Ordering life event certificates
There are different ways you can order birth, adoption, death, marriage or civil partnership certificates. Find out about the types of certificates available and how much they cost.
Order online
You can order life event certificates online. You will need a credit or debit card to use this service.
- Order a birth certificate online
- Order an adoption certificate online
- Order a marriage certificate online
- Order a civil partnership certificate online
- Order a death certificate online
If you would like to order a stillbirth certificate, visit the registering a stillbirth page.
Order by phone
If you have a credit or debit card you can also order a certificate by phone.
You cannot order a certificate for collection at the General Register Office over the phone.
You can only do this if you go in person to the office and order over the counter.
- phone: 0300 200 7890 (+44 300 200 7890 from outside the UK)
Order by post or in person
Applications can be made in person at:
The General Register Office NISRAColby House
Stranmillis Court
Belfast
BT9 5RR
Monday to Friday from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm (excluding public, bank and all Northern Ireland government holidays).
If you do not have a credit or debit card, or you would like to order by post, you can download and print out the relevant application form.
- Birth certificate application form
- Adoption certificate application form
- Marriage certificate application form
- Civil partnership certificate application form
- Death certificate application form
- Commemorative certificate application form
You can send the application by post.
Your certificate will be posted out, as long as you have included a postal address on your application.
If you're paying for your certificate by cheque or postal order you should make it payable to ‘The Registrar General’.
Types of certificate
Certified copies of certificates
You can order certified copies of birth, adoption, stillbirth, marriage, civil partnership and death certificates.
| Certificate | available from |
|---|---|
| Birth certificates | 1864 to present |
| Adoption certificates | 1931 to present |
| Marriage certificates | 1845 to present (non-Roman Catholic marriages) 1864 to present (all registered marriages) |
| Civil partnership certificates | 2005 to present |
| Death certificates | 1864 to present |
Be aware that the certificate fee includes a £7 search fee that will be kept even if your record is not found.
Long birth or adoption certificate
A long certificate shows the surname, name, sex, date of birth and (in most cases) the district of birth. It also shows details of the registered parents and their occupations. You’ll need a long certificate for driving licence or passport applications.
Short birth or adoption certificate
A short certificate shows only the surname, name, sex, date of birth and (in most cases) the district of birth.
A short certificate is generally only accepted as proof of age.
Commemorative certificate
You can order a commemorative certificate to mark special occasions, such as a wedding anniversary or a significant birthday. The certificate is printed on specially-designed paper, enclosed in decorative wrapping and encased in a custom made presentation tube.
Commemorative certificates are only available for births, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths.
You should note that these certificates are for commemorating a significant event only and do not have any legal or evidential value.
Priority certificate
A priority certificate is one that is needed urgently. An extra fee will be charged for priority processing.
Statutory purpose birth certificate
A statutory purpose certificate is a birth certificate that you may be able to get for a reduced fee. They are usually certificates needed for education or social security purposes - for example claiming benefits or if you need a copy of your child’s birth certificate for registering at a new school.
You can’t order these certificates online. You must apply by post or in person.
You’ll need to give proof with your application that the certificate is needed for a statutory purpose. These certificates can only be used for the purposes given.
Fees
| Type of certificate | fee (excluding postage) |
|---|---|
| One certificate (any type including long or short) | £15.00 |
|
Two or more certified copies of the same certificate (must be ordered at the same time) |
first copy will be charged at £15.00 additional copies cost £8.00 each |
| Priority certificate (certificate fee plus priority fee) | £20.00 |
| Commemorative certificate | £40.00 |
| Statutory purpose birth certificate | £8.00 |
Postage
Priority and non-priority orders to go to addresses in the UK may take up to five working days from date of issue unless you have chosen to pay for next day delivery.
All certificates to go to addresses outside the UK (ROI/European/Rest of the World) are sent by international standard delivery. This service is not tracked and may take up to four weeks from date of issue.
You can choose to have a priority certificate sent within the UK using Royal Mail Special Delivery. You will be charged a fee for this service.
The following amounts will be added to your payment to cover postage costs:
| Country | one certificate | two certificates | three certificates | four or more certificates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 0* | 0* | 0* | 0* |
| Europe | £0.90 | £1.37 | £1.37 | £2.27 |
| Rest of the world | £1.20 | £2.03 | £2.03 | £3.43 |
* £6.20 for sending priority certificates by guaranteed next day delivery within the UK (£8.10 for commemorative certificates).
Processing times
GRONI aims to issue most non-priority applications by the fifth full working day after receipt of the application. However, it may take longer during busy periods.
These are the processing times for priority certificates:
| Priority order received | Order dispatched |
|---|---|
| before 12.00 pm on a working day | same working day |
| after 12.00 pm, at weekends or during public holidays | next working day |
What to do if you have not received your order
Priority next day delivery service
If you placed an order using priority next day delivery service, it is guaranteed to be dispatched on the same working day if the order is placed before 12.00 pm.
Your order should be delivered on the next working day. This is a tracked and signed for service, therefore someone needs to be at home to receive it.
If your order has not arrived on the next working day, contact GRONI to get your unique tracking reference number.
Priority standard post service
If you placed an order using priority processing service, it is guaranteed to be dispatched on the same working day if the order is placed before 12.00 pm.
Orders placed with priority processing service are posted using standard UK delivery, unless an extra fee is paid for next day delivery service (see above).
Postal delivery times within the UK are estimated to be five working days.
Postal delivery times to an address outside of the UK are estimated to be 28 days.
Delivery times may take longer during peak periods - information and postal updates can be found on the Royal Mail website.
If you have not received your order after the estimated delivery times have passed, contact GRONI.
Standard service
If you placed an order using standard service, GRONI aims to process these applications within five working days – however during busy periods processing times may take longer.
Postal delivery times within the UK are estimated to be five working days.
Postal delivery times to an address outside of the UK are estimated to be 28 working days.
Delivery times may take longer during peak periods - information and postal updates can be found on the Royal Mail website.
If you have not received your order after 10 working days have passed (within UK) or 33 working days have passed (outside of UK) – contact GRONI.
Reissue policy
Requests for reissue of a certificate will only be considered if the applicant contacts GRONI to advise that they have not received their order within the following timeframes:
- UK address - within eight weeks of the order being placed
- address outside of the UK - within 12 weeks of the order being placed
Reissue requests are considered on an individual basis and are only valid for orders which have failed to be delivered after posting from the GRONI office.
If you have a reissue request, email your query to the following address:
- email: gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk