You must, by law, register the birth of your child within 42 days of the birth. The registration takes place in the district in which the child was born.

If you live elsewhere and it is more convenient for you, you may give information for the birth registration at your local Register Office. This is known as a ‘declaration’. In this case you will sign a document, rather than the register, and your certificates will be sent to you through the post once the registration has taken place. Any fees for certificates will need to be made by cheque or postal order.

Who can register the birth?

The baby’s mother can register the birth. The father can only do so if he was married to baby’s mother at the time of the birth. If the baby’s father and mother were not married to each other at the time of the birth and you wish to include the father’s details, you will both need to attend together. If there is a reason why the baby’s father can’t attend with mother and you wish his details to be included, please contact us for further advice. It may be possible to include father’s details at a later date.

How long will it take?

An appointment of 30 minutes is allowed for the registration. Please try to arrive on time as the registrar will have other appointments to keep.

After registration:

You will be given a form to take to your doctor’s practice, along with a free short birth certificate. You may purchase a full certificate, which includes parents’ names. The Registrar will advise you of the current fee. A full certificate is required for a passport. There is no charge for the actual registration.