Consular Services PortalMinistry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation · Republic of Sierra Leone
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Parentage attestation

Get a certificate attesting that you are a child's parent, with a QR stamp anyone can check.

A parentage attestation is a certificate from the mission confirming that you are the mother, father or legal parent of a child, for immigration, citizenship, passport, school or legal purposes. The mission checks the birth and family documents, and the certificate carries a QR stamp anyone can verify.

At a glance

Issued by
The Sierra Leone mission that serves the country you live in.
Processing time
Most attestations are ready within 10 working days of payment and of the mission receiving the original birth certificate.
Originals and visits
Send or bring the original of the child's birth certificate to the mission. It is returned to you with the certificate, in person or by prepaid mail.
How you get it
Collect it from the mission, or have it posted to you in a prepaid envelope you send.
When you pay
When you apply.

Who can apply

Mothers, fathers and legal parents who need proof that a child is theirs. Someone else can apply on the parent's behalf as their representative.

What you need

Documents to upload

You can upload each of these, or bring or send it to the mission instead.

  • The child's birth certificateA scan or photo of the whole certificate; the original is sent or brought to the mission.
  • Your passport or IDThe photo page of your passport, or both sides of your ID card.
  • Adoption or court documentsThe adoption order or court order that makes you the child's legal parent.Needed if you answer “Legal parent” to “Are you the child's mother, father or legal parent?”

To send, bring or do

  • Prepaid self-addressed envelopeSend a prepaid self-addressed envelope to the mission for the return of your documents.Needed if you answer “Prepaid mail” to “How do you want to receive the certificate?”

Also upload, if you have them

  • The child's passport or IDIf the child has a passport or ID card, upload the photo page.
  • Marriage certificateIf you are married to the child's other parent, your marriage certificate.

The mission then checks

  • Birth certificate verified with the issuer, registry or authority

How it works

  1. Apply online with your and your child's details.
  2. Send or bring the original of the child's birth certificate to the mission.
  3. Pay the fee to the mission and submit your receipt details.
  4. The mission examines the documents and checks the birth certificate with the registry where needed.
  5. The mission issues the certificate with a QR stamp that anyone can verify online.

Fees and how to pay

You pay the mission when you apply, then send your receipt details with the application or from the tracking page.

The ways to pay depend on the mission. Choose the country where you live to see them.

What the form asks

Have these details ready. You can save the form and finish it later.

Questions