Add a parent to a pre-adoption birth certificate
You may apply to add a parent to a pre-adoption birth record and order an updated birth certificate if the birth was registered in NSW and you are eligible.
Why change a pre-adoption birth record?
Some pre-adoption birth records do not list both birth parents. This may be because parentage was unknown or withheld at the time the birth was registered.
You can apply to add a parent to a pre-adoption birth record and order an updated birth certificate if the birth was registered in NSW and you meet the eligibility criteria and evidence requirements.
While pre-adoption birth certificates cannot be used as legal identity documents, they can contribute to an adopted person’s sense of identity and cultural heritage.
Who can apply?
A parent may be added to a pre-adoption birth record when one of the following conditions are met:
- both birth parents make a joint application to add a parent
- a court orders the inclusion of the information in the Register or makes a finding that a particular person is a parent of the child
- one parent makes an application and:
- the other parent cannot join the application because they are dead, cannot be found, or for some other reason, or
- the Registrar is satisfied that the other parent does not dispute the correctness of that information
- the adopted child makes the application, and the evidence provided shows that parentage can be presumed because:
- the child was born while the birth parents were married
- the marriage ended because of death, annulment or divorce but the child was born within 44 weeks of this event
- both parents lived together as a couple between about 44 and 20 weeks before the child was born
- the person has formally acknowledged parentage under the Status of Children Act 1996, and the acknowledgement has not been cancelled or set aside.
What you need
To apply to add a parent to a pre-adoption birth record you need:
- a completed application form (including a signed statutory declaration)
- proof of identity documents for each applicant
- the original pre-adoption birth certificate of the person who was adopted or an Adoption Information Certificate and Memorandum (AIC) from the Department of Communities and Justice
- relevant court orders (if any)
- any supporting documents/reports
- a copy of the marriage certificate (if the birth parents married outside of NSW).
How to apply
Download and complete the Add a parent to a birth registration application form.
Prepare your supporting documents (including proof of identity and statutory declaration).
Submit your application either by post or in-person. You cannot apply online.
By post:
Please post this application and copies of your documents to:
Adoptions Section
NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages
GPO Box 30, Sydney NSW 2001
Note: do not post original certificates or identity documents.
In person:
Head to your local Service NSW Centre.
Bring your original certificates and identity documents for staff to check and scan.
You may need to pay a fee for your application. If payment is required later, the Registry will send you an email with a secure link where you can pay using a credit or debit card.
Fees and processing times
Adoption-related applications can be complex, so processing times vary.
An application to add a parent to a pre-adoption birth record can take up to 6 weeks to be processed. This processing time may increase if you do not supply the required documents with your application.
There are standard service fees for adoption record applications. Refer to the table below for the cost of each item.
| Add a parent to a birth registration (without a birth certificate) | Standard service $88 |
| Add a parent to a birth registration (includes 1 birth certificate) Fees include $11 postage and handling | Standard service $158 |
| Remove a parent from a birth registration only (no certificate) | Free |
| Remove a parent from a birth registration only (includes 1 birth certificate) Fees include $11 postage and handling | $70 |
| Postal application | Up to 6 weeks |
| Via Service NSW | Up to 6 weeks |
The listed processing times do not include postage delivery times. Please allow 5 to 7 days for delivery of the certificate.
The Registry may waive fees in some circumstances. For example, if you are a member of the Stolen Generations or were impacted by past government forced adoption policies in Australia. Read our fee waiver policy to see if you’re eligible.
If you ordered a certificate, it will be printed and sent via registered post to the postal address you provided. Please be aware, interstate and international post will take more time and tracking information is limited.