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Types of certificates
The Surrey Registration Service has records of every birth, death, marriage and civil partnership that has taken place in Surrey since 1 July 1837. Prices start from £12.50.
To apply for a full certified copy of a birth record we need to know:
- full name of the child (as registered at birth)
- date of birth
- Place of birth (such as hospital or home address)
- parents names (as shown on the original registration)
A full birth certificate contains all the information recorded in the original birth register including mother and father's details (where recorded). This certificate is required for official purposes such as passport and driving licence applications, and for many insurance, employment, pension and salary requirements. Birth certificates are not evidence of identity.
If a person was adopted, the original birth certificate can no longer be used for official use, such as a passport application. To obtain the legal birth/adoption record contact the General Register Office on 0300 123 1837.
To apply for a certified copy of a death record we need to know:
- the deceased's full name
- their date of death
- where the person died
We can issue a maximum of five certificates per person only. If you require additional certificates, you can order certificates from the General Register Office.
To apply for a certified copy of a marriage record we need to know:
- full names of both parties at the time of the marriage
- date of the marriage ceremony (the priority service is not available where the marriage ceremony has taken place in the last 21 days)
- name of the wedding venue
Marriage certificates can only be issued by a Register Office or the General Register Office.
To apply for a certified copy of a civil partnership record we need to know:
- full names of both parties at the time of the civil partnership
- the full postal address of each civil partner at the time of the signing
- date of the civil partnership signing (the priority service is not available where the civil partnership signing has taken place in the last 10 days)
- name of venue where the civil partnership signing took place
Delivery options and prices
Standard service – Certificate fee £12.50
We will search our records and print your certificate within 15 working days of receiving your order, Monday to Friday (excluding bank and public holidays).
Priority service – Certificate fee £38.50
We will search our records and print your certificate by next working day after receiving your order, Monday to Friday (excluding bank and public holidays).
Please note: orders must be placed by 12 noon for posting out the same day, orders placed after 12 noon will be despatched next working day.
Delivery options
Once printed, certificates can be dispatched using the following delivery options:
| Delivery method | Cost |
|---|---|
| Collection - from Guildford Register Office only. | Included in certificate fee |
| Royal Mail standard postage | Included in certificate fee |
| Overseas Tracked and Signed to a European/ Overseas address. | £10 Additional fee |
Special Delivery - next working day by 1pm (Priority certificate orders only) | £10 Additional fee |
Postal services are provided by Royal Mail.
Please note: Once the certificates have been collected from our office by Royal Mail, they are in their custody. Therefore, we are unable to refund or reissue any replacement certificates should they fail to be delivered.
Cost of additional copies
If you order more than one copy of an individual register entry, the additional copies will be charged as above.
Please note that if you do not send the correct amount with your certificate application, we will be unable to process your order which will result in a delay in you receiving your certificate.
Other methods of applying
It's quicker and easier to apply online but you are still able to apply by post or telephone:
- By post: Send your application with the appropriate fee (see above for details). Postal orders should be made payable to Surrey County Council and posted to: Guildford Register Office, Artington House, 42 Portsmouth Road, Guildford, Surrey GU2 4DZ.
Please note we do not accept payment by cheque. - By telephone: Please contact us with the details of the certificate you require together with your card details and they will be forwarded to Guildford Register Office for processing.
The areas we do not cover
- If the event occurred outside the County of Surrey, apply to the Register Office nearest to where it took place.
- The Surrey Registration Service does not hold records for events occurring in: Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames; London Borough of Richmond upon Thames; London Borough of Croydon and London Borough of Sutton
- For events that occurred in Scotland, Northern Ireland or the Irish Republic please contact the appropriate Registrar General.
- For events outside of the British Isles, you should contact the General Register Office, Overseas Section.
Records before 1 July 1837
Events before the 1 July 1837 may have been recorded in church baptismal, marriage and burial registers. The Surrey History Centre holds many local parish records and there are some other useful contacts on our family history page.
