A record archive at Kew
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Order documents in
advance of your visit
You can order up to three documents in advance of your visit, if you place your order by 17:00 the working day before. You can order by phone or by using the form. If you already have a Reader's Ticket, telephone us during document ordering times to receive your documents on the same day.
If you are new to The National Archives you will have to register at reception to get a Reader's Ticket. You can save time when you arrive by pre-registering your details either by telephone or via our online reader registration form. If you do pre-register you will still be asked to show proof of identity at reception.
Online orders
You can request advanced orders of up to three documents
by using our 
. Orders need to be placed before 17:00 on the working day before your visit if documents are stored at Kew, and before 11:00 three normal working days before your visit if they are stored off-site (see below).
If you intend to order a large number of documents from the same department and series (for instance, all documents from FO 371) you can pre-order using the 
.
Please allow at least two working days notice for a bulk order. You will not be able to keep a bulk order for more than two days and can only make one such order at a time.
Please note - this service is only available to readers with a current Reader's Ticket and the service is subject to availability. There is no bulk order service for Saturdays.
Telephone orders
Alternatively, you can call us on + 44 (0) 20 8392 5200 and order
documents. Please have the following information ready:
-
Your name
-
Your Reader's Ticket number (if you have one)
-
The proposed date of your visit
- A maximum of three preferred document references
- A maximum of three alternative document references (should your preferred choices not be available) (optional)
- Your daytime telephone number
Whether you use telephone or the online forms, we cannot guarantee that everything you order will be available. You may wish to give us three alternative references just in case.
Documents stored off-site
Some documents are kept at a separate storage facility in Cheshire www.deepstore.com
. You can check this in the Catalogue. If the documents you are ordering are not stored at The National Archives please let us know. Delivery targets of an average of 35 minutes operate for material stored at Kew, while requests for off-site documents are made available within three working days if ordered before 11:00.
Order them online or by telephone - see above.
Handling documents
There are many different types of document, from parchment scrolls to books and paper files. When you order it may not be clear what type of document to expect, so have a look at our section for advice on how to handle documents and to see some examples.