Birth Certificate - Vault Copy

A vault copy is an actual transcript from the birth registry and an unabridged birth certificate is just a printout of the details of your birth and your parents details.

For your UK passport you have to have a vault copy, they will not accept an unabridged Birth certificate. So you will have to ask for a vault copy of the birth certificate from Home affairs which can take up to 6 months (according to their normal time frame)

Good luck on getting your South African Vault copy from Home affairs. I waited for mine for 4 years and still did not receive it. I eventually gave up on it and pleaded with UK home affairs and eventually they let me submit an unabridged birth certificate as long as I had an original abridged birth certificate that was stamped in the same year as I was born (which luckily I did have)
 
i needed a vault copy for my UK passport application. Unabridged wasn't good enough, had to be from when i was born. I applied for the vault copy 6 months ago and i'm still waiting for it to be issued. Unabridged birth certificate took less than a month.
 
Depends very much where you apply. My GW 's vault certificate took about 4 weeks at George Home Affairs. Could have been quicker but they forgot to tell her it had arrived and when she phoned them to find out about it they told her it had been there for a while waiting for her to collect it. Her sister lives in Citrusdal and hers took only 2 weeks!
 
Thanks for all the feedback guys.

Has anyone used the website to get their passport based on a parent being born in the UK and yourself being born in SA? What's the success rate?
 
issnid said:
Thanks for all the feedback guys.

Has anyone used the website to get their passport based on a parent being born in the UK and yourself being born in SA? What's the success rate?
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If your father is UK born and your parents were married before you were born then I think it is pretty safe to say you should get a passport no problem. If your mom is UK born or they were not married then it is way more complicated and is based on what year you were born as laws changed a lot in the 80's and 2000's.
 
Managed to get my vault copy without to much issues, now I am waiting for my marriage certificate. . . its been 3 months and still nothing, we even employed the services of someone who can speed up the process.
 
Malkie said:
Depends very much where you apply. My GW 's vault certificate took about 4 weeks at George Home Affairs. Could have been quicker but they forgot to tell her it had arrived and when she phoned them to find out about it they told her it had been there for a while waiting for her to collect it. Her sister lives in Citrusdal and hers took only 2 weeks!
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Geez dude your (not sure what a GW is :D) is very lucky, most people that I have spoken to that have tried to get a vault copy of their birth certificate has had nothing but issues. Personally I think that a lot of original birth certificate documents have been lost or burnt or something. For me it was so bad that the Home affairs wanted me to even re-register my own birthday again :erm:, in order for me to get another vault copy.

issnid said:
Thanks for all the feedback guys.

Has anyone used the website to get their passport based on a parent being born in the UK and yourself being born in SA? What's the success rate?
Click to expand...

Yes I used the website and at first it seems daunting but it actually works very well. both my folks were born in the UK, so it was easy enough for me (besides the vault copy birth certificate thing). you will just fill in the form on line and then will need to print it all out and sign it. you will then need to just get someone you know of good standing (police officer, priest etc) to sign your documents to claim what you put in is true, pay your money and then will have to post (or courier which I did) all your original documents to Her Majesty's home affairs in the UK.

Good luck!!
 
My father has waited over a year for his Vault copy, and is still waiting. He applied in Paarl.
 
Just a word of warning if you are waiting for your vault copy bc - Don't accept the "We can't find it" excuse. . .they told me they couldn't find it and it was lost. I then applied through one of these companies and I got it.
 
Gambit said:
If your father is UK born and your parents were married before you were born then I think it is pretty safe to say you should get a passport no problem. If your mom is UK born or they were not married then it is way more complicated and is based on what year you were born as laws changed a lot in the 80's and 2000's.
Click to expand...

Correct on the father born in UK part. My mom applied for all of ours after my fathers passing. She waited 4 months for her unabridged birth certificate because she was adopted. Once she had that, she applied through an agency and a month later we have our passports.
 
I realise this thread is a couple years old, but i'm just wondering if anyone here knows of someone I can hire to expedite the process of acquiring a vault copy of my birth certificate? I applied over 3 years ago and have not received the document
 
BradleyKZN said:
Correct on the father born in UK part. My mom applied for all of ours after my fathers passing. She waited 4 months for her unabridged birth certificate because she was adopted. Once she had that, she applied through an agency and a month later we have our passports.
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hi, I am adopted, I am also trying to obtain my vault copy of my birth certificate. I have been told that Home Affairs does not provide the vault copy to you if you are adopted. Is this correct? I was informed of this via an agency that expedites the process with home affairs to get the vault copy.
I spoke to 2 different people at home affairs, one told me this is correct and the other said its not correct. I applied for the vault copy over 3 months ago. Has anyone had recent experience with obtaining a vault copy, if adopted?
 
Kbam7 said:
I realise this thread is a couple years old, but i'm just wondering if anyone here knows of someone I can hire to expedite the process of acquiring a vault copy of my birth certificate? I applied over 3 years ago and have not received the document
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call the head office in Pretoria and raise a ticket, make sure you get a reference number

realised he asked this a year ago -hope he's sorted now
 
Grimspoon said:
Just a word of warning if you are waiting for your vault copy bc - Don't accept the "We can't find it" excuse. . .they told me they couldn't find it and it was lost. I then applied through one of these companies and I got it.
Click to expand...
Good day. Any recollection which agent/company you used? I've been waiting 10 months and I am done waiting so I want to apply through an agency now. Thank you.
 
cat360 said:
hi, I am adopted, I am also trying to obtain my vault copy of my birth certificate. I have been told that Home Affairs does not provide the vault copy to you if you are adopted. Is this correct? I was informed of this via an agency that expedites the process with home affairs to get the vault copy.
I spoke to 2 different people at home affairs, one told me this is correct and the other said its not correct. I applied for the vault copy over 3 months ago. Has anyone had recent experience with obtaining a vault copy, if adopted?
Click to expand...
I am also adopted, they did not tell me it would be a problem. Will let you know if I find out more.
 
cat360 said:
hi, I am adopted, I am also trying to obtain my vault copy of my birth certificate. I have been told that Home Affairs does not provide the vault copy to you if you are adopted. Is this correct? I was informed of this via an agency that expedites the process with home affairs to get the vault copy.
I spoke to 2 different people at home affairs, one told me this is correct and the other said its not correct. I applied for the vault copy over 3 months ago. Has anyone had recent experience with obtaining a vault copy, if adopted?
Click to expand...
did you get your documents?
 
Nicci12@ said:
Have you both got your documents?
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Hi, I received my documents - but via an agent that expedited the retrieval. Home affairs refused. I would need a court order for home affairs for give it to me. Let me know if you need further info
 
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