Registering a birth

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Registering a birth

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Births in Scotland should be registered within 21 days from the date of birth.

Births can be registered at any Registration office in Scotland. You can get details of registrars from your local council.

Find a registrar

You can find which local council area you live in by clicking here

How to register a birth

Contact the registration office where you wish to register the birth and they will advise how to register the event.

You may be offered:

an in-office appointment
the option to register the birth by telephone or during an online call (a ‘remote registration’)

You'll need:

your contact details
the child’s date, time and place of birth
the child’s full name

You’ll need information about the parent(s), to be shown in the birth entry including:

full names
marriage/civil partnership details (if appropriate)
occupation
home address

You will also be asked for additional information which does not appear on the register entry but is gathered for statistical purposes.

If you can, you should bring the:

birth notification card/letter from the hospital
parent’s marriage or civil partnership certificate, if the ceremony took place outside Scotland
parent's birth certificate, if the parent was born outside Scotland

You can still register if you don't have these documents but it will be easier if you do.

During your appointment the registrar will ask you to confirm the accuracy of the information given. Each person registering will be asked to provide a signature for the register entry, to confirm its accuracy.

Who can register a birth

In Scotland, a birth can be registered by:

either parent, if the parents are married or in a civil partnership
the mother, if the parents are not married or in a civil partnership

The other parent can still be included on the birth certificate if the parents are not married or in a civil partnership. The mother will have to confirm the other person is the child’s parent, when registering the birth.

Either parent can register the birth. Both parents’ details may be recorded on the birth entry.

The mother should normally register the birth. The father’s/parent’s details can be recorded on the birth entry at the time of registration if they jointly register the birth with the mother either:

in person
remotely

Adding the father/parent if the parents are unmarried

If the father/parent is unable to jointly register the birth with the child’s mother at the time of registration, both parents should complete the following declaration forms prior to registration and submit them to the registrar during the birth registration:

If the mother is going to register the birth alone

For the father/parent’s details to be included on the birth entry, complete and submit these forms to the registrar at the time of registration:

If the other parent is going to register the birth alone

For the father/parent’s details to be included on the birth entry, complete and submit these forms to the registrar at the time of registration:

If you do not complete these forms, the father/parent’s details may still be recorded on the birth entry at the time of registration if the mother:

acquires a Court decree declaring that person to be the father of the child
presents the decree to the registrar during registration.

Child born as a result of Assisted Reproduction

If the parents are married or in a civil partnership

Either parent can register the birth and record both parents details on the birth entry if the parents:

were married or in a civil partnership when treatment took place
both consented to treatment being given

Treatment may have taken place in the UK or elsewhere and need not have taken place in a licensed clinic.

If the parents are not married or in a civil partnership

The birth mother should register the birth if the parents:

are not married or in a civil partnership
were married or joined a civil partnership after treatment

The other parent can be recorded in the birth entry if:

both parents jointly register
a parenthood agreement was in place before treatment took place
the treatment took place under license in the UK

Documents you’ll be provided

The registrar will provide you with an abbreviated birth certificate free of charge.

You will also be issued with a National Health Service in Scotland Healthcare for your Baby (Form EC58), free of charge, which should be used to register the child with the NHS.

You will be given the opportunity to purchase a full birth certificate for your child.

These documents can be:

given to you immediately if you are in the registration office
posted to you if your registration is being completed remotely

Support if you're pregnant or have a child

You can get help with money if you:

You can check if you are eligible for a payment, and apply online by clicking here.

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Information you’ll need

What you'll be asked

If the parents are married or in a civil partnership

If the parents are not married or in a civil partnership