Archival records are not kept on open shelves for browsing like in a library. They are held in special repositories in conditions that are best for their long-term preservation. This means that to view the original records, you will need to submit a request for issue.

All National Archives records need to be access examined before they can be viewed by the public. Many of our most popular records are already 'open', but others are not. You can see if a record is 'open' or 'open with exception' in RecordSearch. If you want to see a record that is not open, go to Step 9: Access examination.

If the record you want to see is open, you can request to see it in a reading room by:

• completing our online advance request to view records form
• submitting a 'Request for issue' from RecordSearch – see an example of how to do this
• contacting us by phone or email with the record's full reference details – you will also need to tell us your name, reader's ticket number (if you have one), date of your visit and your daytime telephone number

Many of our records are held offsite – that is, in different buildings from our reading rooms – so it is best to order records in advance of when you plan to visit. If you are travelling from interstate or overseas, or are planning to undertake extensive research, please contact us at least two weeks in advance. This gives us the time to make sure that the records you want to see will be available.

Original records can only be viewed in the reading room of the office where the record is held. We cannot transfer records between offices.