Guidance

How to order and pay for civil registration records

This guide explains what civil registration records you can order from the General Register Office, and how to order and pay for them.

Documents

How to order and pay for civil registration records

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Details

You can order civil registration records from the General Register Office (GRO). GRO holds records for all births, deaths and marriages that have been registered in England and Wales from 1837.

This guide tells you:

  • what records are available
  • how much they cost
  • how long it takes to get a civil registration record
  • information about short and full certificates
  • how to use civil registration records overseas
  • information about PDFs
  • how to order and pay

The guide is available in English and Welsh.

You can order a copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate online or fill in GRO certificate application forms to apply by post.

Updates to this page

Published 10 September 2015
Last updated 13 November 2024 + show all updates
  1. Added accessible HTML version.

  2. Updated to reflect change of fees.

  3. Updated to reflect the extension of years available for death records through online view.

  4. Updated with details of the online view service.

  5. Multilingual standard form service withdrawn with effect from this date.

  6. New version of English document uploaded.

  7. Welsh booklet removed. New one to follow soon.

  8. New document to replace the old and reflect new GRO fees.

  9. Leaflet updated.

  10. First published.

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