What is a short-form birth certificate UK?

The UK registration offices have historically issued different types of birth certificates, with the most common being the Short Birth Certificate UK. This certificates was traditionally given to new parents for free when registering their child's birth and also to adoptees to protect their identity and that of the birth parents. However, Short Birth Certificates do not include the names of either parent and are no longer accepted by most official organizations as valid evidence of identity due to identity fraud legislation.

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If you only have a Short Birth Certificate, you can still obtain a replacement Full Birth Certificate as the necessary information was recorded at the time of your birth.

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Full certificates can be used for official purposes such as employment, marriage, passport and visa applications. When presenting a birth certificate to an overseas government authority, additional authentication may be required.

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More information on this can be found in our article on using official documents in different countries.