Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

How many birth certificates do we need? Aibu to want 4?

48 replies

bottlesandcans · 25/09/2017 03:40

Aibu to want to buy 3/4 birth certificates for DD when we register her today?
One each for DH and I, one to send to child benefit and a spare?

OP posts:

Niamhisnotarealname · 25/09/2017 07:24

I am now in a bit of a panic that I don't know what iv done with DC2 birth certificates ☹. (I got 2 a short one and a long one) buy as many as you like OP it's your money, don't really need more than 2 in my experience though.

KMoKMo · 25/09/2017 07:28

We got 4 for the very reason they were cheaper on the day. We have 3 at home and one with my parents just in case. There’s no right or wrong. Do what you feel is right

fantasmasgoria1 · 25/09/2017 07:46

Wish my mum had gotten several when I was born! I spent a small fortune over the years getting new ones cos I seem to lose them when I move! Keeping the one I have safe!

Sparklingbrook · 25/09/2017 07:46

I have one long, one short for each. If you are prone to losing stuff get more.
I only have one of my own and it's never been a problem.

WeAreEternal · 25/09/2017 07:57

We got a short one (which is completely useless) and four full ones.

Da is nearly 11 and we still have all four full ones.
It’s been sent off for passports twice, CB and various other things and has always come back.

It’s definitely worth having a spare but I think getting four, for us, was a waste of money.
It depends how prone you are to loosing important documents I suppose.

Roomba · 25/09/2017 09:46

I got four long ones for DS1, one for us to keep hold of, two to send off for passport/child benefit/savings account opening as we needed the passport asap and didn't want it being jeopardised if anything got held up in the post. And my ex FIL asked for his own copy for his records - he's massively into family tree research and had birth certs, marriage certs a nd death certs for all of the going back hundreds of years!

I got four for DS2 as well - one for me, one for his father as we'd split by then, one for ex FIL and one to send off for passport etc.

Both me and my ex are legendary for losing vital paperwork though, and I've had so many problems with the DWP/HMRC/various banks claiming they've never received stuff I've sent them, hence the cautious approach!

Lucyandpoppy · 25/09/2017 09:51

I got 3 I think may as well get them while you register as much cheaper than having to buy a copy later. I think we had 2 copies ourselves and one to MiL

QuinionsRainbow · 25/09/2017 11:01

It's £4 on the day and then £10 later on!
Unbelievable..
Because later on, someone at the General Register Office has to search for the birth in the indexes, then find the actual Register that the birth was recorded in, and then make a copy certificate for you.

gamerchick · 25/09/2017 11:06

I got the original plus a certified copy and used the latter to send off. It was always returned

They're all certified copies. The original is in the book you sign at the register office.

I don't know why they charge so much for replacements. It's not hard to look for a birth. They all should be back Indexed onto computer now anyway.

You don't need loads OP.

Surfingwhippet · 25/09/2017 11:11

They hold more importance if they're dated within 12 months of the birth so I'd get 4 now rather than wait and get a copy

gamerchick · 25/09/2017 11:30

They hold more importance if they're dated within 12 months of the birth

Really? Since when?

They're all copies of the original which we aren't given. It doesn't matter when you get them.

RainbowPastel · 25/09/2017 11:34

Surfing where did you get that from. A certified copy means the same whenever it was dated.

Starlight2345 · 25/09/2017 11:39

I have just one...EXh registered my DS's birth ...I wasn't well..So I never thought about it but have not lost it in the last 10 years/

Ttbb · 25/09/2017 11:52

Four is a good idea. They are easy to loose and a pain to replace.

londonrach · 25/09/2017 11:55

I got 6 for my dd as they tend to disappear. Mine never returned from getting my passport and cost me an arm and leg and time to replace. Better to have more now

TriJo · 25/09/2017 12:07

We got 2 long and 1 short - I don't think one of the long ones ever came back from his passport application.

LurkingHusband · 25/09/2017 12:16

We've scanned everything official we can, and stored it in a variety of places. Proved invaluable when we've had to send copies (by email) to people.

Originals are locked very securely and haven't been touched for ages. (I think the last time was when DS needed a certificate for his employer).

With a decent printer you can knock out as many colour copies as you need.

Surfingwhippet · 25/09/2017 14:07

When applying for a dbs if the birth certificate is dated within 12 months it's in group 1 but if it's dated after that it's in group 2

OlennasWimple · 25/09/2017 17:48

Ignore that gubbins about certified copies being worth more if dated within 12 months of the birth...

MrTrebus · 25/09/2017 17:59

We got 4 plus 3 of the fancy pretty ones that are just for show but are so pretty!! £8 each! PFB to the max.

gamerchick · 25/09/2017 21:21

When applying for a dbs if the birth certificate is dated within 12 months it's in group 1 but if it's dated after that it's in group 2

Whut, whut..... what do you MEAN man? What does any of that mean?!

FormerlyFrikadela01 · 25/09/2017 21:28

Do what suits you. I just got the free short one and one long one.

As an addition I don't know why people are saying the short one is useless. I've only ever had a short one and have had several passports and multiple crb/dbs checks and right to work in uk check and no one has ever batted an eyelid.

brownfang · 25/09/2017 21:34

Tip: It's very handy to have multiple death certificates if you should be in unfortunate position of sorting out a loved one's affairs.

Birth certificate: it never crossed my mind to get extras. Haven't had a problem with just one. We keep important documents in a home-safe.

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread