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Guidance

Family circumstance, civil status and residency letters

Letters explaining that British embassies and consulates do not issue certificates of civil or family status or residency. Sometimes called information notes.

Updates to this page

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published:
20 August 2024
Last updated:
17 April 2026
Show all updates

  1. Italy information note on civil status updated.

  2. Added a letter for Montenegro.

  3. Added Informative Note for Belgium

  4. A letter for use in Israel has been added.

  5. All countries and territories letter removed.

  6. All countries and territories letter added.

  7. First published.

British embassies and consulates cannot issue certificates to confirm civil status, residency or family circumstances. This is because the UK does not have central registers that hold this information.

If you’re asked by authorities abroad to provide proof of this, download the relevant letter for free.

Stamped and signed versions of these letters cost £50 but are only available in some countries. Ask the British embassy, high commission or consulate if you can get a stamped and signed version.

Albania: family circumstance certificate unavailable

PDF, 89.9 KB, 2 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Azerbaijan: family certificate and civil status unavailable

PDF, 15.7 KB, 1 page

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Belarus: family certificate and civil status unavailable

MS Word Document, 201 KB

Belgium: civil status unavailable

PDF, 145 KB, 1 page

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Bulgaria: family circumstance certificate unavailable

PDF, 619 KB, 2 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Croatia: family certificate and civil status unavailable

PDF, 72.3 KB, 1 page

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Greece: family certificate and civil status unavailable

PDF, 207 KB, 1 page

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Israel: certificate of civil status and residency unavailable

PDF, 159 KB, 1 page

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Italy: civil status certificate unavailable

PDF, 239 KB, 2 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

North Macedonia: civil status certificate unavailable

PDF, 156 KB, 2 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Montenegro: civil status certificate unavailable

PDF, 284 KB, 1 page

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Russia: civil status certificate unavailable

PDF, 534 KB, 4 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Switzerland: family certificate and civil status unavailable

PDF, 124 KB, 1 page

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Turkey: family circumstance certificate unavailable

ODT, 60.1 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

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