Registering a birth
All births must be registered in the area where your baby was born within six weeks (42 days) of the date of birth.
To make an appointment to register a birth you need to telephone ContactEssex on 0845 603 7632. We can also provide you with the location details of your
registration office.
If the birth did not occur in Essex but you live in Essex it is possible to give the details to any registrar in England or Wales. This is called registering by declaration. The registrar does not register the birth but will send the information to the appropriate registration office where it will be registered.
Who can register a birth
- The mother of the baby.
- The father of the baby provided he was married to the mother at the time of the birth.
- The mother and father jointly if they were not married to each other at the time of the birth.
- The mother or father can attend alone if they were not married to each other at the time of the birth, but she/he needs to bring a statutory declaration acknowledging the child’s paternity. Copies of this form can be obtained from any registrar in England or Wales.
- The mother, if she was not married to the father, can register the birth alone and not include details of the father. If the father’s details are not entered at the time of registration this can be done at a later date or following the marriage of the father and mother.
Information needed
The registrar will ask you to confirm the following information:
- when and where the birth took place;
- the sex of the baby;
- full name/s of the child/children and the correct spelling;
- full names of the parent/s and the correct spelling;
- addresses and occupation of parents;
- dates and places of birth of parents;
- the date of marriage and the mother’s maiden name, if the parents are married.
You will be asked to check the information recorded very carefully and to sign that it is correct.
Birth certificates
You will be given a birth certificate free of charge that shows the baby’s full names, sex, date and place of birth. This certificate does not include parents’ details but you can purchase a full birth certificate which does include these details.
Your child’s National Health Service number is issued on a pink form and you should give this to your doctor.
Fees
Registration and the birth certificate are free. A full birth certificate costs £4 on the day of registration, £7 whilst the registrar holds the book and then £10 if you purchase it at a later date (effective 1 April 2012).
Naming ceremonies
You may wish to welcome your new arrival(s) into the family by having a
naming ceremony. A naming ceremony is a formal and dignified non-religious ceremony offered by the Essex Registration Service to welcome a child into a family.
Essex New Parent Guide
if you are a new parent, you may find the information in our
new parent guide useful.