---
title: "Malta birth certificate: choose a full copy or extract and order online"
description: "Choose the Maltese birth certificate format your recipient needs, prepare the registry details and track an order through the official certificates portal."
canonical: "https://dokus.app/en-mt/malta-birth-certificate-full-or-extract/"
lang: "en-MT"
category: "Official documents"
reviewed: "2026-10-21"
app_store: "https://apps.apple.com/mt/app/dokus-private-id-wallet/id6781915709"
translations:
  en-MT: "https://dokus.app/en-mt/malta-birth-certificate-full-or-extract/"
---

# Malta birth certificate: choose a full copy or extract and order online

Order a Maltese birth certificate through Identità's official certificates portal, choosing the format required by the receiving organisation. A full certificate and an extract contain different amounts of information, so check the requirement before paying.

Ask the organisation requesting your birth certificate which version it needs. A full copy is not simply a larger scan, and a personal PDF of an old certificate is not a new copy issued by the Public Registry.

## Choose the format before ordering

The [official certificate-types page](https://certifikati.identita.gov.mt/en/Certificate/Types) explains the difference:

| Format | What it contains | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Extract | The main details of the registered act | Whether these details meet the recipient's requirement |
| Full certificate | All details of the act | Whether the recipient specifically asks for the full version |
| Personal scan | An image or PDF of a copy you hold | Whether a reference copy is sufficient for this task |

Check the current fee for your chosen format on the official page and review the order's final amount, including delivery or additional services, before paying. Some records have restrictions on which formats the Registry issues.

Keep a reference copy of your Maltese birth certificate and its order details together in Dokus on your iPhone. 4.8 out of 5 stars [Free on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/mt/app/dokus-private-id-wallet/id6781915709)

## Gather the particulars from reliable records

Open the [official birth certificate order form](https://certifikati.identita.gov.mt/en/BirthCertificate/Create). It requests the holder's details, birth information and parent particulars, including surnames at birth. It also provides fields for ID card numbers. Prepare the information before beginning so that you do not have to reconstruct a family record while checking out.

Read names carefully from the records you hold. Keep married surnames and surnames at birth separate, and distinguish the birth location from a current address. If you are ordering several family certificates, make a small list of each holder and the format requested by the recipient.

The form offers an option to indicate uncertainty about the birth date. If important particulars are missing, use [Identità's civil-status FAQ](https://identita.gov.mt/frequently-asked-questions/public-registry/civil-status/) for guidance rather than filling gaps with guesses. Keep your working notes separate from the certificate you eventually receive.

## Confirm the order and delivery

Check the number of copies, format and delivery address before payment. The form currently directs applicants to contact the Public Registry in Malta or Gozo for further information about full certificates. Follow that instruction if it applies to your order rather than assuming every format can be completed in the same way.

The FAQ says an automated email provides your order reference. Save it with the payment record. Check spam or junk if it does not arrive, then contact the Registry using the details on the official page. Avoid ordering again merely because you cannot immediately find the email.

Keep the order reference somewhere you can search without opening the certificate itself. Record the delivery option you chose. A receipt proves an order was made; it does not show that the certificate has been delivered or that the receiving organisation has accepted it.

## If the certificate is for use abroad

The order form asks about apostille or legalisation and multilingual standard forms for presentation to a public authority in another EU member state. Confirm the destination authority's instructions before selecting an extra service.

Write down the exact document name, format and any translation requirement supplied by that authority. This guide does not determine whether your individual application needs authentication or translation. An ordinary scan, a translated scan and a registry-issued certificate are separate things; changing a file's format does not settle those requirements.

## Check and store what arrives


- The holder and parent particulars are correct.
- The certificate format matches the requirement you checked.
- Every ordered page is present and readable.
- The order reference and delivery record are saved separately.
- Any requested accompanying documents are present.
- The original certificate is kept safely after making a reference copy.

If you scan the certificate into Dokus, capture the whole document and check small text at a readable size. Preserve any issuer-provided digital file, signature or verification code unchanged. Keep a separate duplicate if a recipient asks for an edited reference copy. Dokus organises copies on your iPhone; it does not issue or certify a Maltese birth certificate.

For a separate identity attachment, the [Malta document tools](/en-mt/tools/) prepare Maltese ID or eResidence reference copies. Keep the issued original unchanged; these tools do not issue or certify replacement documents.

## Malta birth certificate questions

### Is a full certificate the same as an extract?

No. An extract contains the main details of the act, while the full certificate includes all details. Ask the receiving organisation which format it requires.

### Does the order confirmation count as the certificate?

No. The confirmation and reference help you trace the order. Keep them separate from the certificate issued by the Registry.

### Can I send a scan instead of the original?

Ask the recipient. A personal scan can be useful for reference, but does not replace a registry-issued copy or other evidence specifically required for an application.

## Sources

Reviewed on 21 October 2026

- [Certificate Types (Identità)](https://certifikati.identita.gov.mt/en/Certificate/Types)
- [Apply for a Birth Certificate (Identità)](https://certifikati.identita.gov.mt/en/BirthCertificate/Create)
- [Public Registry Civil Status: frequently asked questions (Identità)](https://identita.gov.mt/frequently-asked-questions/public-registry/civil-status/)