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