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Certificate requests

We hold records of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships that have taken place in Tower Hamlets since 1837. All requests are to be made online. If we cannot find your entry, you may be able to apply through the GRO.

  • We aim to process standard requests within 5 working days (government guidance is 15 working days).
  • Priority requests received before 3pm are processed before 3pm the next working day.
  • We process requests Monday to Friday each week (except bank holidays). Priority requests over the weekend may not be available until Tuesday.
  • You will be emailed when your certificate is ready for collection or sent for delivery.
  • Certificates are sent folded in A5 envelopes. If you would like your certificate sent in an A4 hard-backed envelope, you must pay for special delivery. This includes tracking and a replacement if the certificate is lost in transit.
  • We do not accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused by Royal Mail.
  • Post, including special delivery, is collected on Tuesday and Friday mornings so there will be a delay in receiving your order. Urgent requests should arrange a collection from our office.
  • Certificates are held for 6 months and then destroyed to comply with GDPR. No refund or exchange will be provided for an uncollected certificate.

Please visit our fees page for information on costs and our terms and conditions page for information on refunds.

Certificates are sent out via standard postage for free. If the certificate goes missing or is damaged in the post, you will need to pay for a new one. We offer tracked and international postage for a fee.

Payment for certificates must be made at the time of the request. Refunds will not be issued if your certificate is lost in standard post or if the details do not match what you expect.

 Order a certificate

 

Marriage certificates

If you have had a legal religious ceremony in Tower Hamlets, you will need to order a copy of your marriage certificate by accessing the 'order a copy certificate' option.

Islamic ceremonies that took place without legal preliminaries at a Register Office are not in scope of this.