Records guide
Nova Scotia Birth Registrations from the Archives (1864 to 1877 and 1908 to 1923)
Nova Scotia’s civil birth registration was not continuous. Registrations for 1864 to 1877 and for 1908 to 1923 are held by the Nova Scotia Archives, which issues certified copies and offers free register images online.
This guide does not cover births from 1878 to 1907 or before 1864. Civil birth registration did not cover those years, so the record usually has to come from a church or a delayed registration instead.
This is the Canadian-side record for one ancestor. Citizenship by descent needs a record for every generation in your line, from you back to that ancestor.
The short answer
- Who has it
- Nova Scotia Archives
- What to ask for
- Certified copy of the birth registration
- What it costs
- About CA$22 for a certified paper copy (fee schedule dates from 2015, likely higher now).
- How long
- Not stated.
How to order it
Free register images are online. Order the certified copy from the Archives.
What IRCC wants for every document
- IRCC asks for authentic, verifiable documents for every generation, from you back to the Canadian-born ancestor. Repeat this lookup for each link in the chain.
- If an official birth certificate does not exist, IRCC may accept a baptismal, hospital, census or boat-manifest record, with a written explanation of why the certificate is unavailable.
- Records not in English or French need a translation with the translator’s sworn statement.
- Family-tree website printouts are not accepted as proof.
Want help ordering it?
For $149 USD, we fill in the request forms for you and go over them on a 30-minute call, so you order the right version the first time.
More records guides
- Nova Scotia Long-Form Birth Certificate, 1924 and Later, for Citizenship by Descent
- Québec Baptism Record for Canadian Citizenship by Descent (BAnQ)
- Québec Birth Record for Canadian Citizenship by Descent (Births in the Last 100 Years)
- Ontario Birth Registration, 1869 to 1919, for Citizenship by Descent (Archives of Ontario)
- Ontario Birth Certificate, 1920 and Later, for Citizenship by Descent (ServiceOntario)
- New Brunswick Birth Certificate, 1888 and Later, for Citizenship by Descent
- Newfoundland and Labrador Birth Certificate, 1949 and Later, for Citizenship by Descent
- Newfoundland Birth Records Before Confederation (1891 to 1948) and Citizenship by Descent
Fees and times are approximate, checked against official pages on 2026-10-01. Confirm with each office before ordering. This is a records research service, not legal advice.