Birth Certificates

What documents will I need?

The registrar is notified directly by the Local Health Authority of all births that occur within The Vale of Glamorgan, so you do not have to bring any documents with you when you attend to register the birth. However, it is sometimes helpful for you to bring along your Hospital Discharge Papers or your passports with you.

What information will I need to supply to the registrar?

The registrar will ask for the following information:-

About the baby

• Date and place of baby’s birth (if the baby is one of a multiple birth, the time of each baby’s birth will also be needed by the registrar)
• Sex of the child
• Forename(s) and Surname in which it is intended that the child will be brought up.

About the father (if his details are to be entered in the register)

• Forename(s) and Surname (including any other names known by)
• Date and place of birth
• Occupation, or if unemployed, last occupation
• Address at time of baby’s birth

About the mother

• Forename(s) and Surname (including any other names known by)
• Maiden name if the mother is, or has been, married
• Date and place of birth
• Address at time of baby’s birth
• Occupation, or if unemployed last occupation
• Present address
• Date of Marriage, if married to the child's father at the time of the birth 
• Number of previous children

What if I make a mistake in the register entry?

The register is a Legal Document. It is therefore vital that the information recorded in the register is correct. If any mistakes are made it will put you to some inconvenience to have it corrected. You should, therefore, check the information recorded in the register very carefully before you sign. If at any time you discover an error has been made in an entry, you should contact us as soon as possible.

Warning: Any person who knowingly and wilfully GIVES FALSE INFORMATION to a registrar for insertion in a Birth Register, or MAKES A FALSE DECLARATION for the purposes of the registration of a Birth is LIABLE TO PROSECUTION FOR PERJURY.

What certificates will the Registrar issue?

Once the registrar has completed the registration you will be issued with a free short birth certificate which shows the baby’s name, date of birth and district of birth.

After registering the birth you will be given the opportunity to buy a standard birth certificate, which includes the parents’ details. The certificate may be required for a range of administrative purposes, particularly passport applications.

The certificate is a certified copy of the entry in the birth register.

What are the costs?

The cost per standard(full) birth certificate at the time of registration is £4.00. The certificates become £7.00 the following day and £10.00 once the register containing the birth entry is deposited with the Superintendent Registrar (approximately a month after the registration but please ring to confirm). We can accept payment by cash, cheque,  postal order and debit/credit card. Please make cheques payable to “The Superintendent Registrar”. Certificate fees are set by statute and reviewed annually.

What is a certified copy?

A Certified copy (Birth, Death, Stillbirth or Marriage certificate) is an exact copy of a register entry. Certified copies are issued by the registrar, and should be used for all legal and evidential purposes. These certificates are printed on water marked paper and are subject to © Crown Copyright, this means they should not be photocopied.

Can I register the birth bilingually?

If you would like to have the birth registered in both English and Welsh please discuss this with the customer service operator when you telephone to book an appointment. Please note that bilingual registrations are not available in England.

What do I do if I don’t speak English very well?

If English is not your first language and you would like someone to help you with the registration, please ask a relative or friend to accompany you to the Register Office.

Please remember you must register the birth personally. You cannot ask a relative or friend to attend instead of you.

What if one or both parents are not British?

Where one or both parents are NOT British you should contact the relevant Embassy or Consul in this country after registering the birth. If you have any queries regarding British Nationality for a child, you should contact:

Home Office

Nationality Division

3rd Floor India Building

Water Street

Liverpool

L2 OQN

What should I do, if I require special assistance?

If you require any assistance when registering please discuss your needs with a registrar when you telephone to book an appointment.