Mexico: Information on whether a person born in Guatemala to an unmarried woman who is a Mexican national would have a right to claim Mexican nationality if s/he had no documents to demonstrate his/her mother's nationality
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | MEX25129.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Mexico: Information on whether a person born in Guatemala to an unmarried woman who is a Mexican national would have a right to claim Mexican nationality if s/he had no documents to demonstrate his/her mother's nationality, 1 September 1996, MEX25129.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abe254.html [accessed 7 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided in a 19 September 1996 telephone interview with an official of the Embassy of the United States of Mexico.
A person who has a mother or father of Mexican nationality has a right to claim Mexican nationality for themself, regardless of the civil status of the parents. To prove the right to solicit Mexican citizenship, the individual must be able to present their birth certificate and the birth certificate of the parent who has Mexican citizenship.
In special circumstances when a birth certificate of the father or mother cannot be provided, one may be able substitute a copy of the parent's passport or voter's certificate (credencial del elector), as both are documents which require proof of citizenship.
If not one of the three documents is available, the requester must go to the civil registry of the city in Mexico where the parent was born to obtain a copy of the parent's birth certificate. The birth certificate must be obtained in person from the civil registry, but it is permissible to name a third person to obtain the certificate in lieu of the requester (a relative, lawyer or notary is recommended).
The applicant requesting the copy of the documents from the civil registry does not need to be the person who is named on the birth certificate. The fee for obtaining a copy of a birth certificate from a civil registry is approximately CDN$4.00.
Once the requester has a copy of the parent's birth certificate, they may proceed with their request for Mexican citizenship.
For information on the procedures for obtaining a passport and recognition of citizenship by birth, please consult Response to Information Request MEX25130.E of 23 September 1996.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Embassy of the United States of Mexico, Ottawa. 19 September 1996. Telephone interview with official.
