OttawaLo

Hi all

I am questioning if the document I have as my birth certificate..is actually my birth certificate?! Yeah i've only been on this earth for 33 years!

I have something titled as "extract of an entry in a register of births". I have always used this as my birth certificate through driving licenses, bank accounts, 2 x IECs, eveeeeeerything. And never really thought anything of it. Anyways I have seen a couple of posts elsewhere about people getting their apps returned for various problems with their birth certs. And then my partner looks at my birth certificate and says that it doesn't look like a birth certificate. I get that he's canadian and doesn't know jack about uk birth certs but it added fuel to the fire in my little (frazzled!) brain.

Also a photocopy of a birth certificate doesn't need to be verified/notarised/certified right?

Incase it makes a difference I was born in Scotland. Almost at point of submission for PR via common law sponsorship.

Thanks!

graham1710

Sounds exactly like the one I've used and have had no issues :-)

Graham.

scrubbedexpat100

Yes, that is your Scottish birth certificate. We were never questioned about ours in any pr/citizenship process.

Edit: We gave colour copies for our Australian applications, didn't need them certified. I'm not sure of the Canadian process tbh? Good luck

Hurlabrick

Yes, that is most definitely your UK birth certificate. There are minor differences between English or Scottish birth certs (my wife was also born in Scotland).

Specifically my wifes starts off.....

Extract of an entry in a REGISTER of BIRTHS

Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965


Assuming of course you were born after 1965!

Yes, a photocopy is all they want at this stage, they will ask later if they want anything more (highly unlikely).

OttawaLo

Excellente! Thanks all!

BritInParis

It should mention your full name, date and place of birth as well as your parents' names, their marriage date and usual place of residence at the time of registration. If it has all that information then you have your full birth certificate.

quiltman

Yes, the official register of your birth is that entry in the registrars book, so any birth certificate in UK is an extract, or copy, of the original Registrars entry.

Engineer_abroad

Worse case, if you do have problems, you can ask the FCO is apostle the document to confirm the signature is genuine and that the document was issued by a UK government authority.

I have had to do this in the past because my birth certificate was issued on the special provisions act as I was born in a British Military Hospital in the former West Germany.

North American birith certs do looks different, my wife's, a yank, looks like a 4th grade certificate of achievement isused to her mum