Birth Certificate Apostille & Legislation
Birth certificates are arguably the most important document we receive in our lifetime. They prove our identity and portray key information about who we are, where we were born, and information about our parents and heritage.
Despite every human receiving a birth certificate when they’re born, your certificate alone isn’t sufficient or authorized for use for all purposes; this is where the apostilling and legalization of your birth certificate come in.
Who can offer birth certificate legalization?
If you are traveling overseas, whether it’s to buy property, emigrate, visit a spouse, or start new employment, you may be required to provide your marriage certificate as documentation. For those that married in the UK, your marriage certificate will often need to be legalized before it is authenticated to be used abroad.
This requires obtaining an apostille stamp, which is a document attached to your marriage certificate that informs foreign authorities all the information on your certificate is genuine, including all signatures, seals, and stamps.
All countries part of the Hague Convention require marriage certificates to have an apostille and you will need to prepare this in advance of traveling as it is not a document that can be obtained with immediate effect.
We offer 2 services for birth certificate:
1
Apostille Services
You can simply post an original copy of your birth certificate to us or an official copy obtained from the Registry Office, and we arrange the apostille stamp and will send the certificate back to you with the one-page document attached. Alternatively, you can visit us at our offices to have your certificate apostilled to avoid posting your copy.​
2
Birth Certificate & Apostille Service
If you have misplaced your original copy of your birth certificate or would prefer to obtain a secondary copy to have apostilled, we offer an additional service whereby we can handle the entire process of applying for a replacement certificate on your behalf from the General Register Office (GRO). Once received, we will then provide an apostille stamp and send the documents back to you for use. Fee for us to order a copy of the certificate for you is $65 for the priority service (2-3 working days) or $32 for the standard service (15-20 working days). Once received from the registry office, we can arrange for the certificate to be apostilled.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A Birth Certificate Apostille? An apostille stamp for a birth certificate legalizes and confirms the authenticity of a birth certificate, including the signatures and seals included. Apostille stamps for birth certificates are an official one-page document attached to your original birth certificate. Once attached, your birth certificate is legalized for use in the UK and abroad for proof of identification and various other purposes.
What Will You Need For Birth Certificate Legislation? To have your birth certificate legalized and authenticated, you will need your original copy; a photocopy cannot be used or accepted for legal use. If you no longer have your original certificate or would prefer not to use your original, you can apply for a newly produced second copy via the Registry Office, or you can use a service like ours that includes both the ordering of a replacement and an apostille certificate.
How Many Types Of Birth Certificates Are There? There are two types of birth certificates to be aware of for apostille services: Short version - including the name, date of birth, and town of birth. Long version - including the name, date of birth, town of birth, and details about parents. It’s usually recommended to apply for and legalize the long version of your birth certificate which includes details about you but also your parents, particularly if you are legalizing it for proof of citizenship or use in another country.
Book Your Experienced Apostille
Why not book an appointment with an notary who performs apostille?
