Registering a Birth

The HSE Civil Registration Service is responsible for registering the birth of every baby born in the Republic of Ireland.

To find out more about registering a birth please click on the following links:

Registering a birth

Naming your child

Registering parents' details on the birth register

Personal details on the Register of Births

Fees for Birth Certificates

How to apply for a Birth Certificate

Information about Registering a Birth in French, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Russian, Polish, Romanian, German

Correcting errors in the Register of Births

Registering Your Baby's birth

Parent(s) must now attend in person to register their birth within three months of the date of birth (Civil Registration Act, 2004). Sometimes parent(s) cannot attend, for example due to ill-health, and if this is the case please contact the Civil Registration Service for advice.

At the registration the childs and parent(s) details are recorded and verified. There is no charge to register a birth but there is a fee to purchase Birth Certificates.

Parent(s) must bring photo identification (e.g. a passport or driving licence) and Personal Public Security Number(s) (PPSN) when attending to register their child.
In some cases, for example where a mother has been married previously, additional material may be required and parent(s) are advised to contact the Civil Registration Service to find out more.
If parent(s) are married in a civilly recognised marriage only one parent need attend, however if both wish to sign the Register they should both attend. If the marrriage took place in this jurisdiction this will be verified for them by the Registrar. If parent(s) married in another jurisdiction they should bring the original marriage certificate and a translation if required.
A birth may be registered in any of the Civil Registration offices in the state. You will find a list of our offices, including their opening hours, here.

When a birth is registered within the three month time period, the details are sent by computer to the Child Benefit Section of the Department of Social Protection and the child benefit is processed automatically. If it is your first child a partially completed application will be posted to you, where is it a second or additional child then the child benefit will be added to the existing child benefit payment.

After 12 months if a birth has not been registered it is still possible to do so, however, there is a procedure to be followed requiring the approval of the Superintendent Registrar of the area. Contact one of our offices to find out more.

The registrar of births attends at some of the major maternity hospitals (not applicable in the Dublin region) and it is possible for parents in those areas to register their baby before leaving hospital. To find out if this applies in your case conated your local office.

Naming your child

Forename(s)

Parent(s) can assign the forename(s), i.e. first and middle names, of their choice to their child. If you have any queries about assigning forename(s) please contact one of our offices.

Surnames

At the time of registration parent(s) assign a surname to their child. The surname is typically either that of the father or the mother of the child or a combination of both in whatever order that you the parents decide.

If the father's details are not recorded on the register it may not be used as the child's surname, in such a case the surname registered for the child is typically that of the mother.

It is possible to assign a surname to the child which is different from that of the parents, however, such cases are rare and a special application must be made by the parent(s) to the Superintendent Registrar who will make a decision if s/he is satisfied that the circumstances warrant it and s/he agrees to the request. If you would like to make an application please contact your local office for further advice.

Changing a child's surname on a birth register

Parent(s) should carefully consider and agree the surname they wish to give their child as it can only ever be changed on the register of births under very limited circumstances.

Where no father's details were entered on the birth register when the child's birth was first registered, it is possible, at the parents' request, to re-register the birth and enter the father's details and with the parents' agreement a new surname (within the surname rules ) may now be registered for the child. This is called 're-registration of birth to include name of father' and is detailed at Section 23 of the Civil Registration Act, 2004

Where the parents of the child who were not married to each other at the time of the birth marry each other any time after the birth, the birth must be re-registered and a new surname (within the surname rules) may be registered for the child. This is called 're-registration of birth' and is detailed at Section 24 of the Civil Registration Act, 2004

However outside of these two cases, or where this has previously occurred, it is extremely rare for a surname to be altered on the register of births.

Registering parents' details on the birth register

Depending on the parents marital status there are different application procedures, please look at the links below and choose which best suits your situation:

Where the parents are married to one another

Where the parents are not married to one another and are jointly applying to register

Where the parents are not married to one another and are not applying jointly to register the birth

Where the parents are not married and the mother or father is applying to include the father’s details on foot of a court order

Where the mother is married (or was married previously) to a man who is not the father of the child

Where the mother is married in a customary or traditional marriage

Where the parents are married to one another

Where the parents of the child are married to each other in a civilly recognised marriage, then both the parents' details will be entered on the birth register. In this case either or both parents may sign the register. Please note: if parents married outside this state they should bring an original Civil Marriage certificate and translation where required.

Where the parents are not married to one another and are jointly applying to register

Where the parents of the child are not married to each other in a civilly recognised marriage and both parents jointly wish to apply to record the father's details then both parents' details will be entered on the birth register. they can either both attend and complete forms in person, or where one parent can't attend forms should be obtained from the local office (there are a number of forms, one of which is a Statutory Declaration which the parent not attending completes in front of a qualified witness (typically a solicitor, notary public or peace commissioner) - contact your civil registration office for more information).

