Across the Pacific, birth certificates, instead of national ID cards, are used as the primary legal identity to access services and in some cases, proof of citizenship. In seven out of the 17 countries (in the Pacific, birth certificates allow access to other identity documents and access to services such as passports, voting, enrolment in schools, health insurance, driver’s license and access to banking. For example, access to a birth certificate in Fiji allows access to a tax identification number, a voter ID card, Fiji National Provident Fund card, a driving license and a passport.[1] Besides access to services, birth certificates serve as proof of citizenship in three countries (Fiji, Palau, Samoa). In six other states, individuals need to meet the citizenship requirements stipulated in law. In the other eight countries in the region, national ID cards and other identity documents, as opposed to birth certificates are the primary legal identity.
Table 1: Comparison of Countries That Rely on Birth Certificates as Their Primary Legal Identity and Those That Do Not
Nine countries that rely on birth certificates as primary legal identity | Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu |
Eight countries that rely on national ID cards and other documents as primary legal identity | American Samoa, Australia, Guam, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tonga |
In the nine countries where birth certificates are their primary legal identity, birth registration depends heavily on the strength and accessibility of the State’s civil registration systems; geographic distance between islands and their registries; and the level of public awareness about birth registration. In Palau, where birth registration rates are close to 100%, this success can be attributed to strong registration practices and demand for birth certificates, and widespread understanding of the value of civil registration.[2] Similarly, Nauru’s 98% registration rate is attributed to good data-sharing between the hospital and civil registry as well as strong financial incentives to encourage birth registration.[3] In the case of countries with lower birth registration rates, such as Samoa at 60%, there are gaps in legislation on birth registration, problems in the management of the birth registry (especially in rural areas), and social stigma placed on young and unwed mothers making birth registration more difficult.[4] In the Solomon Islands, with one of the lowest registration rates of 30%, the remoteness, the large geographical distance between islands and the stigma of registering children born to unmarried parents and young mothers are some of the barriers to birth registration.[5]
In three countries, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Vanuatu, National ID (NID) cards serve as the primary legal identity document. Birth certificates are required to apply for ID cards. The NIDs prove citizenship in Papua New Guinea[6] while in Tonga, it is mandatory to possess an NID card regardless of citizenship; so, stateless persons, refugees, and foreign nationals are mandated to register for this.[7] In Vanuatu, only citizens or permanent residents can access ID cards, and proof of citizenship is through a Citizenship Certificate.[8]
For American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, which are all United States (U.S.) territories, establishing legal identity is tied to the United States’ recognized legal identity document, such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses, or personal identification cards. Unlike other U.S. territories such as Guam and Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoans are classified as U.S. nationals instead of citizens who are unable to vote in Federal elections and do not need to pay Federal taxes.[9] Guam and American Samoa both rely on birth certificates issued by the country as the primary legal document. Northern Mariana Islands rely on two cards, the Northern Mariana Identification Cards and the Official Northern Marianas Descent Identification Card, which can both be used to prove identity and citizenship.[10]
Australia and New Zealand are the only two countries in the Pacific that do not have one primary legal identity document but accept various identity documents such as birth certificates, passports, citizenship certificates, driver’s licenses, or firearms licenses. New Zealand is the only country in the sub-region to have identity documents for refugees and stateless persons through the certificate of identity or refugee travel document, respectively.[11]
Table 2: Primary Legal Identity Document and the Documents Needed to Apply across The Pacific
| Country | Primary Legal Identity Document | Documents Needed | Does Legal Identity Serve as Proof of Citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
American Samoa | Birth certificate and a personal identification card. | Date and time of birth, the name of the father and mother, if known, and the sex of the applicant. | No, a birth certificate needs to be submitted with other documents, such as a Certificate of Non-Citizen Nationality.[12] |
Australia | No one primary document establishes legal identity, but the process begins with a birth certificate, which also includes an Australian passport, an Australian Citizenship Certificate, an ImmiCard issued by the Department of Home Affairs, and an Australian visa used upon entry into Australia with a foreign passport. | Date and time of birth, the name and details of the parents, proof of identity such as birth certificate, passport, driver’s license. | No, a birth certificate does not prove citizenship, but it is a mandatory document to apply for citizenship. |
Federated States of Micronesia | Birth certificate. | Birth needs to be recorded in the health system before a birth can be registered in the civil registry.[13] | No, a child acquires citizenship if at least one parent is a citizen.[14] |
