UK birth certificates normally need an apostille when registering a birth in another country or proving your identity.

There are two versions of birth certificates. The short version records the name of the person, town of birth and the date of birth. The long version also records this information ;but in addition also shows the parent’s details.

We recommend when possible you always legalise the long version of the birth certificate. It is not possible to legalise photocopies of birth certificates. You must always send us the original certificate or a registry issued replacement copy. Even if your photocopy is certified by a solicitor or notary public we cannot issue the apostille to a photocopy.

Most birth certificates are printed in black and green or black and red. They will be signed by a local registrar or bear the government registry office stamp. We can legalise birth certificates issued in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We can also assist with Irish birth certificates but this would be legalised through the Irish apostille process which takes longer than the UK apostille service we provide.

The apostille service for UK birth certificates takes just 1 to 2 days.