How to order a copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate in England and Wales (2026)
You can order a copy of a birth, marriage, civil partnership or death certificate in England and Wales through the General Register Office. A standard copy is £12.50, priority is £38.50. Here is how it works.
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A copy of an official certificate is needed for many situations: a passport, inheritance, a pension, visa matters or proving your identity. According to GOV.UK, you can order a copy of a birth, adoption, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate in England and Wales through the General Register Office (GRO).
What does a certificate copy cost?
According to GOV.UK, a standard copy costs £12.50. There is a priority service for £38.50: order by 4pm and it is sent the next working day. The cost is the same for all types of certificate.
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According to GOV.UK, if you have a GRO index reference number, a standard copy is sent 4 days after you order. If you do not have one, the GRO searches for the record first, the copy is then sent 15 working days after you apply, and you pay an extra £3.50 for the search.
What is a GRO index reference?
It is a pointer to a specific entry in the register. If you do not have one, that is fine: you can give the details you know (names, approximate date and place of the event) and the GRO will search. To speed things up, gather the most accurate details you can in advance.
What if the event was not in England or Wales?
The GRO holds records for England and Wales. Certificates from Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own registers (National Records of Scotland and the relevant Northern Ireland office), and you must apply there.
Do you need the original or will a copy do?
Most official processes require a certified copy, which is what the GRO issues, not a printout. So order the document in advance if you need it by a specific date — especially on standard delivery.
Ordering a certificate copy is simple, but timing matters. If you need the document urgently and have an index reference, the difference between the standard and priority service can decide the outcome.
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