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

You can apply for a British Columbia Birth Certificate if you are:

• The person whose name appears on the certificate;
• Parents of the person named on the certificate (if that person is less than 19 years of age or incapable);
• A legal guardian of the person named on the certificate if the parent is incapable;
• An officer of any provincial government or the government in Canada who requires the certificate for discharge of official duties;
• Any other person who satisfies the Chief Executive Officer of the good faith of the person’s cause for requiring the certificate.

On January 2, 2008, British Columbia introduced 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 British Columbia 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. British Columbia 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:

Birth Certificate with Personal Info Only (12.5 cm x 17.6 cm):

The Personal Info Only Birth Certificate contains basic information: full name of individual, date of birth, place of birth, sex, registration number, and registration date.

Birth Certificate with Personal Info & Parentage (12.5 cm x 17.6 cm):

The Personal Info and Parentage 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 Birth Certificate with Personal Info & Parentage, as it includes the parents’ names. Some organizations require this type of certificate in the case of minors.

Photocopy of Registration:

Registration Photocopy contains all the information appearing on the original Registration of Birth. Registration Photocopies are generally only required for court purposes. They are not for use as identification

Regular Service

15 business days – does not include delivery times (delivery times depends on your location)
Short Form Birth Certificate: $77.00
Parental Information Included Form Birth Certificate: $77.00
Registration Photocopy: $100.00

NOTE: if you have purchased plane tickets we don’t recommend this option due to the fact that there is no tracking info from Canada Post

Rush Service

3-5 business – does not include delivery times (delivery times depends on your location)

Short Form Birth Certificate: $115.00 (Canada Post – 2-5 days delivery in Canada, 4-7 days delivery in the USA)

Parental Information Included Form Birth Certificate: $115.00 (Canada Post – 2-5 days delivery in Canada, 4-7 days delivery in the USA)

Registration Photocopy: $115.00

Please Note: 

Courier delivery is not made to post office boxes, apartment complexes, homes that use Super Box mailboxes, or basement suites. Instead, ad delivery notice with instructions is left at the mailing address and the envelope is delivered to the nearest postal outlet. ID and signature are required upon pick up.

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 British Columbia 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 British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency to check the status of your application.

Toll Free: 1-800-663-8328 (BC only)
Telephone: 250-952-2681