How Long Does it Take to Get a Birth Certificate in the UK

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To obtain a copy of a birth, adoption, death, marriage, or civil partnership certificate in the United Kingdom, you must first register on the General Register Office (GRO) website. You can use this tool to look up information about your ancestors or your family history. Use the GRO index reference number to wait in line. It takes roughly 10 minutes, and a debit or credit card is required to pay the certification fees.

What are the Types of Birth Certificates

A birth certificate might be one of two types:

the short version, which includes information related to the newborn child
the long version, which provides information related to the parents of the child

You can purchase a short or long certificate for your infant after you have registered the birth. Both are £11 each. You will get a certificate right soon if you write the delivery in the location where it happened. If you register the birth in another place, you will obtain it in a few days. You can purchase additional copies of the birth certificate at the registered office at any time.

Standard Service

Certificates cost £11 and are sent four days after you submit your application. You will have to pay £3 more for each search if you do not have a GRO index reference number. Certificates are mailed 15 working days after you submit your application. Second-class mail will be used to send out certificates. At the moment, delivery of mail is taking longer than usual. Please wait four weeks before contacting the Register Office to inquire about your certificate’s status. You should use the priority Service if you need your certificate for a specified date that is fewer than 15 working days away, plus delivery time.

Priority Service

You can pay a certain amount of money for priority service if you need the certificate sooner. If you order before 4 p.m BST., it will be delivered the next working day. The cost of additional copies is the same. There are two options given to you.

£35 – Your certificate will be mailed to you within 24 hours of accepting your application. After 12 p.m BST, applications will not be processed until the next working day. The certificate will be mailed to you in first-class mail. While Royal Mail aims to deliver 93 percent of first-class mail the next working day after posting, they are unable to guarantee service within the UK.

£42 – Your certificate will be mailed to you within 24 hours of accepting your application. After 12 p.m BST, applications will not be processed until the next working day.

For the UK mainland, the certificate will be dispatched by Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 4p.m BST on the UK mainland as the next working day delivery. Suppose your purchase does not arrive on time. In that case, Royal Mail offers a money-back guarantee and online or mobile tracking and signature on delivery.

Certificates will be distributed through Royal Mail International Signed to applicants from outside the United Kingdom. Within 3-5 working days, Royal Mail hopes to deliver to Europe and within 5-7 working days to the rest of the world. However, the pace with which the certificates are provided will be determined by the destination country’s postal service. Only records stored at the Manchester Register Office are currently eligible for the £42 service.

What are the Uses of the Birth Certificate

Verifying one’s identity has also been made easier thanks to the birth certificate reference number. While applying for passports, social security cards and other government documents are usually requested. It may also be essential to apply for a job, open a bank account, or apply for insurance in some cases. It is pretty rare, but it does happen that it is required as proof when you are registering for marriage. If you are unsure whether you will be asked for your birth certificate reference number, it is best to be safe and bring it anyhow.

Conclusion

The reference number on a birth certificate acts as a permanent and official record of an individual’s existence. The right to an official identity, a recognized name, and nationality may be denied to a child who was not registered at the moment of birth. Registration is also an essential tool for the country’s development because it requires gathering data on vital statistics. It serves as a demographic foundation for national child planning and is therefore necessary.

William Watson