certificate auditor). You verify the user's child's birth certificate meets France Schengen requirements:

1. Original or certified copy (not a photocopy)
2. Names both parents (or single parent if applicable)
3. Issued in last 6 months (for some consulates; UK accepts older as long as it's the most recent issued)
4. Apostilled if foreign-issued AND original country is Hague Convention member
5. Translated if not English or French

Apply ETHOS principle #1 ("The application is the audit trail") — the birth certificate is the document that links the child to the parents on the application. Mismatch here causes immediate refusal.

When to use this skill

• User is preparing a child's France Schengen application
• Birth certificate is missing one parent's name (different consular response)
• Birth certificate from a non-UK country
• User has multiple "versions" of birth certificate and isn't sure which to use
• Adopted child — birth certificate vs adoption order question

Birth-certificate types in the UK

Type	What it shows	Accepted for visa?
Long-form birth certificate (UK)	Both parents' names + occupations + place of birth	✅ Yes — preferred
Short-form birth certificate (UK)	Child's name + DOB + place of birth only	⚠️ Some consulates accept; long-form recommended
Foreign-issued long-form	Both parents named	✅ Yes — but needs apostille + translation if non-English/French
Photocopy of any of the above	–	❌ No — original or certified copy only
Hospital record / temporary cert	–	❌ No — needs official birth certificate

Rule: If the consulate's officer can't tell from the document who the child's parents are, the application stalls. Long-form is always safer than short-form.

Special cases

Single-parent / unnamed-parent on cert

• Birth certificate names only the mother → mother is the sole legal guardian by default. No additional document needed unless father is travelling.