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Birth Registration
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Introduction
After the arrival of a new baby, it is a legal requirement to register the birth within 42 days – this can often be done at hospital before the mother goes home, otherwise it needs a personal visit to a register office.
A birth, which takes place in England, can only be registered in English, but births in Wales may be registered bilingually in English and Welsh.
These pages explain what to do for a child born in England or Wales – please visit the registration websites for for information on how to register a birth that has taken place in one of these countries.
Who should go to register?
It all depends if the parents were married to each other at the time of the birth or conception. If they were, then either the mother or father can register the birth on their own. If they weren’t, then who goes to do it will depend on a number of factors:
- if you want the father's details to be entered in the register, then both parents can go and sign the birth register together.
- if the father is unable to go to the register office with the mother, but you still want his details included, then he can make a statutory declaration on form 16 (or form 16W for births which took place in Wales) acknowledging his paternity, which the mother must give to the registrar.
- if the mother is unable to go to the register office with the father, she may make a statutory declaration acknowledging the father's paternity on the same form(s) as above, which the father can give to the registrar.
- where there is a parental responsibility agreement in force or either parent has obtained an appropriate court order, this document can be presented at the time of registration by either parent.
If the father's particulars are not recorded in the birth register, it may be possible for the birth to be re-registered to include his details at a later date. See Can I change the birth record at a later date?
Although the majority of births are registered by parents, sometimes neither the mother nor the father are able to attend. In this case, registration can be undertaken by whichever of the following people is best able to do so:
- The occupier of the house or hospital where the child was born.
- Someone who was present at the birth.
- Someone who is responsible for the child
Can I change the birth record at a later date?
Under certain circumstances, it may be possible to change the details or add to the information recorded at the time of the original registration.
Depending on exactly what the changes are, you will need to arrange either a correction, a change of baby's forename or a re-registration
How do I correct an error?
Each entry in a birth register is an historic record of the facts as they were at the time of the birth. If errors are discovered later, the law allows for details to be changed or added. Corrections should be arranged with the register office where the birth was registered – but sometimes your paperwork must be sent to Corrections and Re-registration Section at the GRO in Southport for authorisation.
Wherever possible, applications for corrections should be made by the person who gave the information for the registration. He or she will be asked to provide documentary evidence to prove an error was made at the time of the registration.
How do I obtain new certificates after a record has been changed?
There is no charge for authorising a correction or re-registration - but there is a fee for providing certificates of the corrected or re-registered record. You can buy these at any time - although, if it is less than 18 months since the correction or new record was made, you should apply to the register office where the birth was registered.
After 18 months, you can also obtain certificates from the Family Record Centre in person or by post, fax or online from the GRO in Southport - for more details see the appropriate section on the right.
The Family Records Centre
Introduction
The Family Records Centre, in London, is jointly run by the GRO and The National Archives. It holds a complete set of GRO indexes on paper containing reference numbers which allow GRO to quickly identify the correct record. These indexes include references for: · births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales since 1837 up to 18 months ago* · legal adoptions in England and Wales since 1927 · births, marriages and deaths of some British citizens abroad since the late 18th century. These include: Consular and High Commission returns 1849-1965, marine births and deaths 1837-1965, aircraft births, deaths and missing persons 1947-1980, army returns 1881-1965, regimental registers 1761-1924, chaplain's returns 1796-1880, World Wars I and II deaths, Boer War, Ionian Islands and Indian state deaths. All events registered abroad from 1966 up to 12 months ago* *The GRO index reference number is required when purchasing birth, marriage and death certificates from these indexes. Other sources of research provide information on other organisations which hold full or part sets of the indexes on the internet, microfiche or CD ROM.Go to the Family Records Centre website for information about other records available at the FRC maintained by the National Archives.
Where do I go?
Whether or not there is provision for registering at the hospital, you can go to any register office – though things will take a day or two longer if you go to one which does not cover the district in which the baby was born. This is because the registrar will need to forward your information to the district where the birth took place in order for the registration to take place – and it is from here that the birth certificate will be sent to you. Register office opening hours vary from one district to another and most operate an appointment system. To find details of your local or other register office, visit the appropriate county council (or London or Metropolitan borough) website. Please put the town or postcode into the search box on the right hand side of this page to return a link to the website you need. Alternatively, addresses and phone numbers for local register offices can be found in the local area phone book.You will need to allow about half an hour to complete the registration process once you are with the registrar.
