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 authorised for use for all purposes; this is where the apostilling and legalisation of your birth certificate comes in.
MSC Notaries offer apostille and legalisation services and services for various important personal documents including birth certificates.
Who can offer birth certificate legalisation?
For your birth certificate to be authenticated officially, you will need to gain your apostille from a professional registered with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO). Our team at MSC Notaries provide streamlined apostille services, whereby we can handle the entire process to arrange the application and processing of your birth certificate apostille.
MSC Notaries can arrange apostille stamps for birth certificates from:
England
Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Obtain a birth certificate apostille today
MSC Notaries offer two services for you to obtain an authenticated birth certificate for you or one of your children:
Apostille service. 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.
Birth certificate and 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 £60 for the priority service (2-3 working days) or £30 for standard service (15-20 working days). Once received from the registry office, we can arrange for the certificate to be apostilled.
Working with our team ensures you can have the most efficient turnaround of your apostilled documents as possible, far quicker than the service that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office can provide alone. MSC Notaries can even provide you with an apostille stamp on the same day in some cases.
What will you need for birth certificate legalisation?
To have your birth certificate legalised 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.
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 legalise the long version of your birth certificate which includes details about you but also about your parents, particularly if you are legalising it for proof of citizenship or for use in another country.
FAQs
What is a birth certificate apostille?
An apostille stamp for a birth certificate legalises 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 legalised for use in the UK and abroad for proof of identification and various other purposes.
There are various instances where you will be required to obtain a legalised birth certificate, including:
Immigration purposes
Establishing dual citizenship for yourself
Legalising the birth certificates of children if they have parents of dual nationality
Changing names
Getting married abroad
Inheritance
Buying or selling property abroad
Embassy registration
Consulate registration
Enquire about birth certificate legalisation
To enquire about birth certificate apostille and legaliation, you can get in touch via email to info@mscnotaries.com, use our enquiry form or call us at one of our offices in London or Harrow and we’d be happy to assist.