You can use this page to:
- order a birth certificate
- apply for a correction to a birth certificate
- get your birth certificate legalised for international use.
Order a birth certificate
A full or a short birth certificate costs £12.50 each.
You can either have your certificate posted to you or you can collect it from Medway Register Office.
If you'd like it posted, it'll be sent by second class post and you should receive it within 10 working days of payment.
If you choose to collect it, it'll be ready within 5 working days of payment (unless you do not live in the UK)
If you need a certificate urgently, use our priority service.
Types of birth certificate
There are 2 types of birth certificate:
- a short certificate which only has the child's details
- a full certificate which has the child's and parents' details.
You may need a full certificate for passport applications or other legal paperwork.
Who can apply
You can apply for a birth certificate at Medway Register Office if:
- the birth took place in Medway
- you have enough information to find the record.
If the birth took place outside Medway, you can order a certificate from:
- the General Register Office
- the register office where the birth took place.
How to order
You can:
Order a birth certificate online
To complete our online application, you’ll need to tell us:
- if you'd like a short or full birth certificate
- how many certificates you need
- if you're applying for your own certificate or someone else's (if it's not your own, we'll ask about your relationship to them)
- details from the certificate, including first and last names, date and place of birth
- the parents' names (including birth mother's maiden name)
- if you'd like the certificate sent to you or if you'll collect it (if you live in the UK)
- your contact details (we'll need an email address to send you a confirmation or to contact you if you do not live in UK).
Order a birth certificate online
What happens next
We'll send you a confirmation email and Medway Register Office will check to see if they hold the record.
If they hold the record, the register office will call you to take payment by card.
You'll then:
- get your certificate in the post within around 10 working days
- be able to collect your certificate within 5 working days.
If they do not hold the record, the register office will contact you.
Priority service
If you need your certificate urgently, you can use our priority service to receive your certificate the next working day.
Your certificate will be sent by first class post or you can collect it from Medway Register Office.
Priority service applications are only accepted between 9.30am and 3pm, Monday to Friday.
Call the register office on 01634 338 899 or visit in person.
The priority service costs £38.50 for 1 certificate. Any extra certificates ordered at the same time for the same record will cost £12.50 each.
Order a certificate in person or by post
Order in person
You'll need to visit Medway Register Office and complete an application form. They'll search for the record and if they hold it, you'll make payment by card. You'll then:
- get your certificate in the post within around 10 working days
- be able to collect your certificate within 5 working days.
Medway Register Office is open between 9.30am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.
Order by post
You'll need to download and complete a birth certificate application form and post it to Medway Register Office, Northgate, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1LS.
They'll search for the record and if they hold it, they'll call you to take payment by card.
If you're not in the UK
Medway Register Office cannot call you if you're not in the UK.
If they need more information about your application, the register office will email you.
If Medway Register Office hold the marriage or civil partnership record, they'll email you asking you to call to pay.
Once you've paid, the certificate will be posted to you.
Apply for a correction to a birth certificate
You can only apply for a correction to a birth certificate if:
- you registered the birth
- the birth was registered at Medway Register Office
- the information on the certificate was wrong at the time of registration, for example a job title.
You cannot apply for a correction if a change was made after the birth took place. For example, a name change or a marriage.
If you got married or formed a civil partnership after the birth of your child(ren), you'll need to re-register the birth(s).
The original record will stay the same, and the correction will be added to the margin of the register with the date it was made. Any new full certificates will show both the old and new name(s) but short certificates will only show the new details.
How to apply
To apply, phone Medway Register Office on 01634 338 899.
During the call, they'll tell you if the mistake was made on the registration or the certificate.
If you need a registration correction, they'll tell you:
- what type of correction you'll need
- the evidence you'll need
- how much the correction will cost.
After your call, download and complete the GOV.UK application form to correct details on a birth registration.
You'll then need to visit Medway Register Office with your evidence and your completed form.
You do not need to make an appointment. Medway Register Office is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm.
You'll need to bring your original documents or certified copies as evidence. We cannot accept photocopies.
You'll also need to pay your correction fee by card.
If you need a locally authorised correction
A locally authorised correction costs £83, which you'll pay by card at Medway Register Office. This does not include copies of the new certificate.
When you're there, the register office will check and make copies of your evidence.
If the correction is authorised, they'll make the correction within 5 working days.
If a correction is not authorised, the record cannot be changed.
If you need a General Register Office authorised correction
A General Register Office authorised correction costs £99, which you'll pay. This does not include copies of the new certificate.
When you're there, they'll check and make copies of your evidence and forward your information to the General Register Office to authorise.
It can take up to 25 days for the General Register Office to authorise a correction. If the correction is authorised, Medway Register Office will make the correction within 5 working days.
If a correction is not authorised, the correction cannot be made.
Get your birth certificate legalised for international use
Medway Register Office are not able to legalise documents.
If you need your birth certificate to be accepted in other countries, it'll need to be legalised by the Legislation Office.
Contact the Legislation Office to get your documents legalised.