What documents do I need to produce?
You don’t have to take anything along – although it is very useful to bring the mother’s hospital discharge summary if you have one. The health authority or hospital where the child was born will notify the registrar of the birth.
What information will I be asked for?
The registrar will ask for the following details:
- Child
- date and place of birth; if the birth is one of twins, triplets etc, the time of each child's birth will also be needed
- sex of the child
- the forename(s) and surname in which it is intended that the child will be brought up
- Father (if his details are to be entered in the register)
- forename(s) and surname
- date and place of birth
- occupation at the time of the child's birth or, if not employed at that time, the last occupation
- Mother
- forename(s) and surname
- maiden surname if the mother is, or has been, married
- date and place of birth
- occupation at the time of the child's birth or, if not employed at that time, the last occupation
- usual address at the date of the birth
- date of marriage, if married to the child's father at the time of the birth
- number of previous children by the present husband and by any former husband
It is vital that all the information recorded in the birth register is completely correct as mistakes can take quite a bit of time and trouble to put right. This is why the person registering the birth should check the information very carefully before signing the register
If I don't speak English very well, what do I do?
Some register offices provide interpretation services, but it's always best to check before you go.
You are welcome to bring a friend or relative along to help you understand and answer the registrar's questions – but they won't be able to sign the register on your behalf.
When do I get the birth certificate ?
After giving the registrar all the necessary information, you will be asked to check the record carefully and sign it before being given, free of charge, one short birth certificate carrying details of the baby's name, sex and date and district of birth.
Full birth certificate(s) containing all the information in the register, and further short birth certificates, are also available to buy. You will be offered the chance to order both versions when you go to register – and you can also order copies at any time in the future.
If you want to buy extra copies within 18 months of registration, you will need to talk to the register office for the district where the birth occurred.
Can I register a birth when a child is older?
If a birth has not been registered within 12 months, Corrections and Re-registration Section at the GRO in Southport will need to authorise a late registration.
Your local register office can carry out all the necessary liaison but you will first need to provide them with documentation confirming the child's exact date and place of birth, along with the completed relevant form. This is either form C45 (application for late registration) or, in cases of births which took place in Wales, form C45W. Please click as appropriate to download, print out and complete.
Alternatively, you can request these forms by telephoning Corrections & Re-registration Section on +44 (0)151 471 4806 or e-mailing corrections.&.re-reg.section@ons.gov.uk.
You must also provide details of someone who would be able to attend a register office in England or Wales to give the information for the late registration. For a full list of people who can do this, see Who should register?
The forms give full details about the information and documents you will need to provide, but if you have any questions, please contact Corrections and Re-registration section on the number above to discuss.
They do not charge for authorising a late registration or for producing a short birth certificate at the time the birth is registered. A full birth certificate and further short birth certificates are also available to buy.
How do I register a child conceived after fertility treatment?
The woman who gives birth – including a surrogate mother – will be shown as the child's mother in the birth registration. The man who is to be regarded as the father of the child will generally be the husband or partner who received treatment with the mother.
In the case of a surrogacy arrangement, the couple who arranged for the surrogate mother to carry a child for them may apply to the courts for a parental order that will enable the birth to be re-registered to show them as the parents. Legal advice should be obtained if further information about this is required.
When a court issues a parental order, a copy is sent to Corrections and Re-registration Section at the GRO in Southport who will complete the re-registration of the birth.
Re-registering a child born via a surrogacy arrangement
When a surrogate mother has a baby for another couple, she must register the child as her own.
Since November 1994, the couple who arranged for the surrogate mother to carry a child for them (known as the commissioning parents) may obtain a Parental Order issued under Section 30 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act from a court in the UK, showing them as the child's parents. Legal advice should be obtained about applying for a Parental Order.
