Birth, marriage or death certificates
I need a certified photocopy of my birth, marriage or death certificate
If your birth, marriage or death certificate is issued in the UK I cannot certify a photocopy it in any circumstances. The position is different if the birth, marriage or death certificate is not issued in the UK.
Why I will not certify a (photo)copy of a certificate?
It is against the law to do so (a breach of Crown copyright, section 163, Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 ). See also the guidance produced by the National Archives about why it is not possible to use a (photo)copy of a certificate: “Certified copies […] are produced on forms which contain a number of security features and are uniquely serially numbered. Reproduction of certificates potentially removes these security features from the copy. It is therefore government policy not to authorise the copying of certificates for cases where the intention is to prove evidence of the event – birth, marriage, death. You should not provide a photocopy of a certificate as evidence of the event, even where this has been endorsed by a solicitor, notary or other organisation.”
Apostilles and legalisation and photocopies
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will not legalise or put an apostille on a notarised photocopy of a birth, marriage or death certificate (even if photocopy is attached to a separate notarial certificate). (Visit Get your document legalised - GOV.UK), scroll down where there is the ‘Start now’ button, on the next page click on the ‘Start a standard application’ button, on the next page click on the ‘Check your documents’ button, and then enter, for example, ‘birth certificate’ and press enter, and click on ‘Select’ to see:
I need you to order a copy of a birth, marriage or death certificate and have that certified
If you wish me obtain a certified copy
- you must let me have sufficient details so that I can obtain an official copy. I cannot use a (photo)copy of a birth, marriage or death certificate that you provide (see why under Additional information below for the reasons why)
- you should normally allow 2 to 5 working days for the obtaining of an official copy
- you will have to let me know why you need the certified copy and to which country it will be going
Other essential things you need to know when you use a notary
In all the notarial work I do there I things I have to do including:
- identifying you (Click here to find out more)
- usually preparing a separate document (called a ‘notarial certificate’) which I attach to the document you sign, and then I bind that certificate to the power of attorney and add my signature and seal. (What does notarial certificate contain?)
- recording the details of what I have done for you. (Why do I have do this and what does it involve?)
What information you need to provide
- Marriage certificate:
- the names of the wife and husband before the marriage (including all the forenames)
- the date of the marriage
- the place where the marriage took place (church (and where located), town, village, register office etc)
- the local authority where the marriage took place
- (sometimes) name of parents of both husband and wife
- Birth certificate:
- Your name at birth, including all your forenames
- the date of your birth
- place where you born (eg hospital, the town, villages etc)
- the local authority where the birth took place
- the names of your mother and father
- the names of your mother and father
- Death certificate:
- name of deceased person (including all their forenames)
- date of death
- place where death occurred (eg hospital/nursing home (and its location)
- the local authority where the death took place
- date of birth of deceased person.
Additional information
How is possible to obtain copies of a certificate? The provision of certified copies by local authorities or by the General Register Office is the means by which it is possible to obtain legal copies.
Where do I obtain such certificates from. Either from the local authority in which the birth, marriage or death occurred or the General Register Office: e.g.
- for the London Borough of Richmond
- for the General Register Office
How much does a local authority or the General Register Office charge for a copy of a birth, marriage or death certificate? Currently the London Borough of Richmond charge £11 + a delivery charge and the General Register Office charge £11 for a normal service (including postage). Both offer a priority service at £35.
How long does it take to get a certificate? The normal service from local authorities and the General Register Office normally takes about 5 to 7 working days.
For details on how to obtain certificates more quickly (and the prices) see the details on the websites
Last updated: 7 February 2021.