Guidance

Birth registration

Updated 29 April 2024

Version 9.0

This guidance tells HM Passport Office staff about birth registration, and how to deal with applications from customers who choose to not register a birth, register a birth late or re-register a birth.

About: Birth registration

This guidance tells HM Passport Office staff working on applications sent from customers in the UK or overseas:

• about birth registration, re-registration, late registration and unregistered births

• how to deal with an application if the customer’s birth was:

• not registered

• re-registered

• registered late

Contacts

If you have any questions about the guidance and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the guidance has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this guidance (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the guidance then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the guidance was published:

• version 9.0

• published for Home Office staff on 2 April 2024

Changes from last version of this guidance

This guidance has been updated to:

• show you must ask for more information if an overseas birth is registered late

• tell you what to do when a birth has not been registered

• tell you we cannot accept consular birth certificates as proof of British citizenship

Birth registration

This section tells HM Passport Office staff about registration of births in the UK and overseas.

It is a legal requirement to register a birth in the UK, but this is not the case in all countries. Even where it is a legal requirement overseas, there can be other barriers to registration such as:

• the cost of registration being too expensive for some people

• the ease of access to registration facilities, for example, the location

• an emergency crisis situation occurs, such as a pandemic, meaning the birth cannot be registered

We use the information from a birth registration to help establish the customer’s identity and British nationality status. For children, their birth registration helps to show who may hold parental responsibility and can consent to the passport application.

Birth registration in the UK

Customers who have a child born in the UK must register the child’s birth with the register office in the district where the child was born within:

• 21 days of the birth, in Scotland

• 42 days of the birth, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

A customer can register a birth after these dates. The Registrar General must give their written authority, if the registration of a birth is more than:

• 3 months after the birth, in Scotland

• 1 year after the birth in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

If a customer registers a birth, they will be issued with a birth certificate and the register office will create a birth record.

The birth certificate or birth record will show:

• the life event

• the name and surname of the child

• the date and place of birth

• the district where the birth registration took place

• the customer’s parents (a full birth certificate only)

• if the birth has been re-registered

The adding of a name to section 17 of a birth certificate shows a child has been given an additional forename (or forenames) in the 12 months following their birth registration. This is not the same as the re-registration of a birth. See, When we only need evidence of name in use, if a customer requests their passport is issued in the name shown in section 17 of their birth certificate.

The birth certificate will not show if an adoption has taken place (see Adoption).

If a customer does not send a birth certificate, we may still be able to check the birth record with the GRO (see Life Events Verification- checking birth records).

The information provided on a birth certificate helps us to confirm the customer’s identity, nationality, and entitlement. It may also tell us if there are any vulnerability concerns that we need to consider.

It is difficult for us to confirm the customer’s details if their birth has not been registered.

Where customers can get birth certificates

Customers can go to GOV.UK to obtain birth certificates for births:

• in England and Wales – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• at a British consulate or British High Commission

• with His Majesty’s Armed Forces at an overseas post

If the birth was in Scotland customers must contact mygov.scot.

If the birth was in Northern Ireland customers must contact nidirect.

Corrections to UK birth certificates

A customer can apply for a correction to a birth registration when the information is wrong.

A correction is made in the register held at the register office responsible for the area where the birth took place and also on the Registration Online System (RON) (in England and Wales) where relevant, to ensure certificates printed from the system also reflect the correction.

Corrections fall into two categories:

• those authorised at the register office in the district where the person was born; for example, a minor mistake such as a typographical error including parent’s occupation or place of birth

• those that must be sent for authorisation by the Registrar General; for example, errors affecting the identity of the child or their parents

A customer cannot apply for a correction to show new information if circumstances change after the birth was registered, for example if a mother changes her name after getting married or divorced. However, the parent can apply to re-register the birth to show new information if the circumstances change after the birth for example if the parents get married at a later date or the father need to be added to the birth certificate.

What the correction looks like

The original information will always be shown in the birth register at the register office. After the correction has been authorised, a note will be added to the margin of the register.

A correction on a full birth certificate is made in the bottom margin of the certificate. This shows what the correct information is, where it was corrected and when the correction was made.

Who can apply for a correction

These customers can apply for a correction to a birth certificate:

• the mother

• the father or parent 2 (if their details are on the certificate)

If a customer applies to correct a child’s name and both parents are named on the certificate, both must sign the application form.

The child named on the certificate may be able to apply for a correction if their parents are not available.

Customers can go to GOV.UK to access information on how to make a correction to a birth certificate.

