Register a birth in NSW
Registering a birth in NSW is easy and free. Learn what you need to do to register a birth, including who can register a birth, what you need and when to do it.
Registering a birth
Every birth in NSW must be registered with the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages (the Registry).
Birth registration is the responsibility of the baby’s parent/s. Hospitals will not register your baby for you.
You should register your baby’s birth within the first 60 days or 180 days if their sex characteristics are hard to assign. You can still register a birth after this time. It’s never too late to register and you won’t get in trouble if you do it late.
What’s the difference between a birth registration and a birth certificate?
Registering a birth is required by law while getting a birth certificate is optional. You can’t get a birth certificate unless the birth is registered.
Birth registration gives your baby a legal name and identity. Birth registration records the baby’s given name/s, sex, when and where they were born, as well as their parents and older siblings. These records are kept by the Registry.
A birth certificate presents the birth registration information in an official document you can keep. You can use your birth certificate to prove your identity for many official purposes. It makes it easier to:
- access health services like Medicare
- enrol in childcare and school
- take part in organised sport
- open a bank account
- get a driver licence or passport
- receive government benefits like parental leave.
You can buy a birth certificate during birth registration or order it later. Commemorative birth certificates are also available.
Already registered the birth and just need a birth certificate?
Order a new or replacement NSW birth certificate online now.
Who can register a birth?
Births are usually registered by the parents, but they can be registered by other people.
You can also register a birth if you are:
- a court-appointed guardian, or
- a government casework practitioner, or
- an adult registering your own birth (because it was not registered when you were a child), or
- anyone else who knows the relevant information.
If you want to add two parents on a birth record, both parents must jointly complete the birth registration statement and declare it is correct.
If this isn’t possible, details of the second parent can only be included if one of the following applies:
- one parent completes and signs the birth registration statement, and the Registrar is satisfied there is a lawful basis to include the second parent’s details, or
- a court has ordered the inclusion of the information in the Register, or has found that a particular person is a parent of the child, or
- the Registrar is otherwise legally entitled to presume the identity of the child’s parent. This means the Registry may rely on a relevant legal presumption to identify a parent, for example, a presumption arising from a marriage or other legally recognised relationship, without requiring a court order.
What you need
To complete the birth registration, you need to provide proof of your identity, information about the birth, baby and parents.
Details about the baby and birth
You need to provide the:
- baby’s full name
- date, time and place of the baby's birth
- baby's birth weight in grams
- sex of the baby.
Details about the parents
You need to provide proof of identity and information about the baby’s parents, including their:
- full name, address and contact details
- place of birth
- jobs at the time of birth
- address during most of the pregnancy
- if married, date and place of marriage
- if the parents have other children born before this baby, the full names, date, and place of birth of each child.
When you submit a birth registration for a birth that happened outside of a hospital or birthing centre we may contact you for additional information.
Find out more about homebirth and freebirth requirements.
If you're registering a birth more than 12 months after it occurred, you'll need to provide one identity document showing the child's name. This can include:
- Medicare card
- Centrelink concession card
- Certificate of Currency for private health insurance
- current student ID card or school report, letter or invoice issued by an Australian primary or secondary school with the child’s full name
- student ID card issued by an Australian TAFE or university
- confirmation of Aboriginality
- utility bill from the last 3 months with the child’s full name
- letter or document from a doctor or hospital that also displays the child’s date of birth and full name
- a court order, care order, guardianship order, placement order or other order issued by a government agency with the child’s full name.
The Registry may contact you if the identity document/s you provide are not consistent with the name listed on your registration.
There are some more requirements for people registering a birth more than 12 months after it occurred. This includes parents registering their child late and adults registering their own birth because it was not done when they were a child.
In addition to the requirements outlined above, you need to provide 3 proof of identity documents showing your full name. One of your documents needs to be a:
- Medicare card
- Australian driver licence
- Centrelink card.
The Registry may contact you if the identity document/s you provide are not consistent with the name listed on your registration.
Note: If you are an adult completing your own birth registration statement (self-registration), you must use the paper form. Parents registering their adult child can use the online form.
Register now
Register a baby’s birth online.
It’s the quickest and easiest way to submit your birth registration and you can order a birth certificate at the same time.
When you register a birth using our online form, you have 14 days to complete it and can save your progress at any time.
If you are having trouble with the online form, please visit our online form help page for support. To report a technical problem with the form, please email the Registry.
If you can’t apply online, you can download the birth registration form and submit it with the required documents*, either by post or in-person.
Paper forms are also available at your local Service NSW service centre.
By post:
NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages
GPO Box 30
Sydney NSW 2001
If you ordered a birth certificate with your birth registration, the Registry will send a secure payment link to the email address provided in your application so you can pay the certificate fee.
