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Registering the birth of your baby

I filled in a form at the hospital – is my child now registered?

• When you were in hospital after the birth of your child you were given a Birth Notification Form or Form BNF/01.
• This form lets the Registrar’s Office know that a birth has taken place, but it’s not enough on its own to actually register the birth.
• You still need to go through the full Registration process in order to receive your child’s birth certificate.

Why do I need to register the birth of my baby?

• In Ireland, the registration of your baby’s birth is a legal requirement.
• You must make the registration no later than three months after birth.
• After three months you’ll have to make a statutory declaration in front of a Peace Commissioner before you can register the birth.
• You will also have to pay a registration fee.
• If you leave it for longer than a year the authority of An Ard-Chlaraitheoir will also be needed to register the birth.
• When you register the birth you will receive your baby’s birth certificate which will contain all the information you give at the time of registration.
• You will need the certificate in order to enrol your child in school, apply for a passport and for a variety of other purposes.
• As soon as you register the birth of your child you will be automatically contacted about child benefit payments.

Where does registration take place?

• The registration of the birth will take place in the Office of the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths.
• Ask staff at the hospital where your baby was born for the address of your local Registrar.
• You can also apply by post, stating the child’s full names, date and place of birth, and enclosing a cheque or postal order for the relevant fees in euros.

What information do I need to provide?

You will need to provide the following information to the registrar, so it’s worth taking the time to write it down before you make your visit to register the birth;

• A surname.
• The surname registered must be the surname of the father or mother, or both.
• If you want your child to have a surname other than the surname of the father or mother, or both, then an application must be made to the Registrar General or a Superintendent Registrar in writing.
• Time, date and place of birth of the child.
• Gender of the child.
• Personal Public Service number (PPSN) of the child.
• Forename(s) and surname of the child.
• Forename(s) and surname of the mother.
• Birth surname of the mother.
• All previously used surnames of the mother (if any).
• The mother’s normal occupation.
• The mother’s normal address at the date of birth.
• The mother’s date of birth.
• The mother’s marital status.
• The mother’s Personal Public Service number (PPSN).
• Birth surname of the mother’s mother.
• Similar information is entered for the father.

Who can register the birth of my child?

In order to register the birth you need to be what’s known as a qualified informant. The parents are the main qualified informants, and if possible must both attend personally to register the birth. When this is not possible, the following people can also act as qualified informants;

• A member of staff from the hospital or other organisation where the birth took place.
• Any person present in the home where the birth occurred.
• Any person present at the birth.
• Any person who has charge of the child.
• An appointed guardian of the child.
• A person who’s found to be the parent of the child by order of the courts.

Adopting a baby

• If you have adopted a baby, whether in Ireland or from abroad, your registration will be made by the Adoption Board. Find their contact details below.
• Adopted children’s Birth Certificates are still only available from the General Register Office.

Registration fees

• There is no fee charged for the registration of a birth.
• No fee is charged for re-registration to include a parent’s details.
• 5 euros will be charged for insertion or alteration of a forename.

Birth Certificate fees

• It will cost you 10 euros for a full standard certificate and 8 euros per extra copy.
• A full, short copy for social welfare purposes will cost 1 euro.
• An uncertified copy of an entry in the Register costs 6 euros and 4 euros per extra copy.
• It’s 20 euros for a full, authenticated copy of a birth certificate.

Further information

Further information and forms for registration are available from;