Births

Registering a Birth

All births must be registered

• within 42 days from the date of the birth
• in the registration district in which the birth occurred, but a declaration may be made at a local register office
• can be done by either parent if married to each other at the time of the birth
• by appointment - please telephone 01432 260565

At the appointment the registrar will need to know

• Place and date of birth
• Full name and sex
• Parents full names and address(es)
• Places and dates of parents' birth
• Date of parents marriage or civil partnership
• Parents occupations
• Mothers maiden surname

If the parents were not married to each other

If the parents were not married to each other at the time of the birth and you would like the father's details to be included in the birth entry, the father must attend with the mother to register. If this is not possible for any reason please contact your local office for advice.

Fees

Registration of a birth is free and a short birth certificate is supplied free of charge. The current fee for a full birth certificate showing parents details is £3.50 (if requested when baby is registered)

Children conceived following fertility treatment

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 affects birth registrations of children conceived following fertility treatment and who can be entered as legal parents onto the birth certificate. It is now possible for two female parents to be entered onto a child's registration under this law. Please contact your local office for advice.

Babies born abroad

Babies born abroad cannot be registered in England and Wales. However it may be possible for the birth to be registered by the appropriate British Authorities in the country of birth. for further information see the Directgov website Useful contacts following the birth of your baby

• Identity and Passport Service 
  arrange for your child to have their  own passport (please note you will need a full birth certificate for this)
• Direct gov
  find out about any benefits to which you may be entitled
• NHS Herefordshire

You may also wish to adjust your will to ensure that your child would be looked after in the event of your death

Changing your child's first name

Changes can be made to your child's first name(s) in the following ways

By Baptism

If your child has been baptised within 12 months from the date of registration and their first names differ to those in the original birth entry contact your local registration office to obtain a form. This should be given to the minister of the church where the child was baptised for completion. You will then need an appointment to attend the register office with the completed form.

Certificate of Naming

If your child has not been baptised, you can complete a certificate of naming within 12 months from the date of registration - contact your local registration office to obtain a form.
If more than 12 months have elapsed since the date of registration, you will need to provide documentation to prove that the change of name took place within 12 months of the birth registration (eg medical card)

The original name and the new name will be shown on a full birth certificate.

If you are unable to change your first name by either of the above methods, you could consider changing your name by Deed Poll.  The original birth record will not be changed. Further information can be obtained from UK Deed Poll, the Citizen's Advice Bureau or a solicitor