UK Vital Statistics Certificates FAQ
Many British citizens living in Canada and those Canadians who by decent can
claim British citizenship may need to apply for essential British documents like
birth certificates and passports.
British passport information for citizens living in Canada can be obtained from
the
British Embassy website or you can see our
FAQ.
For birth, marriage and death certificate from the UK please consult the
following websites:
General
Register Office England & Wales
General Registrar for
Scotland
General Register Office for Northern
Ireland.
I am a British citizen living as a permanent resident in Canada. How can I
renew my British passport from Canada?
You can renew your British passport from Canada by visiting the
British Embassy website. British passports for residents in Canada are
issued from Washington DC, USA. Please see our
FAQ for
any further questions.
How can I claim British citizenship by descent?
To qualify for British citizenship and the right to obtain a British passport by
descent, you must be able to prove that your biological father was a British
citizen at the time of your birth and that he was legally married to your mother
at that time. To claim British nationality by descent on your mother’s side you
must prove that your mother was a British citizen at the time of your birth.
I have lost my British birth certificate but I live in Canada. How can I
apply for a new one?
You can order an English or Welsh British birth certificate online at the
General
Register Office website, which is a division of the UK Identity and Passport
Office. For certificates from Scotland you need to apply through the
General Registrar for
Scotland and for certificates from Northern Ireland through the
General Register Office for Northern
Ireland.
How will the General Register office in the UK deliver my birth certificate
to me in Canada?
Your certificate will be delivered by the UK Royal Mail. It takes around 7 days
to arrive in Canada although you can pay to have priority delivery which may be
slightly quicker.
I want a copy of my grandfather’s British birth certificate. Am I eligible to
apply even though he is still living?
Yes. In the UK birth, marriage and death certificates are considered public
records and anyone can apply for a copy whether they are related to the person
they are applying for or not.
What information does a UK birth certificate contain?
British birth certificates contain Registration district, sub-district and
county, the full name of the person born, date of birth, place of birth,
father's full name (if named), mother's full name, mother's maiden name (and any
other previous names if relevant), father's occupation, if named, signature,
description and residence of informant, date the birth was registered, the
signature of the registrar, the date the certificate was produced.
What information must I supply to get a copy of a UK birth certificate?
If you are applying for a birth certificate for a birth that took place in the
last 50 years you must provided the full name, full date of birth, and parents'
names including the mother's maiden name. If the birth occurred over 50 years
ago you need only provide the first name and surname and the date or year of
birth. It is useful to include a location particularly if the name is common.
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