The General Register Office (GRO) has reported an increase in overseas birth applications.
This was disclosed by the Registrar General of the GRO Raymon Cummings during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Thursday.
“Last year, we processed about 2, 132 overseas registrations, which to my mind if we look at it, is pretty high compared to previous years and it is obvious that the successes that are being achieved in Guyana are resonating around the world,” Cummings relayed.
He said the majority of these applications are coming from persons residing in the United States, United Kingdom, and countries in the Caribbean.
Cummings believes that the local content legislation passed in 2021 is helping persons to understand the value of maintaining their Guyanese connections.
“These are children who are born to parents who were born in Guyana. So, if one of your parents is born in Guyana…you can get a Guyanese birth certificate, a Guyanese by descent you call it,” he explained.
Persons who wish to apply for a birth certificate can utilise the online platform. Certificates will be available within five days following application.
“You should not wait longer than five days. We aim to get everything out within a three-to-five-day period for the online applications,” the registrar general emphasised.
Meanwhile, GRO issued 91, 503 birth, 10,021 death, and 9,307 marriage certificates in 2022. The GRO falls under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs. (Extracted from the Department of Public Information)
