Registering and naming your baby

Coronavirus (COVID-19): registering a birth

In line with government guidelines to make sure of public safety during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there are changes to the registration service.

After a period of closure, registration offices have now reopened to the public on an appointment only basis for birth registration services.

There will be no penalty for non-registration of births during this emergency period, however you can contact your local registration office for an appointment to register any outstanding births.

For more information on how to register a birth, check your local council website. 

You can also get contact details of your local registration office at this link:

• District registrars in Northern Ireland

Register with a GP practice

You are still able to register your baby as a patient with your GP practice, without a birth certificate, by providing the following information:

• your child’s Health and Care Number
• the full name that your child will be registered as
• the full home address where your child will live

You will also be able to apply for any benefits you may be entitled to without a birth certificate.

To do this, you must present the fully completed CHS1 form (which you will have been given by your midwife at the time of the birth) along with your completed benefit form.  If you do not have a copy of the CHS1 form, you should contact your midwife to get a copy.

Introduction of Life Event Certificates in Irish and Bi-lingual English and Irish

The Marriage, Civil Partnership and Civil Registration (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022 came into operation on Friday 11 March and enables certificates for new registrations to be produced with headings in Irish or bi-lingual English and Irish.  When completing the registration form you will be given the option to select your certificates in English, Irish or bi-lingual English and Irish. 

All certificates produced from the registration will be in the language format selected and cannot be changed.  The legislation applies to registrations going forward and will not apply retrospectively to life events already registered which will continue to be available in English only.

Registering a birth

The birth of a baby can be registered by:

• the  mother or father (if married to each other or in an opposite sex civil partnership with each other)
• the mother or second female parent (if in a civil partnership with each other at time of donor insemination or fertility treatment)
• the father and mother (if unmarried)

In the case of a child born to an unmarried couple or a couple not in an opposite sex civil partnership, the name of the father may only be recorded in the entry if both parents are there to sign the register together or a declaration of paternity is produced.

• the mother and second female parent (if not in a civil partnership)

Where the female couple are not in a civil partnership, the name of the second female parent may only be recorded if the couple were treated together in the UK by a licensed clinic and have both gave written consent to the second female parent being included as the legal parent. 

In this case both parents must be there to sign the registration together.

• grandmother
• grandfather
• uncle or aunt who has knowledge of the birth
• any person present at the birth
• any person having charge of the child
• the occupier of the premises where the baby was born

In the case of a child born to an unmarried couple or a couple not in an opposite sex civil partnership, the name of the father may only be recorded in the entry of birth if both parents are there to sign the registration together or a declaration of paternity is produced.

Download a declaration of paternity form. 

An unmarried father or a father not in an opposite sex civil partnership who registers the birth of his child jointly with the child's natural mother, and has his name recorded on the birth registration form, acquires parental responsibilities for children born on or after 15 April 2002.

For female couples in a civil partnership, where the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 applies to the birth, either parent can register the birth.

Where the female couple are not in a civil partnership, the mother must register the birth. The name of her partner can only be registered if the partner satisfies the agreed female parenthood conditions as set out in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008. In this case both parents must be there to sign the registration together.

Documents and information needed

You will need to provide the following to register a birth:

• a birth registration form filled in by the person registering the birth
• full name of the baby
• sex and date of birth of the baby
• district and place of birth of the baby
• full names and dates of birth of parents
• full addresses and occupations of the parents

Submitting the registration form

You can download the registration form at the link below.

• Birth registration form

A birth registration cannot be easily changed once completed, so make sure to fill out the registration form carefully.

Completed forms are to be brought in person to any district registration office in Northern Ireland. 

Documents you will receive

Once the registration is completed, the Registrar will give you one free short birth certificate and an Infant Registration Card (HS123) to register with the family doctor and get a medical card.

Additional copies of a birth certificate

Birth certificates, either short or long, can be bought from the Registrar at the time of registration for £8.00 per copy.

If you need to order additional copies of birth certificate after registration, you can find out more about ordering from the General Register Office. 

Re-registration of a birth

If the Courts in Northern Ireland have issued a Declaration of Parentage under Article 31B of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings (NI) Order 1989 or Parental Responsibility Order  under Article 7 of the Children (NI) Order 1995 then the father and or the mother should complete form GRO 12 and send to the General Register Office with the court order.

If the child’s parents have signed a Parental Responsibility Agreement under Article 7 of the Children (NI) Order 1995 in court, then the father and or the mother should complete form GRO 12 and send to the General Register Office with the agreement

All court orders and agreements should be either stamped by the courts or your legal representatives as a true copy of the original.

Where a child has been born to an unmarried couple who have since married or since formed a civil partnership, you should complete form GRO 15.

• Birth re-registration forms

Completed forms should be sent or brought in person to the General Register Office.

Correcting a birth certificate

Occasionally an error may appear on a birth certificate, for example an incorrect address or wrong date. 

You should complete the following form to tell the General Register Office of the correction required.

• Birth certificate amendment form

Completed forms should be sent or brought in person to the General Register Office.