Guidance

Venezuela: Knowledge Base profile

Published 2 May 2025

About: Venezuela

This document contains useful information about Venezuela which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

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Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 3.0
• published for Home Office staff on 1 May 2025

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Venezuela: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Venezuela.

Naming conventions exist in Venezuela. Names in Venezuela consist of:

• 1 or more forenames
• the father’s paternal surname together with mother’s paternal surname

If the father is unknown or does not recognise the child, the child will be registered with the same surname as the mother.

Change of name

Names changes are allowed in Venezuela.

After marriage, women often add their husband’s surname to the end of their own with ‘de’ to connect them.

A person can only change their forename in exceptional circumstances.

Name alignment

HM Passport Office will not ask a customer to align their Venezuela passport if the surname is different, as the surname on their passport cannot be changed.

Venezuela: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Venezuela.

Dual nationality is recognised in Venezuela.

Venezuela: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Venezuela.

Legitimacy

Venezuela does not recognise a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births. All children are born legitimate, whether the parents are married or not.

Parental responsibility

Both parents have parental responsibility unless it has been removed by a court.

Venezuela: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Venezuela.

Adoption is legal in Venezuela.

Foreign nationals must be resident in Venezuela for more than one year before they can adopt.

Venezuela: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Venezuela.

Surrogacy is not recognised in Venezuela.

Venezuela: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Venezuela.

Transgender citizens are not recognised in Venezuela.

Venezuela: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Venezuela.

Same sex relationships are not recognised in Venezuela.

Only civil marriages are legally recognised in Venezuela.

Venezuela: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Venezuela.

All birth, marriage and death certificates are issued by either the:

• Civil Registry (Registro Civil) in the area the event took place; or,
• National Electoral Council (Consejo Nacional Electoral – CNE)

The CNE maintains these records centrally.

Birth certificates

All births in Venezuela must be registered within 90 days. When the birth is registered a birth certificate (Partida de Nacimiento) is issued. Late registrations are allowed.

Formats of birth certificates differ depending on which municipality issued the document.

If an error is found on a certificate it must be corrected by the CNE and they will issue a new certificate showing the correct details.

Hospital notification records exist and contain the names of both parents. Copies are kept by the hospital.

Marriage certificates

Civil marriage certificates (Acta de Matrimonio) are issued at the time of the marriage. Religious marriage certificates are not recognised as official documents.

Death certificates

All deaths in Venezuela must be registered within 48 hours. Late registrations are not allowed. When a death is registered a death certificate (Acta de Defunción) is issued.

Identity documents

Venezuela has a national identity card (Cédula de Identidad (C.I.)). The card is issued to both Venezuela citizens and foreign nationals who are resident in Venezuela. It is issued by Servicio Administrativo de Identificación Migración y Extranjería (SAIME) in the area the person lives.