The official guide explains using the General Register Office for family history in England and Wales. Identify an index entry, compare known details and check the ordering options available for that record.
Visit the official resource ↗Coverage and access
- Resource type
- Registers and indexes
- Filter by territory
- United Kingdom
- External link review
- — Official page consulted
Collections to search
Records registered in England and Wales from July 1837. The official page consulted on 9 October 2026 lists online birth indexes for 1837–1934 and death indexes for 1837–1957; these index ranges do not define all records held by GRO.
A workflow for this portal
Compare candidates against place, period and known relatives before ordering. Retain the complete index reference and check missing details in the certificate. Use the Scottish service for a Scottish event.
Access and copies
Index, image and certificate are separate services. Check coverage, any account requirement and copying costs on the official page.
Institutional reference page
General Register Office ↗The review covers the guidance page, not every image or ordering service.
Sources & references
- General Register Office ↗ (Resource review date : )