General Register Office (GRO)
Keeps the birth, adoption, marriage, civil partnership and death records for England and Wales and issues certificates from them.
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Order a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate
Get an official copy of a certificate for an event registered in the UK. Each nation has its own register office, so order from the one where the event was registered.
Official links
Show links for:
| Official source | Applies to |
|---|---|
| GOV.UK: order a certificate (England and Wales) www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate | England, Wales |
| ScotlandsPeople (National Records of Scotland) www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ | Scotland |
| National Records of Scotland: registration www.nrscotland.gov.uk/registration | Scotland |
| nidirect: ordering life event certificates www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/ordering-life-event-certificates | Northern Ireland |
| nidirect: order a birth certificate online www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/order-birth-certificate-online | Northern Ireland |
| nidirect: order a death certificate online www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/order-death-certificate-online | Northern Ireland |
| nidirect: order a marriage certificate online www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/order-marriage-certificate-online | Northern Ireland |
Who handles it
General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI)
Registers births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and adoptions in Northern Ireland and issues certificates.
National Records of Scotland (NRS)
Keeps Scotland's birth, death, marriage and civil partnership records, runs the census and sells certificates through ScotlandsPeople.
Step by step
- Check where the event was registered: England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
- Have the full name, date and place of the event. For birth certificates, the mother's maiden name helps.
- Order online from the official register and pay the official fee.
Common mistakes
- Ordering from the wrong nation's register: Scottish and Northern Irish events are not held by the GRO for England and Wales.
- Paying extra on unofficial sites when the official service is available directly.
Private assistance services
Some private companies can help you with this application for a fee. They are not official and you do not need them: you can do it yourself on the official website above, usually for less.
Certificate Assist
Assisted applications for copies of birth, marriage, death and civil partnership certificates from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Charges its own fee.
Linked to UK Info Citizen.
Visit website: certificate-assist.co.uk