A UK birth certificate showing a correction must be dealt with in the same way as any standard UK birth certificate.

Birth registration overseas

Overseas countries have their own legislation and processes for registering a birth. Not all countries have mandatory registration or systems in place to register births or other life events. For information about a country’s birth registration process, you must refer to the country (or territory’s) information section in Knowledge Base.

Registration of births in Commonwealth countries

If a customer registers a birth in a British High Commission in a Commonwealth country, the High Commission office will issue a birth certificate.

You must accept the birth certificate as evidence of the birth taking place (see Dealing with customer documents).

You cannot accept the birth certificate to confirm the customer’s nationality. You must use British citizenship and British citizenship: first generation by descent guidance to check you have the correct documents to confirm nationality.

You must check you have the correct documents to confirm the customer’s nationality, by using:

• British citizenship

• British citizenship: first generation by descent

• Legitimation and domicile

• Balance of probabilities (if customer cannot send supporting documents)

British consular registered births

A customer may choose to register an overseas birth at a British consulate or British High Commission if the child is a British citizen. There is no legislation that requires a customer to register a birth at a British consulate and there is no time limit in which the customer can choose to do so.

The birth must be registered in accordance with the legal requirements of the country (or territory) where the birth occurred. Birth certificates should be obtainable from the relevant local authority.

Since 1 September 2014 not all consular birth certificates are acceptable for passport purposes. If a customer sends a consular birth certificate with their application, they may also need to send a foreign birth certificate.

See the ‘Consular birth certificates’ section in Dealing with customer documents guidance.

If a customer does not have a foreign birth certificate, you must deal with their application as a birth not registered and ask for other evidence.

You must use legitimation and domicile, British citizenship, and Balance of probabilities guidance.

Birth certificate from His Majesty’s Forces (HM Forces)

A customer born overseas may have a birth certificate showing their birth was registered through the Ministry of Defence, if the customer’s parent(s) was serving in HM Forces at the time of their birth. 

You must use British citizenship and British citizenship: first generation by descent guidance to confirm you have sufficient documentation to confirm eligibility.

You must use Supporting documents not available guidance if the customer is unable to obtain the documents needed.

Birth not registered

This section tells HM Passport Office staff how to deal with an application if the customer tells us their birth was not officially registered or they have been unable to find where their birth was registered. It includes what alternative evidence of the birth we can accept instead of the birth registration.

A customer may apply for a passport and tell us they are unable to send a birth certificate because their birth was not officially registered, or they have been unable to find where their birth was registered. For example, the customer may tell us:

• the birth was not registered because of a personal choice or refusal to follow legal requirements

• the parents were unable to register the birth, for example the country (or territory) where the birth occurred:

  • did not have a registration process

  • did not have mandatory birth registration

  • changed legislation about birth registration

• a crisis occurs, such as a pandemic or civil war

• the registration took place a long time ago and the record has been destroyed or cannot be found

• the registration cannot be confirmed because the records are missing or because the institution that created them is no longer there, for example a change in the country or territory’s governance occurs

• the customer was a victim (or planned victim) of trafficking or other exploitation

The actions you, the examiner, need to take will be different if the customer is an adult or a child and whether they were born in the UK or overseas.

Regardless of where or when a person was born, if their birth was not registered with the authorities they must provide evidence which confirms (on a balance of probability) that the event took place, as claimed.

When you receive evidence which confirms the customers birth you must refer the application to an operational team leader (OTL) to decide (using a balance of probabilities) if we have enough evidence and information about the customer’s birth to deal with the application.

UK un-registered births: intended passport holder is under 18 years old

If you, the examiner, receive an application for a UK born child (under 18), whose parents have not registered their birth, you must send the customer letter 1009 and tell them:

• in the UK it is a legal requirement to register a child’s birth

• they may have difficulties in future if they do not register their child (for example, if claiming Child Benefit, accessing healthcare, opening bank accounts)

Customers (or the parents of a child) may agree to register the birth late (see late birth registration). 

If the parent replies and says they are unable or unwilling to register the birth, you must send letter 1010 which asks the parent for:

• a statutory declaration confirming the:

  • child’s full name

  • child’s date of birth

  • child’s place of birth

  • parent’s names, place of birth and occupations (if known)

  • reason why they have chosen not to register the child’s birth

• contemporaneous evidence of the child’s birth (if not already provided)

If you receive a response from the parents, you, must refer the case to your operational team leader (OTL).