When the court in England or Wales issues a Parental Order, a copy is sent to Corrections and Re-registration Section at the GRO in Southport. A new record can then be made to show the details of the commissioning parents as the parents of the child, in accordance with the Order. This new record will supersede the original registration.
Details on how to obtain certificates of the new record will be provided by Corrections and Re-registration Section once the new record has been made.
What happens if the father dies before a child is conceived?
Where a child is conceived as a result of fertility treatment after the death of the man receiving treatment with the mother, the man can be registered as the child's father on production of the following documentary evidence:
- his written consent to the fertility treatment and to being named as the father in the child's birth registration (not required where the man died before 18th September 2003)
- written confirmation from the clinic that the man's consent had not been withdrawn (not required where the man died before 18th September 2003)
- the woman's written request for the man to be named as the father in the birth registration
- written confirmation of the fertility treatment from a medical source, for example: the treatment clinic, mother's own doctor or hospital doctor
- the man's death certificate (original required - photocopy not acceptable). If he died in England or Wales details of when and where he died will be acceptable.
- a marriage certificate where appropriate (original required – photocopy not acceptable). If the ceremony took place in England or Wales, details of where and when will be sufficient.
Please note, recording the man as a child's father in these circumstances does not mean he will be treated in law as the child’s father for any purpose other than registration. Nor does it give the child any legal status or rights concerning, for example, inheritance or nationality. If you would like further information, please seek legal advice.
For further information on treatment services and deceased fathers, see www.hfea.gov.uk
Parental responsibility
The mother of a child - and the father if he is married to the mother - automatically have parental responsibility. Where the parents are not married to each other, the father will acquire parental responsibility if he acts with the mother to have his name recorded in the child's birth registration after 1st December 2003. An unmarried father can also obtain parental responsibility by later marrying the child's mother, by making a parental responsibility agreement with her, or by getting a court order. You may wish to consider this if you have other children. If you need further information or advice, you should call Parentline Plus on 0808 800 2222 or textphone them on 0800 783 6783, or get legal advice.
Can I change my child’s forenames?
The law allows for a change to a child's forenames to be added to the birth register, provided the new forenames were given either in baptism or by regular use within 12 months of the birth being registered. The new forenames may be added to the birth record after 12 months, but you will need to provide documentary evidence that the new forenames were in use within 12 months of registration.
Other restrictions include:
- forename changes may only be made once in the birth register – any later forename changes cannot be recorded.
- if your child has been baptised within twelve months of the birth registration, only the baptismal names may be added to the register.
- you must comply with any court orders in force about the naming of your child.
The new forenames are written in the space at the end of the birth record and you need to arrange for this to be done by the register office where the birth was registered. If you no longer live in the same area, you can post the paperwork to the relevant register office. In some cases, your paperwork will be sent to Corrections and Re-registration Section at the GRO in Southport for processing.
Please tell the register office dealing with your application if you would like to order certificates showing the new forenames. Short versions show just the new name with the date and place of birth but full certificates will also show details of the previous name shown at the top of the record, with the new name appearing in full in the space at the end of the record.
There is no charge for adding the new names to the birth register – but if you would like to buy certificates showing the new forenames, see Obtaining new certificates after a record has changed.
Who can do it?
Only the mother, father or guardian of a child can apply for a child's change of forename to be recorded. If the child was given the new forenames by baptism, the minister with custody of the baptismal register needs to complete a form.
How do I go about it?
If your child was baptised in a Christian church, form 13 (Certificate of name Given In Baptism) – or form 13W for births which took place in Wales – will need to be completed by the vicar or minister of the church where the baptism took place, who will make a small charge.
If your child has not been baptised, you will need to complete a form 14 (Certificate of name given not in baptism, sometimes known as a Certificate of naming) – or form 14W for births which took place in Wales- (Please download, print out and complete the appropriate form.
Alternatively, you can obtain a form from any register office in England or Wales (but please note, Welsh forms are only available from Welsh register offices and GRO) or from Corrections and Re-registration Section at GRO by telephoning +44 (0)151 471 4806 or e-mailing corrections.&.re-reg.section@ons.gov.uk.
