An original birth certificate, which is issued within 12 months of the date of birth, is issued at the time of registration. If this original is lost, misplaced or stolen, then it is unfortunately gone for good. Any future certificates will be a ‘certified copy’, which is a copy of the original entry (or extract) made in the Official Registers.

At the time of registration of a birth, an official birth certificate is produced. Once it is signed and sealed by the Registrar it becomes a certified document.

All British birth certificates are certified documents and include either a seal or stamp indicating the certificate is suitable for official purposes. At the time of the birth, part of the registration process performed by the Government, is to create a record. From this record a certified copy of the certificate is issued.

Please note, England and Wales do not use raised seals, but Scotland do use raised seals.

Should you require a certified copy of a birth certificate, UK Document Services can help.
The most effective way to get the ball rolling on this, is for you to order online. Simply complete all the relevant fields on the order form and the order will be processed accordingly.

To find out more about our replacement birth certificate service, click here.