United Kingdom Birth Certificate Copy Fact Sheet
Before 1837, there was no requirement in British law for the keeping of vital records. In that year, the “Births and Deaths Act 1874″ came into effect and it became illegal not to give the authorities birth, marriage and death certificates. This law is still in effect today and in fact has been amended to include other important details. While the law does not state that you must keep a birth certificate copy for your own records, there are many good reasons why you might wish to do so.
Since 1969, more details about births have been listed on birth certificates. In that year, the format of the certificates was changed from landscape to portrait in order to make it more of a document than a mere certificate. In addition, information such as the child’s surname and gender were listed alongside of the parents’ names. This was seen as necessary, since on occasion there could be confusion as to whether the child bore its mother’s or father’s surname and many names are no longer gender-specific.
As long as one or both of the parents are British citizens or the child is born in the U.K., there should be a birth certificate on record. These records are public and are therefore available to all members of the public, whether they are the individual’s records, immediate family records or the records of perfect strangers. The applicants details are also kept on record, to track identity theft, should it occur.
At birth, parents are given a short form birth certificate that is not as detailes as the one that is kept on record. The long form or “Full Certified Birth Certificate” is the one that is kept on public record and is the one you will obtain if you apply for a birth certificate copy. This unabridged certificate contains much more information that the abridged version and is a valuable research tool for genealogists or anyone who wishes to trace a family tree.
Aside for being a valuable tools for tracing your family roots, there are many legal and personal reasons for having a copy of your birth certificate. You will need one when you apply for a passport, for instance, or if you wish to become a naturalized citizen here or abroad. You will want to have one simply for your own interest or your family’s interest. The day will come when you or someone you know will want to know the details about your birth.
People wish to have the information available on a birth certificate copy for a wide range of reasons. Information regarding the exact circumstances of one’s birth are vitally important to those who take an interest in astrology or numerology, for instance. In astrology, a “natal chart” cannot be said to be accurate unless the time and location of a birth are pinpointed. Numerologists, too, require this information. The reasons for this can be traced deep in our psyches, whether you believe in astrology or numerology or not. These details are an important part of our personal identity. Just knowing them seems to fill in pieces of our personal puzzle and give us a sense of belonging in the world.
Even if it doesn’t seem important right now, it is almost a certainty that one day you will wish to have a birth certificate copy. Since it is so easy to get one and costs so little, there should be nothing to stop you.
