Order a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate

You need to register on the General Register Office (GRO) website to get a copy of a birth, adoption, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate in England and Wales.

You can use this service to research your family tree.

Order with the GRO index reference number.

It takes around 10 minutes and you’ll need a debit or credit card.

There’s a different process for getting certificates in Scotland and getting certificates in Northern Ireland.

Certificate fees

Certificates cost £12.50 and are sent 4 days after you apply.

If you do not have a GRO index reference number, you’ll have to pay £3.50 extra for each search. Certificates are sent 15 working days after you apply.

If you need the certificate sooner, you can use the priority service for £38.50. It’ll be sent the next working day if you order by 4pm.

Extra copies are the same price.

Get help ordering a certificate

Contact the General Register Office for help ordering a certificate or questions about an order.

General Register Office
[email protected] (for general enquiries)
Online form (for enquiries after you’ve applied for a certificate)
Telephone: 0300 123 1837
Textphone: 18001 0300 123 1837
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Saturday, 9am to 1pm
Find out about call charges

General Register Office
PO Box 2
Southport
PR8 2JD

Registration of births or deaths abroad

If you’ve registered a birth or death with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Overseas Registration Unit, you cannot get a copy from the GRO until the November of the following year.

If you need a copy sooner, email the name of the registered person, the registration date and reference number to the Overseas Registration Unit.

Overseas Registration Unit
[email protected]

You’ll get a reply telling you how to get your copy and the cost - usually £50 plus courier fees.

Other ways to apply

Ordering by phone

To order certificates by phone, call the General Register Office.

General Register Office
Telephone: 0300 123 1837
Text relay: 18001 0300 123 1837
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Saturday, 9am to 1pm
Find out about call charges

Ordering by post

To order certificates by post, fill in the relevant GRO certificate application and send it to the address on the form.

Ordering from a local register office

You can also order certificates from the local register office where the birth, death or marriage was registered.