Order A Birth Certificate in Scotland

Order a Birth Certificate in Scotland

Last updated: November 2025 • RegistryOffice.uk is independent and not affiliated with NRS/Scotland’s People.

Quick answer

Order Scottish birth certificates online via Scotland’s People (National Records of Scotland). You can also order through a local registration office. Standard “extracts” are typically posted to you. Some historic records may be viewable online as images.

Where to order

What you can order

  • Full birth certificate (extract) for legal/official use
  • Historic images / PDFs where available on Scotland’s People

Typical fees & delivery

Scottish local registration offices generally charge around £15 per certificate, or £10 within one month of registration, plus postage. When ordering via Scotland’s People, fees for certificates are shown during checkout; viewing certain records online uses a credit system (not needed for posted certificates).

What you need to order

  • Full name on the certificate
  • Date and place of birth
  • Parents’ details (may help for common names)

How to order (steps)

  1. Go to Scotland’s People and search for the record or proceed to order a certificate.
  2. Enter details and choose certificate format (posted extract vs any available online image).
  3. Pay online and receive confirmation; posted copies arrive by mail.

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