If you do not receive any response from the parent, you must refer the case to your OTL. The OTL must refer the case to Child Protection and Safeguarding team (CPST).

In these cases, you the OTL must case note the application to show that the parent has not responded.

If CPST’s safeguarding checks are clear, CPST must case note their actions and will return the application to the OTL.

CPST must keep the application for further investigation if the safeguarding check raises further concerns.

UK un-registered birth: intended passport holder is an adult

If you, the examiner, receive an application for an adult (aged over 18) whose birth in the UK was not registered, you must send letter 850 including phrase 850L asking for a ‘no trace’ letter from the General Register Office (GRO) if the birth was in England or Wales or, if the birth was in Scotland or Northern Ireland, asking the customer to contact the Scottish or Northern Ireland authorities.

GRO will consider issuing ‘no trace’ letters for adults born in England and Wales, because adults cannot register their own birth.

Once you receive a response to the letter and you have the supporting evidence required you must refer the application to an operational team leader (OTL).

Overseas un-registered births: adults and children

Countries and territories outside the UK have legal requirements for registering births (see information about birth registration in other countries and territories in Knowledge Base).

You must send letter 850 and include phrase 850M relating to no trace letters from overseas authorities if the customer’s birth overseas has not been registered.

Once you receive a response to the letter and you have the supporting evidence required you must refer the application to an operational team leader (OTL).

Evidence we need when a birth is not registered

The customer must tell us why they cannot give us a birth certificate (for example, the parents did not register the birth, or they are unable to locate a birth record) and must give us evidence to show the:

• birth happened

• place and country of birth

• date of birth

• parents’ details

• birth has not been registered in the UK or overseas, for example, written confirmation from the:

  • General Register Office (GRO), General Register Office (Scotland) or General Register Office Northern Ireland that there is no record of the customer’s birth in the UK (in most cases this only applies to customers who are over 18 years)

  • registering authority, embassy or high commission in the UK for the customer’s country of birth, confirming they searched birth records and found no record of the customer’s birth

The customer must also give as many other supporting documents as possible from around the time of the birth (or as close as possible) as well as other evidence about their life (for example vaccination records, school records or qualification certificates). We use this information to help make a decision using a balance of probabilities to decide if the birth took place, as claimed.

Evidence of the customer’s birth can include:

• a statutory declaration from the parents (if the application is for a child), an older relative or the adult customer, explaining why they did not register the birth

• evidence the birth was in the country shown in the application, for example:

  • evidence the parents were in the UK or overseas at the time of the birth

  • the parent’s passports, valid at the time of the customer’s birth

• a signed and dated letter confirming the customer’s identity (full name, date and place of birth, and gender) and both their parents’ details, from the customer’s:

  • doctor, midwife or hospital at the time of their birth

  • first or primary school

• documents about the customer’s early years that must include evidence of a link to their parents, for example:

  • certificate of baptism or equivalent (if this event happened when they were a young child)

  • school records or reports

  • medical or doctor’s records (for example, the customer’s baby records or mother’s antenatal records)

A customer may choose to send other additional evidence to confirm their birth, for example:

• voluntary DNA results

• documents issued by UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI), for example, entry clearance visas

• a driving licence

• evidence from other government departments (for example, benefit claims from the Department of Work and Pensions)

If the customer sends a statutory declaration, you must also ask them to give us evidence of their identity, for consideration (see Dealing with customer documents).

If a third-party sends a statutory declaration (for example, an older member of the customer’s family), you must decide if you can accept it. You must only accept a statutory declaration if you are sure the third party: 

• was old enough at the time of the birth to understand what was happening

• is reliable (for example, has a reliable memory)

• is being truthful (we have no reason to suspect they would be untruthful)

These types of evidence (for example, DNA results or a statutory declaration) are in addition to and not a substitute for supporting documentation. This may help in applications where:

• supporting documents do not exist

• the standard and reliability of the supporting documents falls below those we need for verification

Birth not registered: what OTLs must consider

The operational team leader (OTL) must make a decision using balance of probabilities and supporting documents not available guidance to decide if we can accept other documents in place of the birth registration.

