Birth Re-registration Qualifying Questions
Re-registering a birth
There are two types of re-registration for a child born in England or Wales:
- A re-registration following the parents' marriage or civil partnership, to show the child as a child of that marriage or civil partnership. This type of re-registration is a legal requirement, and also provides a useful way to update various details about the parents.
OR
- A re-registration to add the details of the father or second female parent to a birth registration, where the existing registration does not show them. The child's parents must not have married or entered into a civil partnership with each other since the date of the child's birth. This type of re-registration is optional.
Both types of re-registration will result in a brand new birth registration that will override the original one. If you are not sure which applies to you, or if you need to re-register, please contact us.
Changing the surname of the child
If you wish to change the child's surname, it can be changed to that of the mother, father, female parent or any combination of the two as long as both parents agree to the change. Other changes to the surname may be possible - however, please contact us in advance to discuss this before making an appointment.
Where the child is 16 years old or over, their written consent will be required to a change of surname.
Please note that you cannot change a child's forenames at a re-registration. There is a separate process for this - please contact us if you would like to know more.
Approval from General Register Office
In some cases, we must obtain approval from our head office, General Register Office, before a re-registration can be completed.
The most common reason is for a re-registration after marriage or civil partnership where the ceremony took place outside the UK. It can also apply where the birth has previously been re-registered or corrected, where the child has been adopted, is a ward of court or is in care, or is subject to a court order. Finally, a re-registration where there is a second female parent will need to be referred to General Register Office.
If any of these apply to you, please contact us before making an appointment.
What to bring to your appointment
For a re-registration following the parents' marriage or civil partnership, please bring:
- A completed form LA1, signed by both parents, for each child to be re-registered. You will need a different form for each child.
- While both parents need to sign form LA1, only one parent needs to come to the register office for the re-registration appointment.
- Your original marriage or civil partnership certificate.
- Please note if you were not married in the UK, we would need to refer your application to General Register Office for authorisation before the re-registration can be completed – please contact us before making an appointment.
For a re-registration to add the natural father's details, please bring:
- A completed form GRO 185, signed by both parents, for each child to be re-registered.
- Both parents are required to attend the register office for the re-registration. If there is a reason why both parents cannot attend, please contact us before making your appointment.
Please note that this type of re-registration gives the natural father joint parental rights and responsibility for the child. Only a court can remove these. You may wish to seek legal advice on this before continuing with the re-registration.
In all cases
It would be useful if you could also bring a form of valid photo ID for each parent.
There is no charge for the re-registration of a birth. However, you may wish to purchase new birth certificates, as any old certificates will no longer reflect the new registration. Birth certificates will cost £12.50 each. We can only accept payment by card.
At your appointment you will be asked questions about yourself and your child. If you are married or in a civil partnership, at least one parent at the appointment will need to be able to speak and understand English. If you are not married or in a civil partnership then you will both need to speak and understand English - you cannot answer or interpret for each other. If you do not meet these requirements, you will need to bring a third person along to help interpret. If the registrar has concerns about your understanding of English the appointment may have to be abandoned and re-booked.
If you have any queries about the re-registration process, what to bring, or who should attend, please contact us before making an appointment. Unless everything is in order, we may not be able to complete the re-registration.
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