Birth Certificates: Long-form vs Short-form

What’s one thing we all have in common? We were all born. Hopefully, anyway. And when we’re born, we’re given a birth certificate for our parents to keep and cherish. They’re a cute memento of the happiest day of your parent’s lives.

But did you know there are two different types of birth certificate? There are short-form certificates and long-form (also known as full, or A4) certificates. If you ever need your birth certificate for documentation purposes, you might need to know the difference. Luckily for you, you’ve found this article.

Short-form Birth Certificates

You might also hear a short-form certificate referred to as an ‘abridged’ certificate. The one your mum’s got will probably be short-form. They were traditionally given out for free to parents after a birth, and are lovely little keepsakes. Unfortunately, though, from a legal point of view, that’s where the benefits end. When I asked Debi, the office certificates’ expert, about short-form certificates I was told in no uncertain terms that ‘they aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.’ So that’s that.

A short-form certificate generally only shows:

• Name and surname
• Sex
• Date of birth
• Place of birth

Which is fine for your parent’s keepsake. But legally, if you ever need your birth certificate as documentation, they won’t do. In fact, in an effort to combat illegal immigration, they’re being phased out. Instead, you’ll need a full birth certificate – a long-form one.

Long-form (full) Birth Certificates

A long-form birth certificate is a certificate of many names. You might hear it referred to as a long-form certificate, a full certificate, or an A4 certificate. They all mean the same thing, though, and they’re really useful from a legal point of view. They contain the same information as short-form certificates, but with some essential additions.

A long-form birth certificate shows:

• Name and surname
• Sex
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Mother’s details
• Father (or second parent’s) details
• Address of the person registering the birth

If the father (or second parent) isn’t known or identified at the time of birth, then only the mother will be named. You can re-register the birth certificate later to add the father’s name.

Since full birth certificates include your parent’s details, they can be used to prove your nationality, so you can use them to apply for ancestral visas. They’re also valid for passport applications, and can be helpful for employment purposes. Basically, if you need a birth certificate for any official purposes or documentation, you’ll need a long-form one. If you don’t have one, you can get one here.

An easy way to think of the difference is to imagine you want to know what happens in a book. If you go on Wikipedia and read a plot summary (shame on you), that’s like a short-form certificate. It’ll tell you the basics, but it’ll miss out a lot of exciting parts. If you read the whole book, it’s like a long-form certificate. It’ll tell you everything you need to know, and you’re a lot more qualified to talk about it.

If you have any more questions about birth certificates, you can get in touch with us through live chat, text us on WhatsApp at +44 (0)7561 031947 or you can ring us on +44 (0)330 088 1142! Our dedicated team is always willing to do what we can to help you.