A birth certificate is an important personal document. It is required when:

• you must demonstrate your legal identity or family ties
• you must prove your age, sex or nationality
• travelling abroad or applying for a passport
• applying for health services, a social insurance number or a driver's licence
• enrolling a child in school
• settling an estate.

(See more information below.)

• the person named on the birth registration
• the persons recorded as parents on the birth registration
• the legal representative (e.g. guardian, solicitor or legal agent) of the person named on the birth registration  
• any other person, on the written authorization of the person named on the registration
• where the person named on the registration is deceased, to a sibling or grand parent of that person. 
• a person who requires the certificate for use in a court of law or before an adjudicative tribunal, for adoption or for the administration of an estate
• an officer of the Crown for official purposes
• government officials approved by the Registrar of Vital Statistics when required for legal or other legitimate purposes.

• Complete an Application For A Birth Certificate form, providing all relevant information with respect to the application.
• The fee must accompany the application in the form of a cheque, money order, or credit card (VISA or MasterCard). Cheques or money orders should be made payable to the Information Services Corporation.
• Apply in person at the Vital Statistics office, by fax (if paying by credit card only) or by mail.

Short Form Certificate (12.5 cm x 17.6 cm)

• Contains the individual's full name, date of birth, place of birth, sex, registration number and registration date.

• Contains the individual's full name, date of birth, place of birth, sex, registration number and registration date as well as the parents' full names and their province/state or country of birth.

• Contains all of the information that appears on the original birth registration.

• Contains all of the information that appears on the original birth registration. The document is stamped "FOR GENEALOGY ONLY."