Every child born in Nova Scotia must be registered with Nova Scotia Vital Statistics before applying for a Birth Certificate.

• The person whose name appears on the certificate;
• Parents of the person named on the certificate;
• A legal guardian of the person named on the certificate (must submit guardianship papers);
• Executor of the estate for a subject that is deceased (must submit proof of death).

On December 3, 2007, Nova Scotia was the first province or territory in Canada to introduce a new, more secure and durable Birth Certificate. The new Birth Certificate is made from a strong polymer material and has more than 20 visible and concealed security features to help prevent identity theft..

Experts in identity theft discourage carrying a Birth Certificate in a purse or wallet. The size of the new certificate is 12.5 cm wide x 17.6 cm high, which makes carrying it in a wallet or purse prohibitive. The wallet size Birth Certificate is no longer available.

Individuals may choose to include or exclude parents’ information on their Birth Certificate.

Those born in Nova Scotia are not required to obtain a new Birth Certificate as the old ones remain valid. However, in some instances, where identity security is of utmost importance, citizens may be asked by other agencies to provide the new more secure document as proof of identity or citizenship. Nova Scotia Vital Statistics will not exchange previous certificates free of charge.

Before applying, find out the type and format of the document required by contacting the organization to which you must submit it.

Documents:

Short Form Birth Certificate (12.5 cm x 17.6 cm):

The Short Form Birth Certificate is required when applying for an adult Canadian passport. It contains basic information: full name of individual, date of birth, place of birth, sex, registration date, registration number and date issued.

Long Form Birth Certificate (12.5 cm x 17.6 cm):

The Long Form Birth Certificate contains all the information as stated above, plus the names of parents and birthplaces of parents (province/country only).

When submitting an application concerning the birth of a minor, we recommend requesting the Long Form Birth Certificate, as it includes the parents’ names. Some organizations require this type of certificate in the case of minors.

Certified Copy:

A Certified Copy contains all the information which appears on the original Birth Registration, including full name, sex, date of birth, place of birth, registration date, registration number, date issued, names of parents, birthplaces of parents, plus other information. Certified copies are generally only required for court purposes.

Regular Service (15-20 business days)

Rush Service (8-12 business days)

Please Note: Fees listed above are inclusive of taxes and shipping costs. Delivery times are approximate and cannot be guaranteed. Applications may be delayed or rejected if inadequate information is provided or if there is a discrepancy between information provided and the government records. If no record of the birth is found by Nova Scotia Vital Statistics, fees will be applied to the search cost and will not be refunded.

If you have not received your Birth Certificate within the expected timeframe, you may contact the Nova Scotia Vital Statistics Agency to check the status of your application.

Toll Free: 1-877-848-2578 (Nova Scotia only)
Telephone: 902-424-4381