Birth, Death, Marriage and Civil Partnership Certificates

Where Can I Get a Copy of My Birth Certificate?

You may obtain a copy any Scottish birth, death or marriage certificate, from 1855 onwards, or Civil Partnership Certificate from 2004, from the Registrar’s Office in Dundee . The certificate will normally be despatched the same working day, at no extra charge. The fee for all certificates is £13.50. If you wish additional certificates of the same entry, the fee is £8.50 per subsequent certificate, when ordered at the same time.

If you require a copy of a certificate for a birth, death or marriage which occurred in Scotland, you may order and pay securely using a credit card. You can do this online using one of the following links:

You may also apply to your local registrar for a copy of the certificate. The following link provides information on other Scottish Registration Districts (81KB PDF).

You may also apply to the Registrar General for Scotland, for any Scottish birth, death or marriage certificate at the following e-mail address: registers@gro-scotland.gov.uk

If you were adopted and require a copy of your adopted birth certificate, you may only obtain this from the Registrar General.

How Much Will a Certificate Cost?

The cost of a birth, death or marriage certificate in Scotland is normally £13.50 If a certificate is purchased within the same year that the birth, death or marriage was registered, however, the fee is only £8.50 each. Subsequent copies of the same certificate are also only £8.50, if ordered at the same time.

Certificates in England And Wales

If you require a certificate from England or Wales, you may obtain a certificate either from the local District Registrar, or from the General Register Office. The General Register Office for England and Wales holds a central copy of all registrations for England and Wales. Local Register Offices also hold records of events registered in their area.

For recent events registered within the last 18 months, applications for certificates should be made to the Register Office in the district where the birth, death, marriage or civil partnership took place.

For certificates ordered from the General Register Offcie, correspondence should be addressed to

General Register Office,
PO Box2,
Southport,
Merseyside,
PR8 2JD

You can also order and pay for your certificates online.

If you require a certificate you can also order by

Tel: +44 (0) 845 603 7788 ( 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday. Saturday 9am - 4pm) Calls are charged at the cost of a local call
Fax: +44 (0) 1704 550013

Fees via local register office
Service	Price
Standard certificate of birth, marriage or death	£7.00
Short certificate of birth (other than the one issued at registration)	£5.50

Fees for certificates from General Register Office
Service	Price
Full certificate of birth, marriage, death, civil partnership or adoption by post / phone / fax	£11.50
Full certificate of birth, marriage, death, civil partnership or adoption online	£10.00
Full certificate of birth, marriage, death or adoption (with GRO reference supplied) by post / phone / fax	£8.50
Full certificate of birth, marriage, death, civil partnership or adoption (with GRO reference supplied) ordered online	£7.00
Short (abbreviated) certificate of birth by post / phone / fax	£11.50
Short (abbreviated) certificate of birth (with GRO reference supplied) by post / phone / fax	£8.50
Short (abbreviated) certificate of adoption by post / phone / fax	£10.00
Short (abbreviated) certificate of adoption ordered online	£8.50
Short (abbreviated) certificate of adoption (with GRO reference supplied) by post / phone / fax / online	£7.00

Extra copies of the same certificate can be issued at the same time
Service	Price
Full certificate of birth, marriage, death, civil partnership or adoption	£7.00
Short (abbreviated) certificate of birth	£7.00
Short (abbreviated) certificate of adoption	£5.50

Priority Service (Certificates will be despatched the next working day following your application provided the order has been taken before 4pm)
Service	Price
Full certificate of birth, marriage, death, civil partnership or adoption by post / phone / fax	£27.50
Full certificate of birth, marriage, death, civil partnership or adoption ordered online	£26.00
Full certificate of birth, marriage, death, civil partnership or adoption (with GRO index supplied) by post / phone / fax	£24.50
Full certificate of birth, marriage, death, civil partnership or adoption (with GRO index supplied) ordered online	£23.00
Short (abbreviated) certificate of birth by post / phone / fax	£27.50
Short (abbreviated) certificate of birth (with GRO index supplied) by post / phone / fax	£24.50
Short (abbreviated) certificate of birth (with GRO index supplied) by post / phone / fax	£24.50
Short (abbreviated) certificate of adoption by post / phone / fax	£26.00
Short (abbreviated) certificate of adoption ordered online	£24.50
Short (abbreviated) certificate of adoption (with GRO reference supplied) by post / phone / fax / online	£23.00

If ordering by post, phone or fax, make cheques and postal orders payable to ‘ONS’. Payment from abroad should be by international money order, cheque or draft (payable in London) in favour of ‘ONS’ and should always be expressed in sterling. If you are applying by post, please do not send cash. Payment can also be made by Visa, Access, Mastercard or Switch. If applying at the Family Records Centre (FRC) you may also pay by cash.

Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships in Northern Ireland

You may obtain a certificate for a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership which was registered in Northern Ireland from the following address:

Registrar General
Oxford House
Chichester Street
Belfast
BT1 4HL

By telephoning (028) 9025 2000. If you have Visa/Mastercard you should have your card with you when you ring as we will require your card number and expiry date.

By Fax: (028) 90252120

You can apply online if you have Visa/Mastercard.

Fees payable for Certificates and Searches
Full certified copy of an entry of birth	£11.00
Where two or more full certified copies of the same entry are applied for at the same time, the first copy will be charged at £ 11.00 and any additional copies at £ 5.50 each. These applications can only be applied for in person or by post. Where an applicant can supply full particulars including the register entry number and date of registration the fee will be £ 5.50. This facility is not available online.
Short birth certificate	£11.00
Where an applicant can supply full particulars including the register entry number and date of registration the fee will be £ 5.50 .This facility is not available online.
Priority Certificate	£27.00
Birth certificates can be produced within one hour for personal applications. Postal, telephone, fax and internet applications received before 14:30 hours will be dispatched the same day.
Statutory Purpose Certificate	£5.50
Certificates for Education & Social Security Purposes can be produced at a reduced fee. Proof from the Department of Education or Department of Health and Social Services must be included with your application. These certificates may only be used for the purposes provided and are not available online.

Births, Deaths and Marriages in the Irish Republic

You may obtain a certificate for a birth, death or marriage which was registered in the Irish Republic from the following address:-

The General Register Office
Joyce House
8-11 Lombard Street East
Dublin 2
Ireland

« Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages

This information is provided by the Support Services Department