Adoption and applying for a birth certificate

On this page

• Integrated, original and post-adoption birth certificates
• Integrated birth certificates
• Original birth certificate
• Applying for an original birth certificate
• Post-adoption birth certificate
• Frequently asked questions
• Members of the Stolen Generations

Integrated, original and post-adoption birth certificates

When a person is adopted, their original birth registration is cancelled. It is then replaced by a new birth registration with the details of the adoptive parents.

There are three types of birth certificates for someone who was adopted in Victoria:

• The integrated birth certificate, which contains information on the child’s natural and adoptive parents. This is a legal birth certificate.
• The original birth certificate, which contains information on the child’s natural parents. This is not a current legal birth certificate.
• The post-adoption birth certificate, which contains information on the child’s adoptive parents. This is a legal birth certificate.

Integrated birth certificates

An integrated birth certificate is an alternative legal birth certificate. You can use it for the same purposes as a standard legal birth certificate.

An integrated birth certificate is a certificate that includes information about:

• An adopted person’s parents at birth (where records are available), and
• Their adoptive parents.

You can apply for an integrated birth certificate on the Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria website.

Original birth certificate

The original birth certificate can only be accessed by either:

• the adopted person, or
• a natural parent listed on the birth certificate.

The certificate will be marked to indicate that it is not a current legal birth certificate. It can’t be used to establish a person’s legal identity.

Applying for an original birth certificate

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• I was adopted by a relative or stepparent

If you are over 18 years of age and were adopted by a relative or stepparent, you can apply directly to BDM for your original birth certificate.

Learn more about getting an adopted person’s original birth certificate from BDM

• I was adopted as an adult

If you were adopted as an adult, you can apply directly to BDM for your original birth certificate.

Learn more about getting an adopted person’s original birth certificate from BDM

• I was adopted as a child by someone other than a relative or stepparent

If you are over 18 years of age, and were adopted as a child by someone other than a relative or stepparent, you can only apply for your original birth certificate through Adoption Services Victoria.

Download the application form below:

Adoption Information Service - Application form for adoption information Word 99.1 KB (opens in a new window)

• My child was adopted

If you are the parent of a child who was adopted, and you are named on their original birth certificate, you can apply directly to BDM Victoria for that original birth certificate.

Learn more about getting an adopted person’s original birth certificate from BDM

Post-adoption birth certificate

Adoptees born in Victoria

The post adoption birth certificate is also known as the legal birth certificate. It is applied for in the same way as a birth certificate for a person who was not adopted.

Learn more about getting a legal birth certificate from Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM).

Adoptees born overseas

If you are seeking to have an adoption registered with Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) for the purposes of obtaining a Victorian Birth Certificate, please download the form below and return it to adoptionsvic@justice.vic.gov.au.

If you were born overseas and adopted in Victoria, you can obtain a Victorian Birth Certificate by having your adoption registered with Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM).

To have your adoption registered with BDM, download, complete and return the below form to adoptionsvic@justice.vic.gov.au.

Registration of Overseas Adoption for Victorian Birth Certificate Form PDF 326.78 KB (opens in a new window)

Frequently asked questions

An adoption of a child finalised in a Hague Convention/Bilateral Arrangement country can now be registered by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria. Once this has happened a birth certificate can be issued in relation to the child, upon the application of the adoptive parent(s).

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• Who can apply for a birth certificate?

A parent of an adopted child or an adult adopted person who is aged 18 years or over can apply for a birth certificate.

• Will the birth certificate be issued automatically?

No. Every parent or individual who wants a birth certificate must apply to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages for a birth certificate to be issued. The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages charges a standard fee for this service.

• Will Hague Convention/Bilateral Arrangement country adoptions finalised before 1 July 2013 be registered?

Yes, but only upon request in writing to the State Central Authority, Adoption Victoria, Department of Justice and Community Safety by the adoptive parent(s) or by the child if the child is 18 years or over.

• What process will be undertaken for the registration?

For all new adoptions from 1 July 2013, Adoption Victoria will send a Memorandum of Adoption to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages containing the details of the child set out in Form 17 of Schedule 1, Regulation 30(2), Adoption Regulations 2019.

For eligible adoptions finalised before 1 July 2013, adoptive parents and adult adopted persons over the age of 18 years must complete a written application form available at the end of this Frequently Asked Questions document.

Upon receipt of the application attached with proof of identity, Adoption Victoria will make arrangements to recall your file, verify the details, and send a memorandum to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Adoption Victoria will also provide applicants with a copy of the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Birth Certificate Application Form together with advice on how to obtain a birth certificate

• Will expatriate adoptions where the adoption was finalised overseas without involvement by the State Central Authority be registered in the same way?

No, as the adoption was arranged overseas by the adoptive parents directly with the overseas country and without the State Central Authority’s involvement.

Expatriate adoption refers to a child who has been privately adopted outside Australia by an Australian citizen who is resident outside of Australia. The adoption arrangements are made without the involvement of the State Central Authority.

• Further information

Contact the State Central Authority

Adoption Victoria

Department of Justice and Community Safety

Email: adoptionsvic@justice.vic.gov.au

Members of the Stolen Generations

If you are seeking a birth certificate and you are a member of the Stolen Generations, the BDM Marguk-bulok koolin-ik Team (Aboriginal Outreach) can provide support.

Contact the Marguk-bulok koolin-ik Team at bdm.koori@justice.vic.gov.au

Updated 22 January 2026

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