Births

To register a birth you can book an appointment online or contact us for an appointment.

When do I register my baby's birth?
Your baby must be registered within 42 days of the birth, in the area where the birth took place. If you are able to go to the register office, the registrar can issue a birth certificate straight away. If it is difficult for you to get to the local register office, then you can go to any register office in England and Wales, to register the birth of your baby by declaration. You will then be sent the birth certificates in the post.

Who can register the birth?
If parents are married at time of birth or conception, either the mother or father can register the birth on their own.

If the parents aren’t married, to make sure both parents’ details are included on the birth certificate, there are several options:

• both parents can go and sign the birth register together
• if one parent cannot go to the register office, they will need to complete the statutory declaration form in the presence of a Justice of the Peace Notary Public - the parent registering the birth should give the completed form to the registrar
• where there is a parental responsibility agreement in force or either parent has an appropriate court order, this can be presented at the time of registration
• the mother can attend the registration alone and leave the fields detailing the father blank.

If the father's details are not included in the birth register, it may be possible to add these details on at a later date. This is known as re-registration.

In exceptional circumstances, someone who isn't the baby's parent can register the birth, but must contact the register office before coming along. Please note that this can only be 42 days after the birth.

What do I need to tell you?

To register the birth, we need to know:

• The date of birth
• Where the baby was born
• The baby’s full name
• The mother’s full name and maiden name, if married
• The mother’s occupation or profession
• The mother’s address
• The mother’s date and place of birth

If you want the father’s details to be included, we need to know:

• The father’s full name
• The father’s date and place of birth
• The father’s job
• The father’s address
• If the parents are married, we need to know the date of the marriage

The details entered in the birth register must be accurate. Spelling mistakes or incorrect information given can be very difficult to correct once the register page is checked and signed.

What will I get?
Once the baby is registered you get a free short copy of the birth certificate, which will show the baby’s full name, date of birth, gender and area of birth.

If you need a copy of the full birth certificate, which includes all the information given at the registration, these are  £4 per copy. This charge increases after the day of registration, see fees and charges  for more information. Please make sure you bring the correct money along to the Ealing Register Office at the time of registration.