Chile Civil Registration: Difference between revisions

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Civil authorities began registering births, marriages, and deaths in 1885.<ref name="rys">Ryskamp, George. ''Finding Your Hispanic Roots.'' Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1997.</ref> After this date, almost all individuals who lived in Chile are recorded. For many families, civil registration records are the only sources of information after this date. For birth, marriage, and death records before 1885, see [[Chile Church Records]].  

The information recorded in civil registration records varied over time. The later records generally give more complete information than earlier ones.  

The most important civil records for genealogical research are birth, marriage, and death registers. These registers are written in Spanish. Some registers may have an index. In some cases, a separate index may be available that covers a specific time period.  

Birth records generally give the child’s name; gender; and the date, time, and place of birth (which may be different than where the birth was registered). The birth record includes parents’ names; and may include the address of the house or the name of the hospital in which the birth took place. Births were generally registered within a few days of the child’s birth by the father or by a family relative or friend.  

Family information may also be included in the birth record, such as the parents’ ages, birthplaces or residences, marital status, professions, and number of other children born to the mother. You may also find information about the grandparents. Corrections to a birth record may have been added as a marginal note.  

Whether a marriage ceremony was performed by a civil or church authority, local laws required the marriage to be recorded in civil records first. It was usually recorded by the civil authority in the town where the bride resided.  

If you believe a marriage took place but cannot find a record of the marriage, search the church marriage information records or banns.  

Death records are especially helpful because they may provide important information on a person’s birth, spouse, and parents. Civil death records often exist for individuals for whom there are no birth or marriage records. Deaths were usually registered in the town or city where the person died within a few days of the death.  

The civil registration laws of Chile require that when a child dies, even within a few minutes of birth, the child is recorded in the death registers. However, before burial the child needs to be entered in the birth registers. When a child is born dead, it is not recorded in either the birth or death registers. A temporary file is kept with the names of the parents.  

The following extract forms were created by Dr. George Ryskamp, JD, AG. These particular forms are designed to be used for Spanish research; however, they can help in other research areas, such as Italy, France, Portugal, etc. Click on the type of record form you would like to use and print it for your own files.  

These forms are designed to help you quickly analyze and organize your documents. They can become a personal index for your family records.

===Online Records===

*'''1885-1932''' - {{RecordSearch|1630787|Chile, Civil Registration, 1885-1932}} at [https://familysearch.org/search FamilySearch] — index and images

*'''1885-1903''' - [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-30168/chile-civil-registration-1885-1903?s=209190711 Chile, Civil Registration, 1885-1903], MyHeritage, ($), index, incomplete, dates vary.

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*[http://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/british-armed-forces-and-overseas-deaths-and-burials British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials], index and images, ($)

Once received you can verify their validity online at www.registrocivil.gob.cl for 60 days from the day of emission. You will need to enter the number of the file and the verification code and then verify the matching information that appears in your screen to confirm the authenticity of the document.

:'''Santiago de Chile'''<br>

:'''Chile'''<br>

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*Reason for the request (family history, medical, and so on)

*Request for a photocopy of the complete original record <br>

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In addition to the town, you need to know at least an approximate year in which the birth, marriage, or death occurred. Some offices have created either a general index of their records or an index within each book that you may want to search first.

The specific holdings of the Family History Library are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog. To find civil registration records in the Family History Library, search in the “Locality” section of the library’s catalog under:  

*The library’s collection continues to grow as new records from numerous sources are microfilmed and added to the collection. Don’t searches of the records you need. If the records are not available, your request may be forwarded to the municipality.

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[[es:Registro Civil de Chile]]