Order a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate
Get an official copy of a certificate for an event registered in the UK. Each nation has its own register office, so order from the one where the event was registered.
Home » Public bodies » National Records of Scotland (NRS)
National Records of Scotland (NRS)
Keeps Scotland's birth, death, marriage and civil partnership records, runs the census and sells certificates through ScotlandsPeople.
Part of: The Scottish Government
Contact
Certificate order enquiries
Orders must be placed online through ScotlandsPeople.
- Phone
- 0131 314 4411
- Contact form
- scotlandspeople.gov.uk/order-certificate
Change of name enquiries
- Phone
- 0131 314 4273
General enquiries
- Phone
- 0131 202 0451
- Postal address · National Records of Scotland
- HM General Register House
2 Princes Street
Edinburgh
EH1 3YY
United Kingdom - Contact form
- nrscotland.gov.uk/contact-us
Adoptions
- Email · Adoptions team
- adoptions@nrscotland.gov.uk
We only list official numbers. Beware of websites showing 084, 087, 09 or 118 numbers that connect you to a public body at a premium rate.
Related procedures
Register a birth
Every baby born in the UK must be registered. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland you have 42 days; in Scotland, 21 days.
Register a death
A death must usually be registered within 5 days (8 days in Scotland). Tell Us Once lets you inform most government departments in one go.
Register a stillbirth
A stillbirth must be registered by law. You have 42 days in England and Wales, 21 days in Scotland and up to 1 year in Northern Ireland. You can give your baby a name in the register.
Correct a mistake on a birth registration
If something was recorded wrongly when a birth was registered, you can apply to correct it. The original entry stays in the register with a note showing the correct details.
Research your family history
Search the official indexes of births, marriages and deaths and order historic certificates to build your family tree. Each UK nation keeps its own records.
Get married or form a civil partnership
You must give notice at a register office before a marriage or civil partnership. Non-British nationals may have extra requirements depending on their immigration status.
Social media
Contact data source: National Records of Scotland, Open Government Licence v3.0, updated 12 October 2026.