You, the OTL must decide if the customer’s reason why their birth was not registered:

• shows a vulnerability you need to consider (for example, they may have been a victim of child trafficking)

• shows the customer may be trying to get a passport using a fictitious (assumed or false) identity

• indicates potential fraud and must refer the application to:

• an Enhanced Application Checking (EAC) examiner if you are working on the Application Management System

• complete additional checkmyss and refer to the Counter Fraud team (if you are working on Digital Application Processing)

You must consider the evidence and decide if:

• you can verify the evidence (for example, by checking with the issuing authority)

• you have enough evidence (on a balance of probability) to confirm the birth details

• the customer’s explanation for not registering their birth is reasonable

• you must check the application by following supporting documents not available guidance

• you must deal with the case using Confirming identity guidance because the customer is applying from overseas

• you must take other actions (for example, if you need to send the customer for interview)

If you have concerns, you must discuss the application to QuESt (Quality Examination Support team) who will help with the decision.

Birth not registered: how to record your decision

If you are dealing with an application where the customer has no record of their birth you must:

• scan (as a permanent record)

  • all the evidence and correspondence provided by the customer

• case note

  • the actions you take

  • your decision to accept or reject the evidence supplied

Re-registration of a birth

This section tells HM Passport Office staff about the possible reasons for a re-registration of a birth, how to deal with these applications and what evidence we need to see.

A birth re-registration can take place for the following reasons:

• to include a father’s details

• if the parents subsequently marry each other

• to include the mother’s details (for example after surrogacy to register new mother after a parental order is granted)

• to correct father’s details

• to change a gender

• to change a child’s name

A birth re-registration is when the issuing authority creates a new record in the birth register. In the UK, the issuing authority for birth records is the General Register Office (GRO), General Register Office Scotland and General Register Office Northern Ireland. GRO does not have time limits for re-registration of births.

The Registrar General can authorise a change a child’s name during birth re-registration, if all the people with parental responsibility ask for it.

In the UK there are different rules for birth re-registration. The rules fall in to 2 categories, depending on where the birth was registered:

If a re-registration takes place, the following wording will be added to the birth certificate after the date of registration:

’On the authority of the Registrar General’

A registrar may add a comment on the birth certificate to show the birth was re-registered after a court order. If you, the examiner, receive a document with this comment, you must raise a guidance query through the usual process.

Types of birth re-registration

In the UK, there are different reasons why a customer can re-register a birth. These include:

Re-registration: include father’s details

If the mother initially registers the birth without a father’s details, they can jointly apply to re-register the birth and include his details.

GRO will make enquiries to confirm if a court order is in existence in the UK to prevent a change of surname.

Re-registration: after marriage or civil partnership

If the parents were not married to each other when the child was born, the birth may have initially been registered by:

• the mother alone

• the joint information of both parents

If the parents marry or form a civil partnership, it is a legal requirement that they must, apply to re-register the birth. The updated details will show the child as a child of their marriage or civil partnership.

GRO will make other enquiries to check if there are any court orders in existence in the UK that prevent a change of surname.

Re-registration: under section 14A

A birth can be re-registered under section 14A of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953, to:

• add or remove a father’s, named man or parent’s mother’s details

• correct father’s details

A mother who was not included on a child’s birth certificate (for example for a foundling), may apply to have the birth re-registered with her details.

If the Registrar General is satisfied an incorrect father was initially registered as the father, they will remove the father’s details from the birth entry. The mother (and the person they confirm is the father) can then apply to re-register the birth to include his details as father.

The GRO will add a note to spaces 11 and 12 on the birth certificate which shows:

‘the birth was re-registered under section 14A of the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953’

A birth certificate which shows this will not give parental responsibility to the parent that the re-registration has added.

You cannot confirm parental responsibility with such a certificate alone. You must check if the parent that has been added has gained parental responsibility in another way (see Parents and guardians - consent).

You must ask the parent that has been added to provide evidence (for example a court order) to show they have parental responsibility for the child.

Re-registration: change of gender

If a person has their gender change legally recognised, they will be able to order a new birth certificate with their new gender (see gender recognition).

If a person’s gender was recorded incorrectly at the time of the birth registration, the birth entry will be corrected by adding a note in the margin of the entry of the births register. Any certified copy of the certificate issued, after the correction, will show the original information with the amendment added.

Re-registration: change of name in UK (except Scotland)

If GRO or GRONI agrees to re-register a birth in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, they will only change the child’s surname to either:

• the father’s surname

• the mother’s surname

• a combination of the 2 names

• the mother’s maiden surname

• a surname where the parents follow a different cultural custom

You must accept that GRO or GRONI correctly authorised the re-registration of a child’s birth with a change of name. You can accept the certificate with the new name and do not need to ask for further parental consent.

Re-registration: change of name in Scotland

The laws in Scotland mean that anybody can change their forename or surname in the Scottish register. The registrar will only change a person’s forename or surname if the original birth, adoption, parental order or entry in the Gender Recognition Register was made in Scotland.

