Things can often be a bit chaotic when a new baby arrives. However, as well as bringing your baby home and getting them into a feeding routine, you will also need to register their birth. This article provides guidance on what this involves.
Legal requirement to register a birth:
It’s a legal requirement for parents to register the birth of their child. In Scotland, the registration must happen within 21 days of the birth, whilst England, Wales, and Northern Ireland give a little more leeway, requiring registration within 42 days.
You will need to have registered your baby’s birth in order to claim child benefit and to register them with your NHS health practice. The registration will also lead to the creation of a birth certificate, which is an important document in confirming UK citizenship.
Who can register the baby’s birth:
Where a couple are married either the mother or father can register the birth, but they must present their marriage certificate. If the parents aren’t married, the father can still register the birth provided that he “jointly signs the register with the mother” and he and the mother sign a form to confirm that he’s the father.
There are also provisions for other people to register the birth if the parents are unable to register the birth. In such circumstances, consult with your midwife and/or with the registration office.
Language of registration:
The UK is a multi ethnic nation but births must be registered in English. The only exception to this is that those living in Wales may choose to register the birth both in English and Welsh.
Step by step guide to registering a birth:
On the day of the birth, your hospital midwife will fill out a form stating the date and time of birth and the baby’s birth weight. They will hand you this form, together with a leaflet detailing where your local registration offices can be found. The leaflet also outlines the documents that you need to bring with you when you go to register the baby.
If you and your birth partner are married, then you will need to bring your marriage certificate. Additionally, the leaflet states that you should bring your birth certificate and the birth certificate of your spouse. Although the leaflet doesn’t make this clear, a passport or other form of identification will suffice if you don’t have access to your birth certificate.
The leaflet will also detail the opening hours of your local registration office but it’s a good idea to phone them in advance to confirm that they will be open. This will also provide you with an opportunity to ask any questions that you might have. Two important points to note is that you don’t have to bring your baby to the registration office and only one of the birth partners needs to attend. Therefore, this is a good task for the dad to take on, leaving mummy free to feed the baby or get a well deserved nap!
When you visit the registration office, they will take the form that the hospital provided you with and also your identification documents. You will then be invited through to go through the registration process. You will be asked to write the baby’s first names on a piece of paper and to confirm the surname that the baby will be taking. The registration officer will then type up the various details into their computer system and will turn the computer screen so that you can check the details. Make sure that you are diligent in checking the details in case they have mistyped the name or failed to interpret your handwriting!
The registration officer will then print out a form for you to check and sign. This is another opportunity for you to check that all the details have been entered correctly, so there’s no excuse for any errors. Finally, the registration officer will print out some forms for you to take away.
You will get a form entitled "Abbreviated Extract of Birth" which lists the baby’s forename(s), surname, date and time of birth, place of birth, gender, and district of birth. You will also be asked if you wish to pay a small sum to receive a sheet entitled “Extract of an entry in a Register of Births”. This document is required when you go to register your baby with your NHS practice and the fee is pretty small (about 10 pounds) so it’s worth getting it at this stage.
More information is available at the websites that are referenced below:
Sources:
Registering a birth in Scotland:
http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/regscot/registering-a -birth.html
Registering a birth in England & Wales: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrig hts/Registeringlifeevents/Birthandadoptionrecords/Re gisteringorchangingabirthrecord/DG_175608
Registering a birth in Northern Ireland: http://www.groni.gov.uk/index/births.htm