Applying for birth certificates or information

Apply for a certificate including:

• Your proof of identity
• The relevant fee.

Legal birth certificate 

Commemorative birth certificate 

Apply for a certificate including:

• Your proof of identity
• The relevant fee.

You do not need to provide permission (known as third party authority) from your child.

Legal birth certificate

Commemorative birth certificate

Apply for a certificate including:

• Your proof of identity
• Your child's permission (known as third party authority) and your child's proof of identity
• The relevant fee.

Legal birth certificate

Commemorative birth certificate

Apply for a certificate including:

• Your proof of identity
• Evidence that you have parental responsibility for the child
• The relevant fee.

You do not need to provide permission (known as third party authority) from the child for whom you have parental responsibility.

Legal birth certificate

Commemorative birth certificate

Attach evidence of carer relationship to the child. For example, this might be:

• An identity card from an agency like Medicare or Centrelink.
  The card must show both the carer’s and child’s names.
  OR
• Letter of support from an organisation involved in the child’s care. For example, an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) or the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA).
  The letter must outline:
  • The time the organisation has known the carer
  • The length of time the care arrangement is in place for; and
  • The organisation’s support for the carer to access the child’s birth certificate.

Legal birth certificate 

Commemorative birth certificate

Attach evidence of carer’s relationship to the child. For example, this might be:

• An identity card from an agency like Medicare or Centrelink.
  The card must show both the carer’s and child’s names.
  OR
• Letter of support from an organisation involved in the child’s care.
  The letter must outline:
  • The time the organisation has known the carer
  • The length of time the care arrangement is in place for; and
  • The organisation’s support for the carer to access the child’s birth certificate.

Legal birth certificate 

Commemorative birth certificate

Aboriginal Child Care Organisations (ACCOs) delivering the Aboriginal Children in Aboriginal Care (ACAC) program must apply. Currently these organisations are:

• VACCA (Nugel program)
• Mutjang Bupuwingarrak Mukman program (Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BDAC))

Citizenship or passport application (for applicants born on or after 20 August 1986)

If you are unable to get permission (known as third party authority) from your parents to access their birth certificate

Apply for a certificate including:

• Your proof of identity
• The relevant fee
• Your birth certificate (if born outside of Victoria).

Apply for a certificate including:

• Your proof of identity
• A certified copy of the power of attorney, or guardianship or administration order specifying the scope of the order's power
• The relevant fee.

The Power of Attorney must be one of the following:

• Enduring power of attorney
• Enduring power of attorney (financial)
• Enduring power of guardianship.

Apply for a certificate including:

• Your proof of identity
• A signed statement from a registered medical practitioner stating that:
  • You represent the registered person, who is unable to care for themselves
  • To the best of their knowledge, no administration or guardianship order is in place
• The relevant fee.

The statement must include the medical practitioner's registration number.

Apply for a certificate including:

• Your proof of identity
• Permission from your client in the form of either:

  • A letter from your client specifying the information that you can access and your client's proof of identity

    OR

  • A third party authority form and your client's proof of identity
• The relevant fee.

The legal practitioner's client must be either:

• The registered person

  OR

• A person who has authority to apply on behalf of the registered person (e.g. parent of a registered person under 18, power of attorney).

The Power of Attorney must be one of the following:

• Enduring power of attorney
• Enduring power of attorney (financial)
• Enduring power of guardianship.

Legal birth certificate

Letter of verification

A certificate that cannot be used as proof of identity

The requirements for the legal practitioners (above)

A written statement on letterhead from the legal practitioner authorising you to apply on their behalf.

Legal birth certificate

Letter of verification

A certificate that cannot be used as proof of identity

Legal birth certificate

Letter of verification

A certificate that cannot be used as proof of identity

Go to Apply for registry data

For more information, contact BDM using contact us form and include 'data request' in your message.

A written request using the online data request form setting out:

• The information you need
• The reasons for the request (e.g. explaining the administrative or research purpose for which you need information)
• That you have the delegated authority to apply
• Human Research Ethics Committee approval (if applicable for research).

Pay the relevant fee.

Note: There may be additional requirements, depending on the nature of the request. BDM will advise you if this is the case.

Any Australian government or statutory body requiring access. For example:

• Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (Victoria)
• Centrelink
• Department of Home Affairs
• Department of Veterans' Affairs
• Hospitals
• etc.

Apply for a certificate including:

• A written request on letterhead signed by an authorised delegate setting out:
  • The information you need
  • The statutory authority to obtain the information

If there is no statutory authority, provide permission (known as third party authority) and proof of identity from the registered person

• Certified proof of the authorised delegate's identity (staff identification card is sufficient)
• The relevant fee.

Legal birth certificate

A letter of verification

A certificate that cannot be used as proof of identity

Apply for a certificate including:

• A written request on letterhead signed by an authorised delegate setting out:

  • The statutory authority to obtain the information

    If there is no statutory authority, provide permission (known as third party authority) and proof of identity from the entitled person

  • The purpose for which the LEA seeks access
• The relevant fee.

Note: If a legal certificate from BDM is required, in addition to the requirements above, the application must:

• State that the purpose for which the LEA seeks access is for court proceedings
• Include a subpoena.

A letter of verification

Legal birth certificate

Information only certificate 

Apply for a certificate including:

• A written request on letterhead setting out:
  • the information you need
  • any statutory authority to obtain the information (including a copy of that statutory authority)

• The registered person's permission (known as third party authority) and their proof of identity

  If the registered person is under 18, their parent's:

  • Permission (known as third party authority)
  • Proof of identity

  If you cannot provide permission from the registered person or their parents, provide a written statement setting out:

  • Why you cannot obtain their permission
  • The reason for seeking access to information
• The relevant fee.

Any documents not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. Learn more about the requirements for translated documents.

Uncertified historical image of certificate

Historical certificate