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Know Your Rights has been compiled by Kerry Citizens Information Service which provides a free and confidential service to the public…
The birth of a baby is a joyous event however, there are a number of practicalities to be considered and registering the birth is one of the tasks that need to be completed
What happens when my baby is born?
A Birth Notification Form (Form BNF/01) is usually completed with the parent(s) by hospital staff (in the case of hospital births), or by a doctor or midwife (in home births), to guarantee that accurate information is recorded.
It outlines the information to be recorded in the Register of Births. If your child is born in hospital, the form is sent to the Registrar’s office, letting the Registrar know that a birth has occurred.
If your child was born at home with the support of a healthcare professional, they should give you the signed Birth Notification Form. It must include their registration and PIN. Bring this with you to your appointment to register your child’s birth.
In all cases, you must still attend a Civil Registration Service, in person, to officially sign the Register of Births to complete the process of registering your child’s birth.
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How do I register the birth?
You can register your child’s birth in any Civil Registration Service, regardless of where the birth took place. For convenience, most people will choose their local office.
To register a birth, complete a Birth Registration Application form, which you can download or get from your local Citizens Information Centre and post or email the completed form to your chosen Civil Registration Office.
All births can be registered using this form but you also must attend the office to sign the Register of Births to complete to process of registration.
Your child’s birth will not be registered until you sign the register. The Registrar will let you know when you can attend to sign the register.
Alternatively, you can complete the Birth Registration Application form and bring it with you to your appointment at the Civil Registration Office.
Depending on the Civil Registration Service you chose, you may be able to book an appointment online or by phone.
Walk-ins are available in some offices at certain times. Use the HSE’s Find a Civil Registration Service to find out how to contact your local office or ask at your local Citizens Information Centre and they will inform you.
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Is there a fee for registering a birth?
There is no fee for registration of a birth. After you register the birth, you can get your baby’s birth certificate. There is a €20 fee for a full standard birth certificate.
When should I register a birth?
You must register the birth of your baby within 12 months.
If a birth is registered within 3 months, the information will be automatically sent to the Department of Social Protection, and Child Benefit forms and a PPS number will be sent automatically to the qualified informant, usually the parent(s).
If you register your baby’s birth after 3 months, you will have to contact Client Identity Services and the Department of Social Protection to arrange the PPS number and Child Benefit.
If you need to register a birth after 12 months, contact the Civil Registration Service for advice.
If you had a hospital birth, you should wait 3 weeks after the birth before booking an appointment to register the birth (for a hospital birth only). If your baby was born at home, you can book an appointment at any time.
Who can register a birth?
The parent(s) of the child usually register the birth. This is because they are the main qualified informants. You must bring photo identification, for example, a passport or driving licence, and your PPS Number to the appointment to register the birth. In some cases, you may need to provide additional information, for example, where a mother has been married previously.
If the parents are in a recognised marriage to each other, only one parent needs to attend. However, both can attend if they both want to sign the register. If the parents were married in another country, they should bring the original marriage certificate (and a translation, if required).
There are different options for registering the birth of a child where the parents are not married. You can get the different forms from the Registrar’s office. The options are:
• Both the mother and father can jointly request the registration (Form CRA 9). Both attend the Registrar’s office together and sign the register jointly.
• The mother can complete a declaration form naming the father (Form CRA 1) and bring it, along with a declaration by the baby’s father acknowledging that he is the father of the child (Form CRA 3). The mother signs the register.
• The father can complete a declaration form acknowledging that he is the father of the child (Form CRA 2), and can go to the Registrar’s office himself, bringing with him a declaration by the mother naming the father (Form CRA 4). The father signs the register.
• The mother or father can make a written request (Form CRA 5 and Form CRA 6 respectively) on production of a certified copy of a court order, which names the person to be registered as the father. The parent making the request will be required to attend at the office of the Registrar to sign the Register of Births.
Can a birth be re-registered to include name of the father?
A birth can be re-registered to include the name of the father if any of the following situations apply:
• The parents of a child are not married to each other but wish to have the father’s details included and these details were not registered initially.
• The parents of a child marry each other after the birth of the child.
• You should contact a Civil Registration Service to make an appointment to re-register the birth and find out what documentation you need to bring with you.
Is it possible to change a surname or forename on the birth register?
If the birth has been registered, the child’s surname cannot be changed unless:
• The birth is being re-registered at a later date to include the father’s name, or
• Both parents were not married to one another at the time of registration but marry one another at a later date and apply to re-register the birth under Section 24 of the Civil Registration Act 2004
In these circumstances, you can apply for the child’s surname can be changed (at the request of both parents) when re-registering the birth. There is no fee charged for re-registration to include a parent’s details.
Parents can apply to have their child’s forename registered, added or changed. There is a fee of €5 for insertion or alteration of a child’s forename.
How do I get a copy of a birth certificate?
You can get a copy of a birth certificate when you are registering the birth. If you want to get a copy of a birth certificate at a later stage, you can go directly to any Registrar’s office or make an application by email or apply online.
You can also apply for a copy of a birth certificate by post by sending a letter with your request to your local Civil Registration Service stating both parents’ full names, the child’s full names, date and place of birth, a return address, a contact phone number and enclosing payment.
Payment of the relevant fees can be made by cheque or postal order. The fee for a full standard certificate is €20. There is no charge for a birth certificate for social welfare purposes. You must show evidence it is for social welfare purposes, such as a note from the Department of Social Protection.
Adopted children’s birth certificates are only available from the General Register Office.
• If you need further information about any of the issues raised here or you have other questions, you can call a member of the local Citizens Information Service in Kerry.
Tralee — Tel; 0818 07 7860 Email: tralee@citinfo.ie
Killarney Tel: 0818 07 7820 Email: Killarney@citinfo.ie
Caherciveen Tel: 0818 07 7780 Email: caherciveen@citinfo.ie
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