Births Registration

Birth Registration

1. Complete a Birth Registration Form ( your midwife may have given you one in the post-natal ward) and scan/photograph to [email protected]   or post to Registrar’s Office at 14 Magazine Street, BT48 6HH or 47 Derry Road, Strabane BT82 8DY.
2. An appointment will then be arranged. 
3. Please make arrangements for 1 parent only to visit where the parents are married. If parents are not married, both parents are required to sign (please observe restrictions where only one person at a time should enter the office to sign and adhere to social distancing).
4. It is advised that no children / babies should attend the office.
5. Card payments Only – Full birth certificate/s - £8.00 per certificate (the short birth certificate is issued free of charge).
6. Please observe the guidance when you visit the office, measures have been put in place to look after the health and wellbeing of customers and staff.

As we adjust to new ways of working, and to ensure that social distancing measures remain in place at all registration offices, there may be longer delays in obtaining an appointment to register a birth. 

Registering a Birth

By law all births which occur in Northern Ireland must be registered.  You need to register your baby's birth within 42 days of the date of birth.  You will require a Birth Certificate for a variety of purposes, i.e. to register the baby with a doctor and to claim child benefit, register for school, apply for a passport, etc.

If there is a problem which delays the registration of the birth, please contact the office

District Registration Offices

14 Magazine Street, Derry/Londonderry BT48 6HH (Appointment only )

Council Offices, 47 Derry Road, Strabane BT82 8DY (Appointment only).

To make an appointment please email [email protected].

For more information call 028 71 376520 and select the appropiate prompt at the automated message.   Alternatively call 028  02871 253253.

FAQs

What will I bring with me?

• Birth Registration Form.  This is completed by the person who is registering the birth

What documents will I receive?

Once you have registered your child's birth, you will receive:

• One free short birth certificate.

Full Birth Certificates are available at the time of the Registration for a fee of £8 per copy.

​​- HS123 infant registration form so you can register with your family doctor 

- (HS123 forms are only given to a child whose usual residence is within Northern Ireland).

Please Note:

Birth Registration cannot be easily changed once completed.  When you attend the Registrar’s Office, it is important that you CHECK the details of the Registration before signing the Birth Entry.

What is the purpose of registration?

The records provide positive information about individuals and are used for many legal and administrative purposes (for example; National Insurance, Education, Transfer of Property, Employment, obtaining a Passport, etc). They provide valuable statistics (for example, Fertility Rates, Population Estimates and future planning of Health and Education, etc).  The statistics are published yearly in the Registrar General Annual Report.

To order a Certified Copy of a Birth Certificate after the time of Registration

Certified copies of all births registered in Northern Ireland may be obtained  Online 

or by contacting

General Register Office,

NISRA, Colby House, Stranmillis Court, Belfast, BT9 5RR.

Tel : 0300 200 7890 

More Information

Re-registration of birth

 -  If you want to add the father’s name after the initial registration, please complete GRO 12 Form. 

 - If you married the natural father of the baby and want to change the child's name or mother's name on the certificate, please complete the GRO 15 Form

Recorded name changes

 - If you were born or legally adopted in Northern Ireland, please complete the  GRO 230 and GRO 231 Form

You can obtain further information and download forms from https://www.nidirect.gov.uk