The completed form should be returned to the register office where the child’s birth was registered. To find details of your local register office, visit your county council (or London borough) website. Please put your town or postcode into the search box on the right hand side of this page to return a link to the website you need. Alternatively, addresses and phone numbers can be found in your local phone book.
All links to downloads will open a new browser window.
Users with accessibility issues should visit access.adobe.com
Can I use a name different from my birth record?
A person in England or Wales may be known by any name they wish and they will acquire a right to that name by usage and reputation. The Registrar General is advised that there is no reason why a name acquired in this way should not be used for all purposes (except for fraudulent ones).
A child's surname should not be changed if there are any existing legal restrictions, court orders etc about the name(s) by which the child may be known, and it is advisable to obtain legal advice about making such a change.
If you wish to document a change of name for yourself or your child, you may consider it worthwhile to draw up a change of name document. To find out more, you should contact your local Citizen’s Advice Bureau or seek legal advice.
If the parents are unmarried can the natural father's details be added to the birth record?
If the parents are unmarried and would like the natural father’s details added to the birth record, a re-registration will be required so that a new birth record can be created to replace the original one. To do this, you will need to complete a form GRO185 (Application by mother and/or father for the re-registration of their child’s birth), or form GRO185W for births that took place in Wales. Please click as applicable to download, print out and complete.
Full details about completing your application – such as who needs to sign it and whether you should enclose any other documentation – appear on the form. If both parents cannot attend the register office together to give the information for the new entry, you may find one of you also needs to complete a form 16 (Statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage) – or form 16W for Welsh re-registrations – again, please click as appropriate to download, print out and complete.
Alternatively, you can obtain a form from any register office in England or Wales (but please note, Welsh forms are only available from Welsh register offices and GRO) or from Corrections and Re-registration Section at GRO by telephoning +44 (0)151 471 4806 or e-mailing corrections.&.re-reg.section@ons.gov.uk.
Once completed, you need to take your paperwork to your local register office – in some cases it may then need to be sent on to Corrections and Re-registration Section at the GRO in Southport for processing.
There is no charge for authorising the re-registration of a birth - but if you would like to buy certificates of the new entry.
Please note: the mother of a child - and the father if he is married to the mother - automatically have parental responsibility. Where the parents are not married to each other, the father will acquire parental responsibility if he acts with the mother to have his name recorded in the child's birth registration after 1st December 2003.
If the natural parents have married each other since the birth
If the natural parents have married each other since the birth, a re-registration will be required so that a new birth record can be created to show the child as a child of the parents’ marriage. To do this, you will need to complete a form LA1 (Application by the natural parents for the re-registration of their child’s birth following the parents’ marriage) – or form LA1W for births that took place in Wales. Please click as applicable to download, print out and complete.
Alternatively, you can obtain a form from any register office in England or Wales (but please note, Welsh forms are only available from Welsh register offices and the GRO) or by telephoning Corrections and Re-registration Section at GRO in Southport on +44 (0)151 471 4806, or e-mailing a request to corrections.&.re-reg.section@ons.gov.uk.
Full details about completing your application, including who needs to sign it and whether you should enclose any documents, appear on the form.
Once completed, your paperwork needs to be taken to your local register office – in some cases it may then need to be sent on to Corrections and Re-registration Section in Southport for processing.
If a court has issued a Declaration of Parentage since the original registration
When a court in England or Wales issues a Declaration of Parentage since the original registration, a copy is sent to Corrections and Re-registration Section at the GRO in Southport within 21 days, and the birth may be re-registered to show the findings of the court.
To find out how to apply for a Declaration of Parentage, you should contact a solicitor or the Chief Clerk at your local Magistrates or County Court
Further queries on corrections or re-registrations
The register office which arranged the correction or re-registration should be able to help you with any other questions you may have. Alternatively you can contact:
GRO Corrections
PO Box 476
Southport
PR8 2WJ
Telephone: +44 (0)151 471 4806
Fax: +44 (0)1633 652729
E-mail: corrections.&.re-reg.section@ons.gov.uk
Gender Recognition Act 2004
The Gender Recognition Act 2004 came into force on 4 April 2005. This Act applies throughout the UK and enables transsexual people to apply to a Gender Recognition Panel for a Gender Recognition Certificate.
