Belize Civil Registration
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How to Find Records[edit | edit source]
Online Records[edit | edit source]
Offices to Contact[edit | edit source]
Belize Vital Statistics Unit
New Rd
Belize City
Belize
Phone: +501 223-5625
Vital Statistics Unit
Belmopan Hospital, Belmopan City
New Road and Hydes Lane, Belize City
Tel: +(501)-223-5625/ 7405
Fax: +(501)-223-5635
Belize - Obtain a Birth, Death or Marriage Certificate
Embassy of Belize, Vital Statistics Forms
Historical Background[edit | edit source]
Vital Statistics Unit (VSU) is a General Registry in Belize that is accountable to register major events such as births, deaths, marriages, adoptions and deed polls. Registration of these documents is fundamentally important in Belize as they are required when conducting business. A committee was formed in 1999 to find ways to improve the vital registration system. (Margaret, Edwin, 2007). Through this means, the vital registration system was examined and members agreed that an integrated system monitored by the Ministry of Health would contribute to reduce the under registration and under-reporting of vital statistics. This will further enhance the quality of information produced by the country of Belize as it relates to vital statistics. (Jules, 2013). After countless unsatisfied reviews the system was re-evaluated; Registrar General, Velda Flowers stated that in 2016 a new system was implemented called the Supreme Court Management System which was to supply the registration, the preparation of births and deaths and marriage certificates. With the new system, for instance, a birth certificate can be requested in the morning and given in the afternoon, but the time frame is not consistent because some information takes time to verify and further research may be conducted. A person’s document can be misplaced due to the lack of organization skills. The VSU have two main locations which is in Belize City and in Belmopan and, if you live in a remote area, it can be costly to frequently travel for a document that is not completed. Technology has impacted the performance of VSU and slowly eliminating paper-based to electronic copies. UNICEF is enforcing technology within the hospital systems through secure lines to immediately register a child because it is the Right of Child. (Williams, 2015).<ref>Evaluating Customer Service at the Vital Statistics Unit: A Customers’ Perspective, by Ellen Rudon, Danay Chavarria, Zayri Cocom, Nashla Mendez, and Kensworth Williams (University of Belize: Management Information System, University of Belize, 2018),
[file:///C:/Users/FHL-REF2-D/Downloads/122-74-602-1-10-20180504.pdf Evaluating the Success of VSU Customer Service], p. 1.
Coverage and Compliance[edit | edit source]
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/meetings/wshops/Guatemala/2016/docs/Session10-Belize.pdf