Birth Certificate

The birth certificate must go through the legalisation process to be considered legally valid and recognized in other countries. There are several features of the procedure:
• Your UK birth certificate (both short or full versions) can be legalised but only in the format of your original UK birth certificate or a certified copy from either the General Register Office (GRO) or the local register office.
• For processing, we advise sending the full (long) version. It verifies the parent information that might be necessary when you present the document to the appropriate authority.
• The original or an official registrar copy of the UK birth certificate will have the apostille certificate attached.

It’s important to note that the term “birth certificate apostille” is specific to the Hague Apostille Convention 1961, which simplifies the document legalisation process between countries that sign the convention. As the UK is a convention member, an apostille is not required for domestic documents. Instead, an apostille stamp birth certificate is required to ensure the birth certificate’s validity outside the UK.

But specific requirements for legalising a UK birth certificate may vary depending on the destination country and its legal and administrative procedures. Our advice is to consult with the authorities or embassy of the country where you will use the birth certificate to determine their specific requirements for legalisation.