Register a birth

If you can, you should bring the baby's red book or hospital discharge papers.

At the appointment, the registrar will ask you to confirm:

• when and where your baby was born
• the sex of the baby
• full name of the child and the correct spelling
• full names of the parent/s and the correct spelling
• parents' jobs and addresses
• dates and places of birth of parents
• the date of marriage and the mother’s maiden name, if the parents are married

At your appointment:

To keep yourself and staff safe, please do not attend if you're displaying any coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms

Certificates

There’s no fee for registering your baby.

When you book your appointment you can pay for birth certificates in advance. You will need birth certificates when applying for your child's passport and schools.

Once you have registered your baby, any certificates you've paid for will be issued to you.

If you've not paid for any certificates in advance, you can order certificates online from the Essex Records Office website. You will have to pay for postage.