*Note: never post original identity documents.
In person:
Head to your local Service NSW Centre.
Bring your completed form, supporting documents and proof of identity for staff to check and scan. You can also pick up a registration form there if you don’t have a printer.
Please note paper forms take longer than online applications because they are processed manually. The Registry may contact you if handwriting is difficult to read or there is missing information.
If you have also applied for a birth certificate, we will send a secure payment link to the email provided in your application for payment processing, after we review your application.
Fees and processing times
View the cost and processing times for birth registration and standard birth certificates in the table below.
Please allow additional time for delivery of birth certificates. The processing times do not include Australia Post delivery. Check the current delivery times for Registered Post on the Australia Post website.
Sending your certificate overseas? International postage costs an additional $10. Please note, international Registered Post cannot be tracked. Learn more on the Australia Post website.
| Registration of birth | Free |
|---|---|
| Standard birth certificate ordered when birth is registered Fees include $11 postage and handling | Standard service $70 |
| Online application | Up to 3 weeks |
| Postal application | Up to 5 weeks |
| Via Service NSW | Up to 4 weeks |
| Fee to send a copy of a certificate to a passport office | $51 |
The listed processing times do not include postage delivery times. Please allow 5 to 7 days for delivery of the certificate.
Hospitals have 7 days to inform the Registry about the birth. A new birth registration is matched to the notice provided by the hospital.
How do I choose my baby’s name
Choosing a name for your baby can be challenging.
While most names can be registered, please be aware that the Registry cannot register a name that:
- is offensive
- is longer than 50 characters per name
- includes diacritical marks or accents
- includes numbers and symbols such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Jnr, Snr
- could be confused with a title or rank such as colonel, judge, saint, queen, prince
- is not provided using the English alphabet.
Learn more about the restrictions for registering a name in NSW.
Please remember, if you change your mind about the baby's name after you register the birth, you will need to pay a fee to change their name.
Did you know? We keep a record of popular names in NSW that might help you choose a name for your baby.
What do I do if I made a mistake on a birth registration
If you made a mistake when you registered the birth or if you notice an error on the birth certificate you can apply to correct an entry.
We have separate processes for changing a child's name or adding a parent's details.
Can I choose my parental descriptor
Yes. When registering a birth, parents can choose to be recorded as the mother, father or parent, no matter their legal sex.
How are relationships recognised on birth registrations and certificates after an adoption or parentage order
Parents are recognised on birth registrations and birth certificates in line with the adoption or parentage order received by the Registry.
Parent descriptors and details are recorded exactly as set out in the court order. Please ensure the court order includes the descriptor you wish to be recorded (for example, mother, father or parent).
My child was conceived via assisted reproduction, how is this recorded on the birth registration or certificate
If your child was conceived through assisted reproduction, you can recognise this on the birth record. It will not be added to the birth certificate.
There is a non-compulsory question on the birth registration form that asks whether the child was conceived through assisted reproduction using donated sperm or ovum (egg).
If you answer 'Yes' to this question and the child orders a copy of their birth certificate after the age of 18, they will be notified that there may be further information available on a central register established under the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2007. To learn more, see the NSW Health website.
If you registered a birth that occurred on or after 4 May 2016, and you want to add donor details to the record, you can apply for a correction.
Can I include donor-conceived siblings on the birth registration
Siblings conceived through the same donated sperm or ovum (egg) are not automatically recorded as ‘Previous children of relationship’ on a birth record or birth certificate.
If you haven’t registered the child’s birth yet and would like to add a donor-conceived sibling to their birth certificate, you must apply using the paper birth registration form and include:
- a cover letter explaining your request
- evidence from the IVF clinic confirming that the children were conceived using the same donor.
Submit the completed paper application and supporting documents by post or at a Service NSW service centre.
If you would like to add a donor-conceived sibling to an existing birth certificate, you need to submit a correct an entry form with:
- a cover letter explaining your request
- evidence from the IVF clinic confirming that the children were conceived using the same donor.
Which state do I register a birth in if I live in Albury Wodonga
If you live in Albury and your baby was born in Wodonga, you may be able to register your child’s birth in NSW rather than in Victoria.
You can register a birth in NSW if you live in:
- Postcode 2640: Albury, North Albury, East Albury, South Albury, West Albury, Corrys Wood, Ettamoga, Glenroy, Lake Hume Village, Mungabareena, St Hilaire, Splitters Creek, Table Top, Thurgoona, Wirlinga
- Postcode 2641: Hamilton Valley, Springdale Heights, Norris Park, Lavington.
Note: A birth cannot be registered in both states. Once the registration is completed in one state, it cannot be changed. In addition to the standard application requirements, at least one of the birth parent’s proof of identity documents must show a NSW residential address within an eligible postcode listed above.