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 Hospital Discharge Papers 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)
- Whether the child is a boy or girl
- Forename(s) and Surname in which it is intended that the child
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 not employed, 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 not employed last occupation
- Present address
- Date of Marriage
- 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, that will have the
baby’s name, date of birth and district of birth recorded on it,
together with a form to register the baby with your local family
doctor.
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 birth certificate at the time of
registration is £3.50. The certificates remain at £3.50 until the
register is deposited with the Superintendent Registrar
(approximately a month after the registration but please ring to
confirm). Once the register has been deposited, the cost per
certificate becomes £7.00. We can accept payment by cash, cheque or
postal order but not 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 bi-lingually?
If you would like to have the birth registered in both English
and Welsh please discuss this with the registrar when you telephone
to book an appointment. Please note that bi-lingual 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 query 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.