If a new birth certificate is issued after the individual’s name has been changed in the Scottish register, the new birth certificate will show:

• the new and original names (unless the change of name is for a child under the age of 12 months)

• the new name:

  • as a marginal note

  • at the bottom of the certificate

Scottish birth re-registrations take place under section 20 of the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriage (Scotland) Act 1965. Where both parents hold parental responsibility, both parents must agree to the re-registration. If neither parent has parental responsibility, a person who has parental responsibility may apply to re-register the birth.

You must accept that GRO Scotland correctly re-registered a child’s birth with a change of name. You can accept the certificate with the new name and do not need to ask for further parental consent.

Change of name if a child is under 12 months

For children under the age of 12 months, the Scottish registrar will only allow 1 change in forename and 1 change in surname. If a child’s birth is re-registered and they are under 12 months, the old name will not appear on the new certificate.

Change of name if a child is between 1 and 16 years

For children 1 to 16 years old, the Scottish registrar will allow 1 change in forename and one in surname. The birth certificate will show both the new and original names unless the change is due to the parents’ marriage.

The birth name will not be shown on the re-registered birth certificate if the child’s name has changed because their parents married after they originally registered the birth.

Change of name if a child is 16 years and over

For children 16 years and over, the Scottish registrar will allow and record 1 change in forename and 3 changes in surname. There must be a gap of 5 years between each change of surname.

The Scottish registrar will accept changes in forenames or surnames and update their birth records, if:

• a decree or certificate of change of name is granted by the Lyon King of Arms

• a will, settlement or deed of trust demands a change in name from the customer’s birth name

• the alternative forenames or surnames is the Anglicised version of a non-English name, (for example Gaelic)

  • the alternative name may be shown alongside the original name on the certificate (for example, Domhnall and Donald)

Birth re-registration: overseas birth

For information on re-registration abroad, you must refer to the country (or territory) information section in Knowledge Base.

Birth re-registration: how to deal with

If you, the examiner, are dealing with an application with a re-registered birth, you must ask the customer to send:

• a re-registered birth certificate

You must also consider:

• Authorisation and consent guidance as an incorrect (removed) father may still have parental responsibility

• British citizenship guidance to decide on the customer’s nationality

• Birth not registered: what to consider

• Definition of parents for nationality purposes

• Parental responsibility

You must decide if you have enough evidence and information about the customer’s birth to deal with the application. If it’s not straightforward or you have doubts, you must discuss the case with your operational team leader (OTL).

If the OTL has doubts, they will discuss the case with the Quality Examination Support team (QuESt) to help with their decision making.

Birth re-registered: how to record your decision

When dealing with an application with a re-registered birth, you must case note:

• the evidence you see and consider

• the actions you take

• your decision

Late birth registration

This section tells HM Passport Office staff about late birth registration, what you must consider if a customer’s birth has been registered late and how to record your decision.

Customers from the UK can apply to make a late birth registration with the GRO, GRO Scotland and GRO Northern Ireland at any time in their life.

Customers may be able to make a late birth registration with the authorities in the country or territory where they were born. Overseas countries and territories will have their own legislation and requirements for late registration.

Late birth registration: COVID-19

Some customers may have registered their child’s birth late because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If a customer registered a birth late due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the child was born on or after 23 March 2020, you must:

• accept the birth certificate if you do not have any fraud concerns with the application

• refer the application to the Counter Fraud team if you have fraud concerns, for example, you suspect the:

  • father is not the father

  • birth certificate is not genuine

Late birth registration: how to deal with

If you, the examiner, are dealing with an application with a late registered birth, you must decide if this is because the birth has been re-registered. You, the examiner, must check the registration date on the customer’s birth certificate, to see if their birth was registered late. You must ask the customer to give:

• an explanation about why their birth was registered late

You must also consider:

• Adoption guidance (for example is the late registration because the child has been adopted)

• British citizenship guidance to decide on the customer’s nationality

• Birth not registered: considerations

If the late registered birth was an overseas birth, you must request additional information such as hospital or doctors records or evidence of registration with health services to confirm the birth.

You must decide if you have enough evidence and information about the customer’s birth to deal with the application. If it’s not straightforward or you have doubts, you must discuss the case with your operational team leader (OTL).

If the OTL has doubts, they will discuss the case with the Quality Examination Support team (QuESt) to help with their decision making.

Late birth registration: how to record your decision

You must case note:

• the evidence you see and consider

• the actions you take

• your decision