Registering a birth
When must a birth be registered?
Within six weeks of the baby’s birth (42 days). The National Health Service informs registrars of births that have taken place in their area.
Where can a birth be registered?
You can register your baby's birth with the register office in the district where the birth occurred, or you can go to any register office in England and Wales and make a declaration of the information required.
Gwent partnership working arrangement
New arrangements have been made for all births within the Gwent or Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area.
If your baby was born in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport or Torfaen council areas, you can register the birth in any of the register offices in those council areas.
Please contact your local office to make arrangements:
If you are unable to go to one of these offices, you can visit any other register office in England or Wales, and they will forward the details onto us.
If your baby was born outside one of these council areas, you can attend any of these offices and the registrar will send the details to the district where the baby was born
How long does it take to register a birth?
- Approximately 30 minutes.
How much does it cost to register a birth?
- There is no charge to register a baby’s birth.
- Birth Certificates are £12.50 each at the time of registration.
Who can register a birth?
If the parents of the child are married to each other at the time of the birth, either parent may register the birth.
If the parents are not married, the father's details can be entered into the register only if both parents attend together to register the birth.
If this is not possible, please contact the register office on 01495 742 132 for advice.
Please note: Parents named in the register will automatically acquire parental responsibility for the child.
If the father's details are not entered at the time of registration, it may be possible for this to be done at a later date by re-registration. Please contact the office on 01495 742132 for further guidance on this.
What documents will I need to bring when I register a baby?
To help us to make sure we accurately record details on a Birth record, you should bring some of the following documents with you to the appointment to confirm the details of the parents:
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Driving licence
- Proof of address (such as a council tax bill)
- If you are a married or have entered into a civil partnership, a couple a copy of your marriage / Civil Partnership certificate
Corrections to a completed Birth entry
When completing a registration, you must check the register page carefully. In signing the completed entry, you are stating that everything is accurate and a true statement.
If you fail to notice an error when checking and signing the registration (birth death, marriage, civil partnership) the fee to apply for a correction will be £83 or £99 (depending on the type of correction required)
Please note: This fee does not guarantee the correction can be made.
Last Modified: 28/05/2024
Back to top