Where the parents are not married to one another and are not applying jointly to register the birth

Where the parents of the child are not married to each other in a civilly recognised marriage and are not applying jointly, or the father hasn't applied on foot of a court order naming him as father, then the mother attends to register and her details only will be entered on the register.

The surname of the child in this case must be that of the mother only, unless the Superintendent Registrar agrees to a request for a different surname, for more about names click here.

In such a case the father’s details would only be entered on foot of an application (from either parent) accompanied by a Court Order naming the man as father of the child – for more details on this click here.

It is possible after registration for the parent(s) or either parent to apply to re-register to include the father's details under Section 23 of the Civil Registration Act, 2004. To find out more about applying to re-register please contact the Civil Registration Service.

Where the parents are not married and the mother or father is applying to include the father’s details on foot of a court order

Where the parents are not married to one another in a civilly recognised marriage, and are not applying jointly, either parent can apply to include the father’s details on foot of a court order naming him as father of the child. This can happen prior to initial registration or afterwards.

Where a parent is applying on foot of a court order prior to initial registration they should come in person and then the Civil Registration Service will inform the other party in writing. After a waiting period the registration can proceed.

Often these applications will happen after the initial registration, this is called ‘re-registration’ and is defined in legislation under Section 23 of the Civil Registration Act, 2004. To find out more about this, please contact your local office.

Where the mother is married (or was married previously) to a man who is not the father of the child

Where a mother is married (or was married previously) to a man who is not the father of the child, then the ‘presumption of paternity’ as defined under Section 46 of the Status of Children Act, 1987, may apply.

This states that if a woman is in a subsisting marriage within ten months of the birth of her child then the husband is presumed to be the father of the child unless the contrary is proven on the balance of probabilities.

This can be difficult for the family and it is best if parent(s) who find themselves in this situation contact their local registration office for advice on their options.

Depending on the individual circumstances, there can be a number of options, for example:

The husband or ex-husband may make a statutory declaration stating that he is not the father
The mother may have obtained a divorce prior to the ten month period and this can be produced – please note any foreign divorces must be cleared by the Office of the Registrar General
The mother may have obtained a divorce during the ten month period or a decree of separation prior to the ten-month period and may produce this and make a statutory declaration stating that she has been living apart from her husband for more than ten months before the birth (please note above about foreign divorces).
The parent(s) may obtain a court order naming the father of the child.

In all such cases parents are encouraged to contact the Civil Registration Service to discuss the various options and to obtain various forms and Statutory Declarations.

Customary or Traditional Marriages

Where the mother is or has been married previously in a customary or traditional marriage it is advised that she contact the Civil Registration Service for further advice.

Personal details entered on the Register of Births:

Time, date and place of birth of the child
Gender of the child
Child's forename(s) and surname. To find out more about names click here
Personal Public Service number (PPSN) of the child (this is assigned after registration by the Department of Social & Family Affairs)
Forename(s) and surname of the mother
Birth surname of the mother
All previously used surnames of the mother (if any)
The mother's occupation
The mother's address at the date of birth
The mother's date of birth
The mother's civil status
The mother's Personal Public Service number (PPSN)
Birth surname of the mother's mother
Forename(s) and surname of the mother
Birth surname of the father
All previously used surnames of the father (if any)
The father's occupation
The father's address at the date of birth
The father's date of birth
The father's civil status
The father's Personal Public Service number (PPSN)
Birth surname of the father's mother
Forename(s), surname, qualification, address and signature of informant (in most cases this is the parent(s))
Date of registration
Name of registrar

Fees

There is no fee charged for the registration of a birth, or for re-registration to include a parent's details.

Fees are charged for Birth Certificates, see list below.

€10 for a full standard certificate (€8 per extra copy)
€6 for an uncertified copy of an entry in the Register (€4 per extra copy)
€1 for a social welfare birth certificate (this must be accompanied by a letter requesting this from the Department of Social Protection)
€10 to have a birth certificate authenticated. This service is only available from the General Register's Office, Government Buildings,Convent Road, Roscommon.
There is a fee of €5 for the insertion or alteration of a forename, please note all such applications must be accompanied by the appropriate form signed by the parent(s) and documentary evidence showing this name to be in use.

How to apply for a birth certificate

Save Time - Buy Online! Birth certificates can be ordered online using a laser or visa/master card. To find out more please click here

You can also order a birth certificate at any civil registration office in the state, for a full list of all HSE Civil Registration Offices please click here.

You can also apply from the General Register's Office, GRO, Government Buildings, Convent Rd, Roscommon.

Correcting errors on the Register of Births

It is very important that parent(s) are careful to check all the information that is being recorded when they sign the Register of Births as this can only be changed under limited circumstances.

In the unusual event where an error of fact, or a clerical error occurred in a registration, it is best to contact the Civil Registration Service who can advise if it is possible to amend this and if so, how to apply to make the correction.

Last updated on: 16 / 09 / 2011

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