Accessing your birth certificate if you were adopted before 30 Dec 2005
Due to legislative changes introduced with the Adoption and Children Act 2002, the process for accessing your birth certificate differs depending on when you were adopted. This page tells you how to access your birth certificate if you were adopted before 30 December 2005
Do you know your original birth name?
If you don’t know your birth name
What happens next if you were adopted before 12 November 1975 in England and Wales
What happens next if you were adopted after 11 November 1975
I live abroad… Can I still access my birth certificate?
Do you know your original birth name?
If so then this is simple. You just need to apply via the General Registration Officer at Southport for a copy of your original birth certificate.
If you don’t know your birth name
You need to write to the Registrar General explaining that:
- You were adopted
- What your adopted name was
- Your date of birth
- You are applying for a copy of your birth certificate under Schedule 2 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002
You can also access the relevant form here.
What happens next if you were adopted before 12 November 1975 in England and Wales
The legislation requires that if you were adopted before 12 November 1975 and do not know your original name you were registered with at birth then you must attend a meeting with an approved adoption advisor, and you will need to apply to the General Register Office (GRO) using the Birth Information Before Adoption form. The GRO will advise you that you need a meeting with an approved adoption advisor before you can receive the information you need to apply for a copy of your original birth certificate. This meeting with the adoption advisor will normally take place at the local authority where you live or the adoption agency that organised your adoption. The Registrar General will be able to explain the available options to in their response.
Why do I have to meet with an adoption advisor?
Up until the Children Act 1975 birth and adoptive parents had been told that once the child had been adopted, no identifying information would be disclosed and that all contact with the birth parent would be severed. The arrangement to meet with an adoption advisor was therefore put in place to help the adopted person appreciate that this is what the birth parent was told. Hence the change in law giving adopted people the right to receive identifying information had huge implications for some birth parents particularly if they had kept the adoption secret from family and partners. The consultation with an adoption advisor (who is professionally trained) can give you an opportunity to talk about your hopes, fears and expectations, as well as getting advice and information about any next steps you might want to take.
What happens next if you were adopted after 11 November 1975
If you were adopted before 12 November 1975 and know your birth name, then a meeting with an adoption advisor is optional as you already have the information you need to apply for a copy of your original birth certificate.
The GRO can send you the information you need to obtain a copy of your original birth certificate. You may still benefit, however, from getting advice and support from an adoption advisor prior to applying for a copy of your original birth certificate, particularly if you also intend to apply to the AAA for the records they may hold about your adoption.
I live abroad…Can I still access my birth certificate?
If you don’t know your original name or the agency that arranged your adoption, then you can still contact the General Registrar Office if you live abroad. You can use the GRO BIBA form to obtain the information about your birth registration and the original name you were given. The GRO may be able to give you information about organisations in your country of residence who can provide the statutory meeting you’re required to have to receive the information to enable you to obtain a copy of your original birth certificate. You should also contact the agency that was involved in your adoption as they may also be able to offer you an online meeting with an adoption advisor or you can also travel back to the UK for this appointment.
How much does it cost?
You do not have to pay for the meeting with an adoption advisor, however, you will have to pay for a copy of your birth certificate when you apply for this.
Details of the fees involved in ordering a copy of certificates can be found on the websites of the General Register Offices for England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.