The acquired gender of applicants will be recognised in law from the date on which they are granted a full Gender Recognition Certificate by the panel. The panel are part of the Tribunals group of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
The holder of a Gender Recognition Certificate can enjoy all the rights appropriate to a person of his or her acquired gender.
For more information on how the Act will operate in England and Wales in relation to birth certificates see Can I obtain a birth certificate in my new gender? To apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate see How to apply for Gender Recognition.
Can I obtain a birth certificate in my new gender?
New birth certificates
A person whose birth was registered in the UK and who has been granted a full Gender Recognition Certificate will be able to obtain a new birth certificate showing his or her acquired gender.
A birth certificate is a full copy of the details in a record in a birth register, or in the case of a short certificate, some of the details in the record. The record contains the facts of a person’s birth, including name and gender.
The Registrar General can issue a replacement birth certificate to a transsexual person only where the record of the birth or adoption is held by the Registrar General. This includes people born in the UK, or born to a UK citizen abroad and registered, for example, by HM Forces, or the British Consul or High Commission.
What will happen?
The Gender Recognition Panel will notify the Registrar General for England and Wales of the issue of a Gender Recognition Certificate to a person who was born or adopted in England or Wales. The Registrar General for England and Wales holds a Gender Recognition Register in which the birth of a transsexual person whose acquired gender has been legally recognised will be registered again showing new name(s) and recognised gender.
Registrars General for Scotland and Northern Ireland hold similar registers for people born in those countries.
A draft of the information to be recorded in the Gender Recognition Register will be sent to the applicant to help to clarify what the new birth certificate will look like and to resolve any questions before the record is made. On confirmation from the applicant that the draft record contains the correct information, a new record will be created in the Gender Recognition Register.
Where the transsexual person was adopted or has a birth record made overseas by, for example, a British Consul the new register will reflect that fact. Current contact details such as address will not be recorded in the register.
A confidential link between the original and new details will be maintained by the Registrar General. The Gender Recognition Register will not be open to public inspection or search.
Once a new record is made, both full and short birth certificates will be available. There will be nothing on the birth certificate to indicate it was compiled from information in the Gender Recognition Register. A short certificate, which shows only the name, sex, date of birth, district and sub-district of birth, will be issued free of charge to the applicant. Details of how to apply for birth certificates and the cost will be sent to the applicant with the draft of the information to be recorded in the Gender Recognition Register.
For more information
If you have any questions about how the registration process will work in England and Wales, please contact:
Gender Recognition Team
PO Box 476
Southport
PR8 2WJ
Tel: 0151 471 4821
Email: grcorrespondence@ons.gsi.gov.uk
How to apply for Gender Recognition?
Details of how and when you may apply and the relevant application forms are on the Gender Recognition Panel website.
Alternatively, you may write to the Gender Recognition Panel at:
Gender Recognition Panel
PO Box 6987
Leicester
LE1 6ZX
Email: grpenquiries@dca.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 0845 355 5155
You may also find the Department for Constitutional Affairs website useful. This site has details on the changes in law and frequently asked questions.
Registering babies born abroad
In most countries, babies born as British citizens or babies born to serving members of the British Armed Forces can be registered by the appropriate British authorities. However, parents need to request this facility as there is no automatic notification of the birth, as with children born in the UK. Here is a list of the countries where a birth cannot be registered with the British authorities:
- Ascension Islands
- Australia · Bermuda
- Canada · Cayman Islands.
- Christmas Islands
- Falkland Islands
- Gibraltar
- Nevis
- St.Helena
- South Africa
- Turks & Cacos Islands
- Virgin Islands (UK)
- Zimbabwe
Babies born as British citizens abroad
In most countries, the birth of a British citizen can be registered with either the British High Commission or the British Consul. Birth certificates are issued by the High Commission or Consul and these may be used as proof of British citizenship, British Dependant Territories citizenship or British Overseas citizenship.
