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
What is the General Register Office?
The General Register Office (GRO) is based in Southport, Merseyside.
It holds official records for births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships registered in England and Wales from 1837 onwards.
If you need an official UK certificate for overseas use, the GRO is often the correct place to order it. This may include a birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate or adoption certificate.
Once you have the certificate, you may also need a UK FCDO apostille before a foreign authority will accept it.
What records can you order from the GRO online?
You can order many certificates directly through the GRO online ordering service.
These include:
- birth certificates registered in England and Wales
- death certificates registered in England and Wales
- marriage certificates registered in England and Wales
- civil partnership certificates registered in England and Wales
- adoption certificates
- certain certificates for British nationals who were born, married, formed a civil partnership or died overseas
- commemorative marriage certificates for silver, ruby, golden and diamond wedding anniversaries
You can also order some historic digital records, including:
- PDFs for historic digitised birth entries from 1837 up to 100 years ago
- PDFs for historic digitised death entries from 1837 to 1957
- Online View digital images for historic birth entries from 1837 up to 100 years ago
- Online View digital images for historic death entries from 1837 to 1957
Do you need a GRO index reference?
For PDF and Online View digital image orders, you will need a GRO index reference.
When you order online, the GRO system will direct you to the GRO online indexes so you can search for the correct reference.
The GRO online indexes can help you identify references for:
- birth records from 1837 to 1934
- birth records from 1984 up to two years ago
- death records from 1837 to 1957
- death records from 1984 up to two years ago
You may also use alternative index sources, such as FreeBMD and other family history websites.
If you cannot find the GRO index reference, you may still apply for a certificate. However, an additional administration charge may apply.
What if the birth, death, marriage or civil partnership is recent?
For more recent records, the GRO may ask for extra information.
This usually applies to:
- births within the last 50 years
- deaths within the last 50 years
- marriages within the last 35 years
- civil partnerships within the last 35 years
If you cannot complete the mandatory fields online, you may need to order by telephone. The GRO telephone ordering process may carry an additional fee.
Which GRO certificates cannot be ordered online?
Some certificates are only available by telephone or post.
These include:
- short or abridged birth certificates
- short or abridged death certificates
- certificates from the Register of Presumed Deaths
- certificates from the Abandoned Children’s Register
- certificates from the Parental Order Register
- certificates from the Gender Recognition Marriage Register
- certificates from the Gender Recognition Civil Partnership Register
Short adoption certificates can be ordered online, but other special registers may require direct contact with the GRO.
What records can the GRO not provide?
The GRO cannot issue certificates for birth or death registrations that took place within the last six months.
For very recent birth or death certificates, you may need to contact the local register office or the church where the event was registered.
This rule does not apply in the same way to adoption certificates, because local register offices do not hold copies of the Adopted Children Register.
When does a GRO certificate need an apostille?
A GRO certificate may need a UK FCDO apostille if you want to use it outside the UK.
This is common for:
- overseas marriage
- spouse visa applications
- family registration abroad
- citizenship or nationality applications
- probate and inheritance matters
- immigration files
- school or university admission
- employment or government procedures overseas
The apostille confirms that the UK public document is genuine for international use.
Do you need embassy legalisation after the apostille?
Sometimes yes.
Many countries accept the UK FCDO apostille alone. However, some countries may require further embassy legalisation, consular legalisation or official attestation after the apostille.
The correct process depends on the destination country and the purpose of use.
How Ginkgo Advisory can help
Ginkgo Advisory can assist with GRO certificate ordering, UK apostille and further legalisation for overseas use.
We can help you:
- identify the type of GRO certificate you need
- order the official GRO certificate where required
- check whether your certificate is suitable for apostille
- arrange the UK FCDO apostille
- offer a 2 working day UK apostille service where available
- arrange embassy legalisation or consular attestation if required
- return the completed document by tracked courier in the UK or overseas
If you already have the certificate, you can send us a clear scan first. If you do not have it yet, we can help you work out what needs to be ordered.
Simple process
Step 1: Send us the details
Send us a scan of your certificate, or tell us the record you need.
Step 2: We check or order the GRO certificate
We review the certificate or assist with ordering the correct GRO certificate.
Step 3: We arrange the FCDO apostille
We submit the document for UK apostille. A 2 working day apostille option may be available.
Step 4: We arrange embassy legalisation if needed
If the destination country requires further legalisation, we arrange the next step.
Step 5: We courier the completed document
We return the completed certificate to you by tracked courier.
Need a GRO certificate for overseas use?
If you need a UK birth certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate or adoption certificate for use abroad, Ginkgo Advisory can guide you through the process.
We can help with GRO certificate ordering, FCDO apostille, embassy legalisation and international courier delivery.
Contact Us
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