How to Obtain a Copy of a UK Birth Certificate

Flag of the United Kingdom
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Obtaining a birth certificate from the United Kingdom is fairly easy once you know whom to contact. The information below will help you determine the proper contact for the birth certificate you need.

Where to Apply

Determine in which country the birth took place. The United Kingdom consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. There are also three Crown dependencies that include the Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Sark and Alderney) and the Isle of Man. Determine in which county or parish within that country the birth was registered.

Order birth certificates from the appropriate registrar or records agency in each individual country. Provide the person's original birth name, county or parish of registry, country where the birth took place, date of birth. Order the long-form birth certificate since short-form birth certificates from the United Kingdom countries do not contain the parents' names.

Flag of England

Order birth certificates from England or Wales from the General Register Office (GRO). Order certificates online (see Resources below) or by regular mail. The address is General Register Office, Smedley Hydro, Trafalgar Road, Southport, Merseyside PR8 2HH. You can also order a birth certificate directly from the local registrar's office of the county in which the birth or adoption took place.

Flag of Scotland

Order birth certificates from Scotland from their General Register Office (GRO). Order certificates online (see Resources below) or by regular mail. The address is Registrar General, New Register House, Edinburgh EH1 3YT, or you can contact the local registrar office for the district in which the birth or adoption occurred.

Northern Ireland

Order birth certificates from Northern Ireland from the General Register Office (GRO). Order certificates online (see Resources below) or by regular mail. The address is Registrar General's Office, Oxford House, 49-65 Chichester Street, Belfast BT1 4UY. Contact the Registrar General, Dublin, Eire for births or adoptions prior to January 1, 1922.

Crown Dependencies

Channel Isles and Isle of Man

Order birth certificates for births in the Channel Isles bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey (including Guernsey, Sark and Alderney) and the Isle of Man directly from each local government since they are Crown dependencies and not part of the U.K.

Order birth certificates from Channel Isles directly from the bailiwick. The address for the bailiwick of Guernsey is Registrar General's Office, Greffe, Guernsey. The address for the bailiwick of Jersey is Superintendent Register, States Office, Royal Square, St. Helier, Jersey.

Order birth certificates from the Isle of Man, from the Registrar General, General Registry Building, Douglas, Isle of Man.

Warnings

  • Verify exactly what the cost is (currency conversion charts are helpful) and ensure that the money order is for exactly that amount as it is to be drawn in local currency.

Tips

  • Provide as much detail as possible; even if you think you are going overboard, every bit of information may help. You can use Maestro, Visa, Mastercard Eurocard, Solo, Visa Electron or an international money order for the country from which you are ordering.

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