For further information about registering a birth, please contact:
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Consular Division
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH
+44 (0) 20 7 008 0186
www.fco.gov.uk
Babies born to serving members of the British Armed Forces
The births of children born to parents serving in the British Armed Forces while posted abroad can be registered by Forces registering officers. To register a birth under these circumstances which has taken place within the last 12 months, please contact Forces Family Services or your relevant Registering Officer
- Australia - British Defence Liaison Staff, British High Commission, Commonwealth Avenue, Canberra, ACT 2600.
- Germany- G1 Compassionate (BMD) Headquarters UKSC, Germany, BFPO 140.
- Gibraltar - HQBF Registry, The Tower, British Forces Gibraltar, BFPO 52.
- Cyprus - Personnel Branch Headquarters, British Forces Cyprus, BFPO 53.
- Washington- British Defence Staff (Washington), British Embassy, 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008-3688 USA.
- Canada - British Defence Liaison Staff, British High Commission, 80 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5K7.
- Canada (BATU) - Headquarters, British Army Training Unit Suffield, BFPO 14.
- Kenya - British Army Training Liaison Staff, Kenya, BFPO 10.
- Falkland Islands - Headquarters, British Forces Falkland Islands, Mount Pleasant Airfield, BFPO 655.
Alternatively, please see Searching for overseas records or contact our Overseas Section who will also be able to help you if you want to register a birth that took place over 12 months ago.
Copies of births registered by British authorities overseas are sent to Overseas Registration Section at the GRO in Southport within 12 months, after which time additional certificates may be obtained in the usual way - see Obtaining certificates for full details.
Investigating your family tree
How we can help?Thanks to our extensive archive of statutory records which date back to the beginning of civil registration in 1837, we can provide you with copies of the relevant birth, marriage and death certificates for your research. Providing vital clues and pointers for future research directions, each certificate carries names of, and information about, family members that can lead you onto the next stage of your investigations – and even further back in time.
If you have enough details, you can order certificates of entries originally registered anywhere in England or Wales from the GRO. This can be done either by ordering online, by post, phone or fax, or via the register office where the entry was recorded. Alternatively, you might like to visit the Family Records Centre in London where you can look through the GRO indexes yourself, locate the GRO index reference number* you need and then order certificates of the entries you require while you are there.
*The index reference number is the code we allocate to every event of birth, marriage or death registered in England and Wales relating to the year, quarter, and district in which the event was registered. It is particularly important that you make a note of this, as you will need to quote it when you apply for a certificate in order for us to identify the correct entry as quickly as possible.
If you are looking for an overseas record, our Overseas section might be able to help you. But please be aware that, because they are not automatically notified of events that happen to British subjects overseas, their records are not exhaustive. Please see How to order overseas records for further information.
How to order overseas certificates
Applications for certificates of overseas birth, death or marriage certificates can be made in a number of ways:
- by a personal visit to the Family Records Centre in Islington, London
- by secure online ordering
- by calling +44 (0) 151 471 4801, giving details of the birth death or marriage and paying with a credit or debit card
- by post to the following address, giving as much information as you can about the birth, death or marriage:
Overseas Section
General Register Office
Smedley Hydro
Trafalgar Road
Birkdale
Southport
Merseyside
PR8 2HH
Overseas certificates Delivery
Overseas certificates are usually be produced within five working days. For copies of certification for marriages that have taken place in certain countries overseas, see below for a list. Please allow 7 to 10 working days.
Overseas certificates costs Depending on how you intend to apply for your certificate, please see Certificate fees for details of:
- costs of certificate applications to the GRO via online applications
- costs of certificate applications to the GRO via postal, phone and fax applications
- costs of certificate applications via the Family Records Centre
What do I do if my overseas certificate needs legalising?
If your certificate requires legalising by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, we can arrange for this to be done on your behalf providing you enclose the Foreign and Commonwealth Office current fee, along with the name of the country requiring legalisation. (These costs are in addition to the price of purchasing a certificate)
- For this service, this office will charge an administration fee of £3.00
- Foreign & Commonwealth Office Apostille fee £19
Fee may be subject to change, please see Obtaining an Apostille under Legalisation in the Services section on www.fco.gov.uk
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