Are there two types of UK birth certificate?

[bitty_matriarch]

Hope this is the right board.  Just read this story on the Telegraph website:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/holiday-horror-story-south-africas-red-tape-cost-us-8000-dream/

This family were refused boarding at Heathrow for a flight to South Africa - read on:

"Well intentioned child trafficking rules were introduced in the country in 2015. The government now demands that travellers carry birth certificates for children who travel with them.

We took birth certificates for our two children, Sam, 13, and Kate, nine. But at the check-in desk, our holiday excitement turned to shock when the supervisor told us: “You’re not getting on that flight unless you have the right birth certificates.” It was hard to take in. Our certificates had “birth certificate” stamped across the top. How could they not be right?

As we now know, there are two types of certificate. You are issued with a free certificate at birth, but this is almost worthless. The legal document that carries the details of the parents normally requires an additional application and fee, depending on the council. This is called a “certified copy of an entry”.

Surely when the birth is registered, the copy given to the parents is the legal copy?

[PaulineJ]

There is the short form certificate, and the full certificate (which was about a fiver when my kids were born 20 years ago), and is the type needed to get a passport.

[ev]

https://www.gov.uk/register-birth/birth-certificates



ev

[KGarrad]

The short certificate has been around for a while!
My mother had one (in my possession now), and she was born in 1931

[BattyB]

I have only got the short one and also those of my parents.  However I have two - one dated 29th Jan and one dated 30th Jan.  My mum said she really, really remembered it was 29th so maybe my dad was in a state when he registered me twice!  I can't remember ever having the longer version.

[Sinann]

Ireland got rid of the short birth cert in 2003, adds a bit of novelty value to the couple of short ones I've found around the house.

[LizzieW]

The short certificate has been around for a while!
My mother had one (in my possession now), and she was born in 1931

My dad had one which is in my possession and he was born in 1912 - so yes they have been around for a while!

[ThrelfallYorky]

We've both only got the full ones .... not seen the shorter ones. Why did they do them, one wonders?

[stanmapstone]

Section 30 of the 1874 Act stated that a registrar shall, upon demand made at the time of registering any birth by the person giving the information concerning the birth, and upon payment of a fee not exceeding three pence, give to such person a certificate under his hand, in the prescribed form, of having registered that birth. I assume that this was the Short Birth Certificate, as the Ordinary Certificate was 2s. 6d. as required by the 1836 Act.
You can see an example of a short certificate at http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=634529.msg4820875#msg4820875
A new short form of birth certificate was introduced on 15th December 1947, costing 6d. It showed only the name and surname, sex, date of birth and (where possible) place of birth. There were no particulars of parentage or adoption. There had been a mistaken idea that the short certificate carried with it the stigma of illegitimacy, but that had almost entirely disappeared, and it was now in extensive use. The Times reported in September 1955 that the National Council for the Unmarried Mother and her child had been able to help a number of illegitimate people of pensionable age, who had been reluctant to produce a birth certificate, by making them aware of the new short certificate. In 1955 almost as many short as full certificates were being issued, every year, by Somerset House and local registrars.

Stan