| Fiji | Birth certificate. | Notification of birth from hospital, registration of birth form, photo identification of parents, copy of marriage certificate of parents (if relevant).[15] | Yes, when it is completed in accordance with the guidelines of Fiji’s Citizenship Act (2009). |
| Guam | Birth certificate in Guam, but in the United States, a birth certificate, a driver’s license and a personal identification card are needed to establish identity. | Informational Sheet for Completion of Certification of Live Birth needs to be completed so a Certified Birth Certificate can be provided by the Public Health, Vital Statistics.[16] | Yes, individuals with a birth certificate issued by Guam, born in Guam after 24 December 1952, are considered citizens of the United States since Guam is a U.S. overseas territory.[17] |
| Kiribati | Birth certificate. | Birth Notification Form to be submitted to the Island Council Clerk, which is then processed and sent to the Civil Registry Office.[18] | No, individuals need to meet eligibility criteria to obtain citizenship, which is dependent on jus soli and jus sanguinis provisions, with an additional condition of births in or out of wedlock.[19] |
| Marshall Islands | Birth certificate | Process requires families to come to the office either in Majuro or on Kwajalein, the two most populated atolls, to complete the birth registration and be issued birth certificates.[20] | No, citizenship is acquired by parentage, birth if not eligible for citizenship in another country, registration if adopted, or through naturalization.[21] |
| Nauru | Birth certificate. | Registration number and letters are issued to parents upon the birth, which then need to be taken to the Civil Registration Office to complete the process.[22] | No, citizenship is granted through jus sanguinis provisions with a child born either within or outside the country to at least one Naurean citizen.[23] |
New Zealand | New Zealand or overseas Passport, driver’s license, or firearms license. Other acceptable documents include birth certificates, citizenship certificates, certificate of identity, refugee travel document, or emergency travel document.[24] | To apply for a passport, driver’s license, or firearms license, one needs a valid photo, proof of identity documents, referees to confirm the applicant’s identity, and, for passport applications, a RealMe login.[25] | No, children born in New Zealand to at least one parent who is a New Zealand citizen or who has a visa allowing them to reside in the country indefinitely are automatically granted citizenship at the time of birth registration. |
Northern Mariana Islands | Northern Mariana Identification Cards issued in 1990[26], Official Northern Marianas Descent Identification Card (ONMDIC) were introduced in 2011.[27] In the United States, a birth certificate, a driver’s license and a personal identification card are needed to establish identity. | A ONMDIC can only be issued to a person who meets the requirements of Article XII, § 4 of the Northern Mariana Islands Constitution.[28] To obtain a driver’s license in Northern Mariana, the applicant satisfy a number of requirements, such as completing a driver’s education course, providing proof of age and a legal ID, passing a driver’s test, and other requirements.[29] | Yes, both documents, the Northern Mariana Identification Cards and the ONMDIC, can be used to prove identity and citizenship. |
| Palau | Birth certificate | Those born will be issued a hospital number when a Certificate of Live Birth is recorded at the Belau National Hospital.[30] | Yes, birth registration serves as proof of citizenship, which is based on descent, and those born to foreign national parents are registered as citizens of the parents’ countries.[31] |
Papua New Guinea | Birth certificate and the National Identification (NID) card. | To register a birth and apply for an NID card, both parents must provide their nationality.[32] | Yes, only the NID card can verify a person’s identity, citizenship, and residency.[33] |
| Samoa | Birth certificate. | To register a birth, a birth notification is required followed by submission of a birth registration form and documentation.[34] | Yes, a birth certificate can serve as proof of Samoan citizenship.[35] |
Solomon Islands | Birth certificate | To register a birth, a Notification of Birth Form is completed, then the notification needs to be agreed by two ministries and the hospital. It is finally authorised by the Home Ministry after which registration is completed, and then a birth certificate issued.[36] | No, individuals who meet the criteria under the Citizenship Act 2018 must apply for citizenship with the Citizenship Commission.[37] |
| Tonga | National ID card. | To apply for a national ID card, one needs a birth certificate. To register a birth, a notification of birth is issued, followed by a certificate of live birth. To complete the registration, parents must present this certificate to the civil registry to register the birth.[38] | No, under Tonga’s Nationality Identity Card Act, revised in 2020, all residents must possess a national ID card regardless of citizenship status.[39] |
| Tuvalu | Birth certificate. | The birth of every child born in Tuvalu must be registered within 10 days by a qualified informant, typically the parents or someone present at the birth.[40] | No, a birth certificate does not constitute citizenship, as citizenship is generally acquired through descent (jus sanguinis), where individuals born to Tuvaluan parents are automatically granted citizenship.[41] |
| Vanuatu | National ID card | To get a national identification card, a citizen or permanent resident must complete a Vanuatu ID Card and EID form, provide a birth certificate and a photo.[42] | No, the National ID card does not by itself prove citizenship. Proof of citizenship is through a Citizenship Certificate.[43] |
