How to get a birth certificate NSW Australia
Most birth certificates in Australia are issued on application either online, via post, or in person at the NSW registry for births, deaths, and marriages. Let’s find out how to register for and get a birth certificate in NSW Australia.
Getting any birth, death, or marriage that is registered in Australia is a legal requirement that every citizen should have for identity purposes.
To get a birth certificate in Australia, register with the NSW registry of births, deaths, and marriages. You must have registered the birth with the NSW registry for you to be able to get a birth certificate.
Note that all the certificates are sent to you via post. You will not pick any certificates from the NSW service centers.
How to apply for a birth certificate in Australia
There are two main ways that you can apply for an Australian Birth certificate.
The first way is through downloading the printable forms, filling them, and submitting them together with the attachments and payments required.
The second way is the fastest way to get a birth certificate which is by applying online by following the steps below;
How to get a birth certificate in NSW Australia;
- Visit the NSW registry for births, deaths, and marriages official website.
- Review the eligibility requirements
- Review the eligibility requirements
- Fill in the applicant’s information
- Enter the number and design of certificates you need
- Fill in your delivery and contact address
- Upload scanned copies of all the required documents.
- Keenly read and accept the declaration.
- Enter your payment details and submit your details for review and processing.
Eligibility for an NSW birth certificate
Remember you can only apply for the birth certificate if the birth to be documented happened in the NSW.
There are three applicant types whose applications are considered. They include the following;
- The birth certificate holder
- The parent of the person whose birth is to be documented
- A solicitor for the person whose birth is to be documented.
- A family member in case of a family history birth certificate.
Each of the above applicants must meet certain eligibility requirements for their applications to be considered. They include the following;
If you’re the parent, you must provide;
- 3 copies of your identification
- A letter of authority
- 3 copies of identification for the person authorizing the birth.
If you’re the applicant, you must provide the following;
- 3 copies of your identification.
If you’re a solicitor for the applicant you must provide;
- A copy of your practicing certificate
- A letter addressing the reason why the certificate is needed together with the name of your client.
- Payment is made by the company via paycheck or the company credit card.
Other requirements
Apart from the legal requirements and what the applicant should have, there are other requirements that might as well be very important in the process.
They include the following;
- The details of the birth as captured on the NSW registry
- All your personal and contact details
- A functional method of scanning documents is like a phone, tablet, or even scanner.
- Company documentation where necessary
- Your identity documents.
Payment for a birth certificate NSW Australia
The payment is almost the same as all the other applications for birth certificates in Australia.
The following is the summary of all the payments of the whole process until the certificate is delivered to you by the method you requested.
Note that you cannot pick up the certificate from the NSW service center. You will have to receive it through the post, which of course has some additional charges.
| Birth certificate | Cost(priority service) |
| Commemorative | Not available |
| Standard | $88 |
| Standard and commemorative | $115 |
- An extra $9 for international post
- An extra $44 if you need it to be sent to a passport office
NSW birth certificate errors
In case you receive a birth certificate and it has any kind of errors, you will need to have it replaced after being corrected.
There is a small process for that, which is equally important to know and understand how to go about. So, in case your birth certificate has an error, ease do the following;
- Make sure to return the original birth certificate through the post
- Fill out the correct entry form to provide the correct information
- Send documents for proof of identity as required.
Always confirm that all the details that should be on the birth certificate are correct and are all there on the birth certificate immediately after you receive it.
NSW birth certificate processing time
It takes anywhere between a week and 6 weeks to process the birth certificate.
The processing time is more or less the same regardless of your application method. However, you might receive it earlier than you anticipate if you apply under urgent service in cases where it’s allowed.
The following is a simple outline of the processing time for the NSW birth certificate;
| Birth certificate | Processing Time(standard service) |
| Standard(online application) | 3 weeks |
| Standard NSW agent | 1 month |
| Standard submitted by post | 6 weeks |
| Commemorative online application | 1 month |
| Commemorative NSW agent | 5 weeks |
| Commemorative submitted by post | 2 months |
How to get a birth certificate NSW Australia-FAQs
For any birth or adoption that occurred in the NSW, you must be registered with the NSW births, deaths, and marriages registry. To apply, you must access the application form online and either print and fill it out online for submission or print and fill it out then mail it to the registry. You can also apply at any NSW service center. Make sure you have all the correct details filled out and the necessary documents attached as specified.
The fastest way of getting a birth certificate is by applying online under the priority service. It is easy to specify that you want it urgently when you apply online. It might cost a little more but you will get it as fast as possible. Submission by post or in person at the service center has different charges as well.
If you lost your birth certificate and need a replacement for your original, you can access the replacement form on the registry’s service portal. Remember the charges are different from the ones that apply when you are a first-time applicant. However, the process is almost the same as the one for the application. the processing time might vary a little bit but they’re almost the same as ones for a first-time application.
Yes. You can perform a family history search for your family going back up to 1788. All the birth records are always kept with the registry for births, deaths, and marriages in Australia. You can get a birth certificate for family history research from the registry as well. Remember only the birth certificate and similar documentation are paid for at the registry. You can get absolutely free access to the birth and death records in NSW provided you visit the right office.
You can access your birth certificate online in Australia online anywhere. However, you should make sure you have applied and received your birth certificate. If you’re looking to acquire a birth certificate by applying online, you can acquire a birth certificate whether it is a first-time application or a replacement certificate. Both are ordered at a cost from the registry either online or in person at any Australian registry of births, deaths, and marriages service center.
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