New Baby in China

[GaHanna]

Following a thread requesting ideas on where to plan the education of our expected baby, I would like firstly to announce the safe and happy birth of a boy two weeks ago.

We were given an excellent service. I couldn't have asked for more. We are now a happy loving family unit.

My question is on the certification of said baby. In the hospital following the birth, I asked the assistant about putting his English name beside his Chinese name. This was declined. No matter. I do not mind as the Chinese name is beautiful.

My question is on the future. When we do get around to the passport documentation with the Irish Embassy, how would the procedure work? Would, for example, the passport only include the Chinese name; or, would there be the possibility of using the name that stems from my family?

I wrote "No matter" above only because I am not overall too concerned. I posted this thread because I am genuinely interested in the views and experience of some of the posters here.

[BrandeX]

Can't say I can offer you any insight into your problem, as my daughter's Chinese birth certificate has an English name only on it. Very odd that they told a foreigner you have to have a certain kind of name imo.

[sthubbar]

Congratulations on the new baby. My wife and I have a new son as well, born on June 2nd. Our son's birth certificate has the English name on it, so I don't know why you had that problem.

Which hospital did you go to? We went to Amcare and they were excellent.

[imron]

But does the certificate have a Chinese name on it also? I believe the OP wanted both a Chinese and an English name on the certificate.

[kdavid]

My first child is due in just over a month. We've been told by a friend of ours (another American+Chinese couple) that the "software" program at this particular hospital could only do three to four "characters", and nothing else.

After some "encouraging", the hospital "updated" their software to allow my friend to input multiple characters, thus giving his son an English name.

You'll need to check with the Irish embassy to see if they'll allow you to basically create a second identity for the child.

[GaHanna]

Sthubbard, thanks for the congratulations, but Imron is right in understanding my query. If you read the post you will see that I attempted to have two different names on the certificate, and that I am quite happy with the result.

Kdavid, congratulations and enjoy the ride. Yes, the software in the computer at the hospital were our baby was born had a problem with the inclusion of Irish and were suggesting all sorts of daft things as an alternative, like putting in English as the father's nationality, but I held out and after a bit of wrangling they managed to put in Irish.

So stick to your guns on what you want.

I am happy with the Chinese name. I am just thinking way into the future when travelling documents et cetera need to be arranged. Yes, this is an embassy question, I just thought that someone here might give me first hand information.

[carlo]

Our son was born in February in Beijing (Xiehe). The birth certificate is machine-printed with the Chinese name in characters; immediately under it the clerk wrote the non-Chinese name by hand, and put another official stamp for good measure.

Then we proceeded to get a notarized translation of the birth certificate, which I've been told is the usual way to show later on in life that the two names are the same person. We'll see how that works out.

As to what name to put in his Irish passport, you'll have to ask the embassy, though I guess either would do (the interesting question is, can he keep both on the same passport?)