To receive a copy of a birth, adoption, death, marriage, or civil partnership certificate or a registration in England and Wales, you must first register on the General Register Office’s (GRO) website.
The website can use the service to look up information on your ancestors. Customers should use the GRO index reference number to place their orders. You’ll need a debit or credit card, and it takes about 10 minutes.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate procedures for obtaining certifications and registrations.
Fees associated with registration and certification
Certificates cost £11 and are sent four days after your application is submitted. You will be charged £3 more for each search if you do not have a GRO index reference number. After you submitted your application, you will receive your certificate within 15 working days later.
You can pay £35 for the priority service if you need the certificate sooner. If you order it by 4 pm, it will be delivered the next working day. The price of additional copies is the same.
Request assistance in placing an order for a certificate.
If you need assistance ordering a certificate or have problems regarding your order, contact the General Register Office.
General Register Office
certificate.services@gro.gov.uk (for general inquiries)
Online Form (for questions after you’ve applied for a certificate)
Telephone number: 0300 123 1837
Textphone number: 18001 0300 123 1837
Monday until Friday: 8 am to 8 pm
Saturday: 9 am to 4 pm
Find out about the cost of phone calls
Address:
PO Box
Southport
PR8 2JD
Births and Death Registration Overseas
You wouldn’t be able to acquire a copy from the General Register Office until November of the following year if you filed a birth or death with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Overseas Registration Unit.
If you require a copy sooner, send an email with the registered person’s name, registration date, and reference number.
- birthregistrationapplications@fcdo.gov.uk for registration of births.
- deathregistrationapplications@fcdo.gov.uk for registration of deaths.
You’ll receive an email containing the details about how to obtain your copy and the payment, which is usually £50 plus delivery fees.
Phone orders
Call the General Register Office to order a certificate by phone.
General Register Office
certificate.services@gro.gov.uk (for inquiring generally)
Telephone Number: 0300 123 1837
For text messages: 18001 0300 123 1837
Mondays to Friday: 8 am to 8 pm
Saturdays: 9 am to 4 pm
Find out about the cost of phone calls.
Address:
General Register Office
PO Box 2
Southport
PR8 2JD
Order by post
Please fill out the appropriate GRO certificate application and mail it to the address on the Form to order certificates by mail.
Register to the Office
Also, you can request a certificate from the local registration office where the birth, death, or marriage took place.