About the Author
Kwok is a practising solicitor based in London, admitted in England & Wales and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. He is registered with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Kwok has worked as legal counsel and in-house solicitor across leading firms and corporations. He personally oversees every apostille and legalisation case at Ginkgo Advisory, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and end-to-end quality control.
Kwok Lam
Legal Consultant of Ginkgo Advisory
GRO certificate types: what can you order?
The General Register Office (GRO) provides several types of certificates and record services. These include standard civil registration certificates, overseas records, adoption certificates, PDF records, Online View digital images and commemorative marriage certificates.
If you need a GRO document for overseas use, you may also need a UK FCDO apostille and, in some cases, further embassy legalisation, consular legalisation or official attestation.
Ginkgo Advisory can assist with the full route, from identifying the right GRO document to arranging apostille, legalisation and international courier delivery.
Birth, marriage, civil partnership and death certificates
A full birth certificate usually includes the person’s name, date and place of birth, father’s details where given, and mother’s details. For registrations before 1969, some parental details, such as parents’ place of birth and mother’s occupation, may not appear.
A marriage certificate includes the date and place of marriage, details of the parties, occupations, addresses, witnesses and the person who solemnised the marriage. For marriages after 4 May 2021, the certificate may also include each party’s mother, father or parent details, with up to four entries per party.
A civil partnership certificate includes the date and place of civil partnership, the parties’ names and dates of birth, occupation, usual address, parental details, witnesses and the person who performed the civil ceremony.
A full death certificate usually includes the person’s name, date and place of death, date and place of birth, occupation, usual address, cause of death and the informant’s details. For deaths before 1969, the certificate normally showed the age of the deceased rather than the date and place of birth.
Overseas records held by GRO
GRO also holds certain overseas records. These may include births, marriages and deaths registered by British Forces, British Consuls or High Commissions overseas from 1849. GRO also holds some Marine birth and death records from 1837, aircraft birth and death records from 1948, and certain British Army, war death and regimental records.
You can order full overseas birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates online where the relevant record is held by GRO. However, overseas records do not always follow one standard format, and not every overseas event involving a British national is registered with UK authorities.
Having a British passport does not automatically mean that an overseas birth was registered in the UK. If the event was not registered with British authorities, GRO may not hold the record.
Adoption certificates
GRO maintains the Adopted Children Register, which contains details of adoptions authorised by a court order in England or Wales on or after 1 January 1927. A certified copy of an entry in the Adopted Children Register is the equivalent of a birth certificate for an adopted person.
Both full and short adoption certificates can be ordered online. A full adoption certificate includes the date of the adoption order, the court name and details of the adoptive parents. A short adoption certificate does not refer to the adoption and usually shows only the adoptive name, sex, date of birth and country or district of birth.
Local register offices do not hold copies of the Adopted Children Register, so adoption certificate applications must be made to GRO.
GRO PDF service
GRO offers PDF copies for certain historical digitised civil registration records. These include birth entries from 1837 up to 100 years ago and death entries from 1837 to 1957. A full GRO index reference is required.
PDF orders must be made through the GRO online ordering site. This service is not available by telephone or post. GRO aims to provide the PDF within four working days from the order date if the order is received before 4pm.
A GRO PDF is useful for research and record checking. However, it is not the same as a certificate. It has no evidential value for official purposes. If you need the record for a passport, driving licence, notice of marriage or overseas legal use, you may need a paper certified copy instead.
Online View digital images
The GRO Online View digital image service provides a lower-cost digital image for certain historic birth and death register entries in England and Wales.
Available records include:
- birth entries from 1837 up to 100 years ago
- death entries from 1837 to 1957
The image is provided in JPEG format and can be viewed, printed or downloaded for up to three months from the date of placing the order. After that, it will be deleted, and GRO does not provide a warning before deletion.
Online View digital images are not official certificates and have no evidential value. For official purposes, such as a passport, driving licence, notice of marriage or civil partnership, you still need a paper certified copy.
PDF vs Online View digital image
A GRO PDF and an Online View digital image are different services.
The Online View digital image gives immediate access after payment, where available. The PDF service has a turnaround time and may include page heading information, such as the year, registration district, sub-district and county, which may not appear on the Online View image.
For overseas use, the safest route is usually to obtain an official paper certificate first, then arrange the UK FCDO apostille if required.
Commemorative marriage certificates
GRO also offers commemorative marriage certificates for silver, ruby, golden and diamond wedding anniversaries. These certificates feature the original marriage details and are mounted in a presentation box. They are designed as gifts or keepsakes.
A commemorative marriage certificate is different from a standard certificate used for legal or official purposes. If you need a marriage certificate for overseas use, immigration, family registration or legal recognition abroad, you should check whether the receiving authority requires a standard official certificate instead.
What if you are not happy with the certificate, PDF, Online View image or service?
If you are not happy with the PDF, Online View digital image, certificate or service received, you should contact GRO through its online form.
GRO normally responds within five working days after the form is submitted.
Any problem with an order should be reported to GRO within three months of the date the order was placed.
Why the certificate type matters for overseas use
Choosing the wrong GRO product can delay an overseas application.
For example, a PDF or Online View digital image may be useful for research, but an overseas authority may require an official paper certificate with an apostille. A commemorative marriage certificate may be suitable as a keepsake, but it may not be the right document for immigration, marriage registration, probate, inheritance or official government use.
Before ordering, it is important to check:
- what type of certificate you need
- whether a GRO index reference is required
- whether a digital product is acceptable
- whether the destination country needs an apostille
- whether embassy legalisation or consular attestation is also required
How Ginkgo Advisory can help
Ginkgo Advisory can assist if you need a GRO certificate or record for overseas use.
We can help you:
- identify the correct GRO certificate type
- check whether a PDF, Online View image or official certificate is more suitable
- assist with GRO certificate ordering where required
- check whether the document is suitable for overseas use
- arrange the UK FCDO apostille
- offer a 2 working day UK apostille service where available
- arrange embassy legalisation, consular legalisation or attestation if required
- return the completed document by tracked courier in the UK or overseas
If you are unsure whether you need a birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, adoption certificate, overseas record or digital record, we can help you check the route before you proceed.
Simple process
Step 1: Send us the details
Tell us which GRO record or certificate you need, and the country where it will be used.
Step 2: We check the document type
We confirm whether you need an official certificate, PDF, Online View image, overseas record, adoption certificate or other GRO product.
Step 3: We order or receive the certificate
If required, we assist with ordering the official GRO certificate. If you already have the document, you can send us a scan first.
Step 4: We arrange the FCDO apostille
Once the certificate is ready, we arrange the UK apostille. A 2 working day apostille option may be available.
Step 5: We arrange further legalisation if needed
If the destination country requires embassy legalisation, consular legalisation or attestation, we arrange the next step.
Step 6: We courier the completed document
We send the completed document to you by tracked courier in the UK or overseas.
Need help choosing the correct GRO certificate?
If you need a GRO certificate, overseas record, adoption certificate, PDF or Online View digital image, Ginkgo Advisory can help you understand which option is suitable for your purpose.
We assist with GRO certificate ordering, FCDO apostille, embassy legalisation and international courier delivery for overseas use.
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