Fees and processing times

Processing times are for applications that have all the required information including correct proof of identification documents and paid application fee. We cannot process your application until it’s been verified as being complete.

How you apply for a certificate will affect the time it takes to process your application. The quickest way to apply is online. 

The forms for your chosen certificate or application can be found on the relevant page, which are listed below under related information.

There are three ways you can apply:

• online - this is the quickest way
• paper application posted directly to the Registry
• via Service NSW service centres

Certificates are delivered by registered post or international registered post. Our processing times do not include Australia Post delivery times. Please see Australia Post website for current delivery times within Australia or International.

Priority services are only available on some application types. If there is no priority service fee listed, it means that the application type is complex, and the registration or certificate isn’t eligible.

A priority service may also include an option to collect the certificate directly from the Registry.   

Fees listed on this page are current as of 1 July 2025. 

Some certificates will incur an $11 postage and handling fee. 

If your application requires international postage, you will be charged an additional $20 fee. 

If you receive an email from the Registry requesting payment, it will include a link to our secure payment portal. The URL will be 'https://forms.bdm.nsw.gov.au/payment-request'.

This is not spam. The portal will display your unique transaction number and an itemised summary of the amount owed.

After payment, you will see a confirmation message and receive a confirmation email. Registry staff are notified automatically once you have paid, so no further action is needed after payment.

The fee to send a certificate to any passport office, Australian embassy or consulate is $49. 

You must contact the passport office, Australian embassy or consulate before this is sent. If this has not been done, the Registry will email the certificate, but cannot guarantee this will be accepted.  

You will need to provide the email address of the passport office, Australian embassy or consulate to the Registry. A list of Australian embassies and consulates located overseas can be found on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website. 

Certificates cannot be emailed to international diplomatic offices.

Fee waivers may be available for certificates in cases where the person applying is experiencing financial hardship in at least one of the following ways: 

• experiencing domestic violence or family violence
• experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless
• under 18 years of age, living in poverty or experiencing significant disadvantage
• suffering from a long-term chronic debilitating illness
• in personal disasters such as a house fire that has destroyed personal property
• victims of a natural disaster
• a person who is incarcerated or being released from a correctional facility.

Our fee waiver policy extends to members of the Stolen Generations and outlines some of the other ways we can help vulnerable people.

How to apply:

You can apply for a fee waiver by completing a paper application for the product (e.g. a birth certificate) and attaching a letter from a support service.  

You can submit these at either a Service NSW Service Centre, or post your letter and application to: 

NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages
GPO Box 30
Sydney NSW 2001 

Decisions for applications which do not include a letter from a support service will be made on a case-by-case basis by the Registry or the Service Centre manager.

Please note: generally a limit of one free certificate is granted per year per customer. If a request is declined, you will be provided with the reason for the decision.