Register a Birth

National lockdown restrictions

Under national lockdown restrictions which came into force on Thursday 5 November 2020 parents are still able to attend the Civic Centre to register the birth of their child.

Under Tier 3 restrictions which will be in place from 2 December 2020 parents are still able to  attend the Civic Centre to register the birth of their child. 

Registrations are strictly by appointment only and parents can contact the Register Office to make an appointment by calling 0191 278 7878 and asking for Registrars, or by emailing registrars@newcastle.gov.uk.  

Parents attending to register must adhere to strict social distancing guidelines:

• If parents are a married couple or in a civil partnership only one parent should attend to register the birth.
• If parents are not married or in a civil partnership both parents should attend.
• For the safety of your family and Register Office staff you should not bring your baby, other children or family members to the appointment with you.
• If you are displaying any symptoms of Covid 19 you should not attend.
• If you are showing symptoms when you attend your appointment you will be asked to leave.
• Parents are politely requested to wear a face covering when attending their appointment

More detailed information will be provided by a Registrar when you make your booking.  

Please note that any parent turning up at the Civic Centre without an appointment will not be seen.

When and where to register a birth

Appointments and drop-in service

Who can register

Information needed to register

Certificates

When and where to register a birth

All births in England and Wales must be registered within 42 days of the child being born. You should do this at the Register Office in for the area where the baby was born.

If you cannot register the birth in the area where the baby was born, you can go to another Register Office and they will send your details to the correct office. This is called registering by declaration.

Who can register

An unmarried mother can always register a baby's birth alone without including the details of a second parent. Where a second parent is to be included, please read the information below:

• If the parents are married or in a civil partnership when the baby is born, either parent may register the birth. 
• If the baby’s parents are not married or in a civil partnership, and they want a father’s details to be included in the register, both parents should attend the office together to register the birth.
• If the baby’s parents are not married or in a civil partnership, and they want a second mother’s details to be included in the register, both parents should attend with the appropriate paperwork.

For other parental circumstances, please visit gov.uk's Register a Birth page for guidelines.

If the parents subsequently marry or form a civil partnership they should re-register their baby.

Information needed to register a birth

You will be asked for the following information:

• The date and place of birth (if the birth is a multiple birth (e.g. twins or triplets) the times of each birth are needed)
• The baby’s forename, surname and sex
• The baby’s parents' forenames, surname,  place of birth and occupation
• If applicable, the baby's mother's maiden name
• Addresses of the baby's parents both at the time of registration and at the time of birth

To improve the accuracy of our records it would be helpful if you could bring one or several of the following documents:

• Your passport
• Your council tax bill
• Your driving licence
• All marriage or civil partnership certificates
• Your birth certificate
• Deed Poll

If you do not have the above documents, we can still go ahead with registering the birth.

Certificates

You can purchase a certified copy of the original entry at the time of registration or at a later date. Certificate charges can be found on our fees page.

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