There is no charge to register a birth. However, birth certificates can be purchased for £12.50 by debit or credit card.
You will need to bring the following information to the appointment.
Information about the child:
- date and place of birth - for multiple births, you'll also need to provide the time each child was born
- sex of the child
- accurate spellings of the first name(s) and surname of the child
Information about the mother:
- accurate spellings of their name, maiden name and any previous names they have ever been known by
- date and place of birth
- occupation at the time of the child's birth or, if unemployed at that time, you’ll need to provide last job title
- full address
- date of marriage or civil partnership, if married or in a civil partnership with the child's father
number of previous children born to this mother
Information about the father or second female parent (this all needs to be correct at the time / date of birth):
- accurate spellings of their name, maiden name and any previous names they have ever been known by
- date and place of birth
- occupation, if unemployed, you’ll need to provide your last job title
- full address
Please bring the following documents to the appointment:
- the required proof of identity for each parent who needs to provide it (see the identity requirements below)
- your marriage or civil partnership certificate, if applicable
- proof of your address
- your baby’s red book
You do not need to bring your baby to the appointment.
Identity Requirements
You must provide proof of your identity when registering or re-registering a birth. This is a legal requirement.
- If you are married or in a civil partnership: only one parent needs to provide proof of identity.
- If you are not married or in a civil partnership: both parents must provide proof of identity.
Proof of Identity documents list
You will need to bring either:
Where possible, please bring original documents as photocopies cannot be accepted. Your documents must be current, although passports that expired within the last 18 months can be accepted.
If you are using digital documents, please ensure they are available on your device before arriving as Wi-Fi and mobile signal cannot be guaranteed at our registration offices.
If you do not bring the required documents, we will not be able to complete the registration and you will need to make a new appointment.
The appointment
The appointment will last up to 30 minutes. You should arrive 10 minutes before your appointment. If you are more than 10 minutes late, we may need to rearrange your appointment and we cannot guarantee it will be on the same day.
At the appointment, you will be required to proof-read the documentation and it is important you ensure its accuracy.
You will not need to sign the register. Instead, you will be asked to make a verbal declaration confirming that the information you have provided is true to the best of your knowledge and belief.
If an error is discovered after registration, a statutory fee of £99 may apply to correct the record.
Please contact us for advice before requesting a correction.
If you need to add a parent’s details to a birth record or update the record following a marriage or civil partnership, you will need to complete a re-registration form.
Once completed, send the form to the register office where you would like your appointment to take place.
The incorrect spelling of your child’s name will always be shown on the certificate, the correction will be added to the bottom.
