Register a birth

Birth registration appointments

You can register your baby’s birth at the Registration Office in Belfast City Hall by appointment only. Appointments are available from 9.30am to 3pm, Monday to Friday and will last around 30 minutes. 

Read our information on how to register your baby before making the appointment.

Book an appointment

You can also book an appointment to re-register the birth. It should only be booked once General Register Office (GRO) has given approval for the re-registration. You can find more information about this and the application form on nidirect (link opens in new window). select the ‘short appointments’ option on the form to book a re-registration appointment.  

Once you have completed your booking, you will receive a confirmation email with further information about your appointment. If you don’t receive this, check your junk or spam mail folder. 

If you have any special requirements for birth registration, email [email protected] with your contact details or call 028 9027 0455 or and we will contact you as soon as possible.

If you have any issues booking online, call us on 028 9027 0290. 

Opening hours

You can contact the office at the times shown in the table.

How to register a birth

By law, babies born in Northern Ireland must be registered within 42 days of the birth. This is free and can be done in any District Registrar's office in Northern Ireland.

You will need to fill in a birth registration form and bring it to the Registration Office. This is usually completed by the person registering the birth.

Download the birth registration form from the nidirect website (link opens in new window). Forms are also available from the Registration Office. 

Once you have completed this form, bring it to the Registration Office at your appointment and we will complete the registration process. We cannot accept postal applications. The registrar will issue a short birth certificate and a HS123 infant registration form.

Who can register a birth

• the mother or father of the baby, if you are a married couple
• the mother or second female parent (if in a civil partnership with each other at time of donor insemination or fertility treatment)
• grandfather or grandmother 
• uncle or aunt who has knowledge of the birth
• occupier of the premises where the baby was born
• any person present at the child's birth
• any person who has charge of the child.

In the case of a child born to an unmarried couple or a couple not in an opposite sex civil partnership, the details of the father may only be recorded if both parents attend and sign the registration form together.

If you cannot attend together, call us on 028 9027 0455 for further advice. More information about this is available from the nidirect website (link opens in new window).

A birth can also be registered to two female parents under certain circumstances. As this is complex and personal, we advise you to call a member of the registration staff on 028 9027 0455 for further information. 

What you will receive

Once the birth is registered, you will receive: 

• one free short birth certificate
• a HS123 infant registration form to help you register with your family doctor and get your child's medical card. 

Additional birth certificates, either short or full, may be purchased at the time of registration for £8 per copy. You can pay by credit card, debit card, cheque or cash. 

If you need to order additional copies of birth certificate after registration, you can find out more about ordering from the General Register Office.

More information

The General Register Office, based at NISRA, Colby House, Stranmillis Court, Belfast, BT9 5RR, provides help and advice about the following issues: 

• Re-registering a birth, for example, if you want to add the father's name after the initial registration.
• Recording name changes.

You can find detailed information about all these topics on nidirect births and registration (link opens in new window).