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Register a birth in Ireland
From Department of Social Protection
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You will need to register the birth of your child no later than three months after his or her birth. Registration is a legal requirement in Ireland, but you will also need a birth certificate to enrol your child in school, to apply for a passport and for many other purposes.
A birth may be registered in the office of any Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths, regardless of where it took place.
(Note: Parent(s) do not need to attend at the local Civil Registration Office while COVID-19 public health restrictions are in place – see How to register a birth during the COVID-19 pandemic for more information)
A birth which has already been registered can be re-registered to include the name of the father or non-biological parent.
The parents, mother, or second parent can apply to have the details of the father or non-biological parent recorded in the register of births.
For donor-conceived births, see How to re-register the birth of a donor-conceived child for more information.
Since the 4 May 2020 you can record the details of the parent(s), including the non- biological parent, when registering the birth of a donor conceived child (also known as DAHR).
The DAHR procedure must have taken place after the 4 May 2020.
To complete registration, you will need:
- Consent forms signed prior to the procedure. These forms are available from the DAHR facility where the procedure was performed
- A certificate from the DAHR facility
- A statutory declaration, signed by the parent(s). This will be provided by GRO after the birth of your child.
Births of donor-conceived children (also known as DAHR), where the procedure was performed before 4 May 2020, must first be registered as a non-DAHR birth. This applies to donor-conceived children born before or after 4 May 2020.
After the birth has been registered, a court order naming another person as the parent of the child is required prior to a DAHR re-registration.
The parents can then apply for the birth to be re-registered as a DAHR birth using the application form below.
To apply, download the form and attach a certified copy of the Court Order.
Re-registration of a Donor Assisted Human Reproduction (DAHR) form (BRR1)
DownloadYou can email the completed form and Court Order to dahr@welfare.ie or post to DAHR Section, General Register Office.
We aim to process DAHR re-registration applications within 14 days of receipt. We will let you know when the re-registration is ready to be completed.
Register a Birth during the COVID-19 Pandemic form
Register a Birth during the COVID-19 Pandemic BR1.9
DownloadThis form will allow the birth of the child to be registered without the parents or a qualified informant attending in person at a civil registration office.
All births can be registered.
This form can be emailed or posted to your local Civil Registration Office. Click on the link to find the postal and e-mail addresses for your local local Civil Registration Office .
If you have a query or need help with your request, you can e-mail us at births@welfare.ie
In certain circumstances you can register a surname for your child which is not the same as your own.
The mother and father/parent (where applicable) should complete the form below
Application to assign a different surname
DownloadThis form can be:
- e-mailed to births@welfare.ie
- posted to your local Civil Registration Office
or
- posted to the General Register Office, Government Offices, Convent Road, Roscommon, Co. Roscommon, F42 VX53.
For more information you can email us at births@welfare.ie
There is no fee charged for the registration of a birth, or for re-registration to include a parent's details. There is a fee of €5 for insertion or alteration of a forename. Fees are charged for Birth Certificates.
A birth certificate is issued for social welfare purposes at a reduced cost. Evidence it is for social welfare purposes is required, such as a note from the department.
The fees for a certificate are:
- €20 for a full standard certificate (No fee is payable if the certificate refers to a deceased child under 12 months of age whose birth and death were registered simultaneously)
- No fee for a copy for social welfare purposes (letter from the department is required)
- €5 for an uncertified copy of an entry in the Register (No fee is payable if the uncertified copy refers to a deceased child under 12 months of age whose birth and death were registered simultaneously)
- €10 to have a certificate authenticated (only available from the General Register Office)
Click here for information on how to apply for certificates.
