Nacido vivo, registro civil, apostilla, traductor oficial… After the birth you'll hear the same dozen words every day. A plain-English glossary of the documents, offices and people involved — and why each one matters.
In the weeks after the birth you'll hear the same Spanish words every day — from the hospital, your lawyer, the notary and your agency. Knowing what they mean makes the whole process feel far less opaque, and helps you notice if something has been missed.
This glossary explains the terms and why each one matters to a UK family. It isn't legal advice, and requirements change: your agency's lawyer is the authority on what applies to you. For the UK side of the process, see the legal process and parentalorder.com's guides.
At the hospital
Certificado de Nacido Vivo
The live-birth certificate, issued by the hospital. It is not the birth certificate — it's the medical record of the birth that's needed to register it. Keep the original safe and make copies: everything else follows from it.
Historia clínica
The medical record. You may be asked for parts of it, for example if there were complications. Ask the hospital how to request a copy before you're discharged.
Registering the birth
Registro Civil de Nacimiento
The birth registration — in effect, the Colombian birth certificate. It's the document most other steps depend on: the baby's passport, the DNA process and your UK applications. Ask for several certified copies; you'll need more than you expect.
Notaría and notario
A notary's office and the notary. In Colombia, notaries do far more than in the UK. They can register births, certify copies and authenticate signatures. You'll likely visit one several times.
Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil
The national civil registry. It oversees civil registration and identity documents. Births can be registered at Registraduría offices as well as notaries.
Copia auténtica
A certified copy. When a UK authority or your lawyer asks for "a copy" of a Colombian document, they usually mean a certified one, not a photocopy.
Making documents work in the UK
Apostilla
The apostille — the certificate that makes a Colombian public document valid in the UK. In Colombia it's issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería), and the service runs online. Only public documents can be apostilled, and the official who signed the document must be registered with the Ministry — another reason to follow your lawyer's order of steps.
Traductor oficial
An official translator. UK courts and authorities need English versions of Spanish documents. Use the translator your lawyer recommends, and check whether the translation itself needs authenticating or apostilling for the purpose you need it for.
Reconocimiento de firma / autenticación
Signature recognition or authentication at a notary — confirming that a signature on a document is genuine. Your surrogate's signatures on the UK consent forms are witnessed and authenticated this way.
Poder
A power of attorney. You may sign one so your lawyer can carry out steps on your behalf. Make sure you have a translation and understand exactly what it authorises before signing.
People and places
Cancillería
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It handles apostilles and Colombian passports.
Pasaporte
The baby's Colombian passport. It's issued after the birth registration. If your route is a UK Certificate of Entitlement, that's placed in this passport.
Cédula de ciudadanía
The Colombian national identity card. You'll see your surrogate's cédula number on many documents, including the birth registration and her consent forms.
Abogado / abogada
Your lawyer. Usually provided or recommended by your agency. They coordinate most of the Colombian steps — make sure you know who they are before the birth, and how to reach them.
Centro de solicitud de visas
The visa application centre where UK applications are submitted in Colombia — for example for a Certificate of Entitlement or passport-related steps. See our pages on the Certificate of Entitlement and the British passport.
The legal steps after the birth
Prueba de ADN
The DNA test. The UK authorities need evidence of the genetic link between your child and at least one British intended parent. It's done through an accredited laboratory; your agency will tell you which.
Proceso judicial / sentencia
A court process and the judgment that ends it. In Colombia, the surrogate is initially recorded on the birth registration. A legal process, supported by the DNA evidence, is used to amend it afterwards. Your lawyer runs this, and it can carry on after you've returned home.
Formularios C52 y A101A
Not Spanish terms, but you'll hear them in Spanish conversations: the UK court forms your surrogate signs to give her consent to the Parental Order. They can't be signed until at least six weeks after the birth, and they're translated and notarised in Colombia. parentalorder.com explains them in detail.
Leaving Colombia
Migración Colombia
The immigration authority, which checks documents when you leave.
Permiso de salida del país
Permission for a child to leave the country. Colombia has rules about minors travelling abroad, and the details depend on who is recorded as a parent at the time. Ask your lawyer early whether any authorisation is needed in your case, so it's ready well before your flight.
A tip on keeping track
Make a simple table — document, date issued, number of certified copies, apostilled (yes/no), translated (yes/no) — and update it as you go. When the UK court asks for something months later, you'll know exactly where it is. PO Navigator helps you organise the UK court bundle once you're home.
We share our own experience, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and practice change — always check with your agency, a qualified UK surrogacy solicitor and official sources such as GOV.UK.