A Sydney father has been charged by police over the alleged genital mutilation of his infant daughter while they were holidaying overseas.

Police said the man and his family were on a holiday in February 2012 when the father allegedly organised for his nine-month-old daughter to undergo a procedure known as female circumcision.

About six months later, the child's mother took her daughter to a doctor for treatment, and the NSW Police Child Abuse Squad was alerted.

Following investigations, police arrested the girl's father on Tuesday.

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He was charged with aid/abet/counsel or procure female genital mutilation, and was granted conditional bail. He will appear in Manly Local Court on January 28.

Police would not say in which country the family was holidaying at the time of the alleged incident.