What You Can Do, If You Lost Your Birth Certificate in the UK

The birth certificate is an important document that is issued at the time of your birth. Your parents receive a copy of the birth certificate which you are required to keep with you forever and use for availing yourself of important government services and as identification proof. Birth certificates are also used as proof of citizenship. They are required when applying for a driver’s license as well. It is essential to keep your birth certificate safe as the document is important for many purposes. You should try your best not to lose this important document. However, if your birth certificate is lost or torn up, you need to apply for a replacement immediately.

What are the Long-form and Short-Form Birth Certificates in the UK

The long form of the birth certificate offers more details about the person such as the age, full name, particular facility or hospital where the baby is born, and the full name of both the parents. The short-form birth certificates do not carry as much information as the long-form birth certificate. The short-form birth certificate specifies the age, and name of the baby but does not hold much information about the parents of the particular hospital where the birth took place.

The birth certificate should be made within 42 days of the birth of the baby. Sometimes the hospital where the baby is born applies for the birth certificate. You can apply for the birth certificate easily by visiting the local register office in the region where the birth of the baby took place.

Significance of a birth certificate in the UK

It is important not to lose your birth certificate as it is used for multiple reasons.

• Your birth certificate is required by numerous schools while you are applying for admission. This is especially important in the case of younger children enrolling in school as it is crucial to determine their exact age. The age of the ground child would determine which class he or she would study in. It is used as an important identification proof for admission into schools.

• If you are trying to obtain your driver’s license, you would need your birth certificate. As a driving license is issued only after a particular age, the birth certificate is used to determine the exact age of the person. It is essential if you are applying for the renewal of your driver’s license as well.

• A birth certificate is required if you are applying for a marriage license as well. It serves as proof of identity and age as certain laws are in place that allows marriage only after a certain age.

• If you want to join a certain sports group, your age is an important factor. Young children should be playing with children of their age group to avoid any injury. The birth certificate is an easy way to find out the age of the child.

• The birth certificate can be used as proof of citizenship as well. It is an essential document while applying for a passport.

• You need to produce your birth certificate to get your National Insurance Number. The birth certificate is used as proof of identity.

• The birth certificate is an important document that is used as identification proof while applying for a bank account or a mortgage.

Process of obtaining a replacement birth certificate in the UK

You are required to pay a fee when applying for a replacement of your birth certificate in the UK. You should avoid losing your birth certificate at all costs to avoid this punishment. For obtaining a new copy of your original birth certificate, in case you lost yours, you need to apply online from the General Register Office. If you are from England or Wales you can apply at the registered office in the region you were born in either by going there in person or sending a letter.

All the replacement birth certificates are issued as the long-form birth certificates containing detailed information about the parents, location of birth, name, etc. The replacement birth certificate is completely valid and can be used to apply for various government services or further proof of identification documents. You can use the replacement birth certificate to obtain a marriage license, driver’s license, or passport. You can even use it while applying to various schools or colleges. The most common reason for applying for a replacement birth certificate is that people lose their original copy of the birth certificate.

There is no need for a signed release or a process similar to it while obtaining a replacement birth certificate. The process of applying for a replacement birth certificate is straightforward. You do not need to produce further proof of identification such as a driver’s license, passport, etc while applying for a replacement birth certificate. You need to pay the required fees and fill in important information required for a birth certificate.

Find the Copy of Your Birth Certificate

You can search for a copy birth certificate in the records held at the UKOS’s Office. You can only apply for a copy birth certificate through an online application. This copy birth certificate holds important information and details that were first registered at birth. You need to at least have details such as the full name of the person, birthplace, and year of the person to obtain a copy birth certificate.

Conclusion

A birth certificate is essential to obtain further identification proof or for using the various services offered by the government. While there are options available for obtaining a replacement birth certificate, you mustn’t lose your birth certificate. The renewal process requires you to pay a fee as punishment for losing your birth certificate. The birth certificate is an important document, even though people might not use it in their daily lives. It is important to store it safely so you can retrieve it for obtaining important documents. Some of these documents are your passport, marriage license, driver’s license, etc. You can easily get a replacement birth certificate by applying via mail or the internet. There is also an option for you to go in person to retrieve your replacement birth certificate.