Are there two types of UK birth certificate?

[John915]

Back again,

True KG but you need one to apply for a British passport along with other documentation. The consular certificates were not accepted.

However, this was all changed by the gov in 1983 apparently and they are now accepted, if issued after that date.

Servicemen whose children were born in a military hospital could register with the consulate without the need for a local birth certificate. If however the child was born in a local hospital it had to be registered locally then you took that certificate with you to get them British citizenship at the consulate.

Although I was trained in all trades for chieftain tank I was also trained as a regtl medical assistant. As such I used to do regtl duties at the medical centre as ambulance orderly instead of guard duties. It was a matter of honour to get the ladies to BMH Rinteln, a 2 hr drive for us, for the birth or the child would be German in the first instance. We used to talk about anything to take their minds off of the job in hand. The rule was that if birth was immenent then you left the auto bahn and proceded to the nearest German hospital. In extreme emergencies birth took place in the ambulance but as they were not emergency ambulances with all the equipment needed you hoped it never happened to you.

John915

[LizzieW]

Our adopted son was always being asked to show his birth certificate when he signed on for agency work. Of course he couldn't supply his birth certificate as he didn't have it, but showed them his adoption certificate instead.  It was amazing the number of companies that wouldn't accept it as proof of his identity until he explained that, even if he got his birth certificate it wouldn't show his name now, but only his original birth name.

[iolaus]

The only thing I've had to use the long one for with my kids is passports (and stupidly didn't get them when registered so had to pay more), everything else, opening bank accounts, schools etc the short form is fine.

So we now have two for each of the children (one long, one short), only a long one for me (british consulate certificate so they may only do a long one), and my husband has two one in his birth name and one after he was adopted - a Northern Irish birth certificate stating he was born in Wales

[Rosinish]

"We took birth certificates for our two children, Sam, 13, and Kate, nine. But at the check-in desk, our holiday excitement turned to shock when the supervisor told us: “You’re not getting on that flight unless you have the right birth certificates.” It was hard to take in. Our certificates had “birth certificate” stamped across the top. How could they not be right?"

I can understand people who were not a 'child' prior to the Law change in 2015 having no problems in the past which doesn't actually help the situation of people under the new Law introduced.

However, what I can't get my head round is the fact that the Passport Office accepted/(accepts)? a short certificate.

Surely it would make sense if the Airlines or 'whoever/anyone else' didn't accept such things as a Passport issued AFTER the new Law without a Full Cert. & above all does the Passport Office insist on a Full Cert. since the new Law?

Singing from the same sheet rings a bell 

Annie

[AntonyMMM]

As a registrar I was always careful to tell people that a free short certificate was not accepted for most official purposes  - other than a child benefit application.

I can only think of one or two occasions (out of hundreds) where the parents chose not to have at least one full certificate at the time of registration.

[LizzieW]

Annie - I got the impression that it wasn't actually the airline that wouldn't accept the short birth certificate, but the South African government. 

[medpat]

We were a service family in Cyprus and the route to the hospitals was far less than 2 hrs thankfully. Little girls, if they were born on Cypriot soil, it didn't matter but boys would be liable for conscription. They might holiday here years later and find themselves arrested for evading conscription.  Conscription is still going on here.

Out here if you are asked for your birth cert. for official reasons you have to have the long one as they always note down the mother as well as father. The short one does not have as much information as the long one so like here the South African govt. may require mother's details as well.

[Rosinish]

Annie - I got the impression that it wasn't actually the airline that wouldn't accept the short birth certificate, but the South African government.

Thanks Lizzie!!

That's a whole different scenario now that I have re read it!

A with medicals/jags/jabs for different countries then people need to read up on the conditions of different countries prior to travel.

Annie

[Cell]

I have a short one, I  have never needed a full one until a few years ago. I applied for two passports with just my short cert ( both British and Australian passports).

If it wasn't for my 3rd passport ,  I would still only have a short birth cert.
I had to get a long one for my Irish passport .(I applied through my mother's  birth, so needed the long cert to show my mother's name)
I've never needed my full cert again ( I don't even know where I've stored it)

My Hubby has  still not got his full cert as he has never needed it .
Kind Regards