Registering the Birth
During the coronavirus pandemic, you can apply to register a birth or purchase a certificate of birth by e-mail or by post. There is no need for you to attend the civil registration service offices in person.
Details are also available on line at www.hse.ie
Parents are required by law to register the birth of their child no more than 3 months from the date of the birth. Birth certificates are needed for many purposes for e.g. to enroll your child in school, or when applying for a passport etc.
The hospital notifies the registration service of all births that take place. This process can take up to two weeks, so it’s advisable that you ring the registration office before attending to ensure your details are on our system. It should be noted this is the birth notification process and does not mean the birth is registered.
The registration of the birth is carried out based on information provided by a ‘qualified informant’. Parents are the primary ‘qualified informants’.
Parents will need
- Photo identification (current passport or driving license)
- Parent’s Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSN)
- If parents were married abroad, an original marriage certificate and a certified translation into English or Irish if required.
For Parents not married to each other
There are different requirements for registration purposes where the mother and father are not married to each other and where the mother has been party to a previous marriage. In this case we strongly advise you to contact your local civil registration office for further advice.
The birth certificate will contain information about the child and the parents which is given at the time of registration, so it is important that this information is accurate and care should be taken by the qualified informant before signing the register, as it is difficult to amend details after the birth is registered.
If you have adopted a baby from Ireland or overseas, registration will be processed by the Adoption Authority.
For more information www.HSE.ie
