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Register a birth in Ireland
From Department of Social Protection
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Registration of births has recently resumed following the cyber-attack on HSE systems.
You can send completed birth registration forms and supporting documents:
- By email to your local civil registration office
- By post to your local civil registration office
If you have a query about the registration of your child’s birth you will need to contact the HSE directly. Up to date information can be found on the HSE website www.hse.ie.
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).
You can request a birth registration form and statutory declaration by e-mailing the GRO at dahr@welfare.ie
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.
This form can be e-mailed to your local Civil Registration Office. Click on the link to find contact details and postal addresses for your local Civil Registration Office.
You can also e-mail the form to the General Register Office at births@welfare.ie and your application will be forwarded to your nearest Civil Registration Office for processing.
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.
