Register a birth

What happens at the appointment

When you attend the appointment, you should bring:

  • your baby's red NHS book
  • documents for each parent such as a passport, driving licence, utility bill, birth or marriage certificate (we can still register the birth without these documents)
  • a payment card to pay the fee for the birth certificates required

What you'll be asked at the appointment

During the appointment, the registrar will ask you:

  • your baby’s name, date and place of birth
  • the parents’ names, places of birth, occupations and addresses

You'll also be asked the following information which will not be on the birth certificate:

  • if the parents were married to each other at the time of the birth and the date of the marriage
  • if the mother has had any other children or been married before
  • the parents’ dates of birth

Birth certificates

At the end of the appointment you'll be asked how many copies of the birth certificate you would like.

Certificates cost £11. Bring a payment card. You can buy extra copies of birth certificates online.