Register a birth
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Birth Registrations
All babies must be registered within 42 days (six weeks) from the date of birth.
Those parents that have received a letter from us, for babies born more than four weeks ago, are being reminded to book an appointment online. If you haven’t registered your baby after six weeks, we have to issue you with a formal requisition to do so and refer the non-registration to General Register Office.
- Birth appointments are face to face in the offices at Southampton Register Office, 6a Bugle Street, Southampton, SO14 2AJ
- If natural parents are married/civil partnership to each other, only one parent needs to attend the office (married/civil partnership partner details are automatically included)
- For unmarried/non civil partnership parents, BOTH parents must attend, if you want to include the father’s details on the registration. Otherwise, the mother can attend alone, and no fathers’ details will be recorded
- Please note not all second female parents can be included in the register. Please email us with any queries BEFORE the appointment
- You DO NOT have to bring baby with you. Please do not bring additional siblings or persons with you
- We appreciate your patience during this time
Parents requiring an interpreter appointment to register baby (those needing help/support with English)
You are not allowed to book a birth appointment online if you need help/support with your English. The interpreter appointment takes longer and we have specified slots to allow enough time for the registrars and customers. You will need to get a friend or relative to interpret for you. Unmarried parents CANNOT interpret for each other.
Please email us your interpreter's phone number to registrars@southampton.gov.uk. Please include your details and date and place of birth for baby and we will call your interpreter to arrange a time for you to attend the offices WITH your interpreter.
If you have booked an appointment online AND you need an interpreter, you will NOT be seen for that appointment.
Babies born to parents living in the Channel Islands
If you live in the Channel Islands and have had to come to Southampton to have your baby, you will need to register the birth BEFORE you leave the mainland. Please contact us or ask your midwife to contact our offices. You cannot register your baby back in the Channel Islands. Please email registrars@southampton.gov.uk with your contact information and we will call you to arrange an appointment.
Re-registration of baby after natural parents have married or formed a civil partnership with each other
Whilst we still have a backlog to deal with, we are booking these appointments on specified days only. Please email registrars@southampton.gov.uk to ask about availability. Once we book your appointment, if you fail to show, your details will be removed, and you will have to contact us again in due course. There are several months to wait for the next available appointments. Please keep your appointment. We thank you for your patience.
Re-registration of baby to add the natural father
As soon as the natural father is on the registration, he gains parental responsibility for the baby/child. Please ensure you have completed the re-registration form to add the natural father and then email us to enquire about appointments. You will need to bring this completed form signed by both of you and both of you attend the appointment we offer.
A birth must be registered within 42 days (six weeks) to obtain a birth certificate for your baby.
A birth registration appointment lasts about 20 minutes. If more than one baby is being registered, or an interpreter is assisting, it may take up to 40 minutes. Due to the high demand of our appointments, please be aware that your appointment may have to be rescheduled if you are more than five minutes late.
Although you must attend in person, you do not need to bring the baby with you.
If the birth you wish to register occurred at one of the following locations an appointment should be booked at Southampton Register Office:
- Princess Anne Hospital
- A home birth at an address within the Southampton City Council boundary. This is essentially postcode areas SO14-SO19 however, there are some exceptions, so please check with the local authority of the area where you should register the birth
Book an appointment to register a birth
Cancel or reschedule your birth appointment
If your baby was born at the Princess Anne Hospital, but you don't live in the city, you can register the birth at offices in the Hampshire registration district.
Hampshire offices will also be able to issue your certificates at the time of registration.
If you live further afield, you can make a declaration of the facts at any Register Office in England or Wales. The birth certificates will be sent from the Southampton Register Office in due course.
Why not plant a tree to commemorate your child's birth? This is a fantastic opportunity to mark the birth of your child and contribute to a greener city. Find out more about the next tree planting event in Southampton.
What documents will you need to take to the registration?
If you have been given a red baby book, please bring this with you. Please also bring proof of current and past names, and current address for the Mother and the Father or second female parent. It is advisable to bring:
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Deed poll
- Driving licence
- Proof of address
- Marriage or civil partnership certificate
What the registrar will need to know
Details the registrar will need are:
- Place and date of the birth
- Name, any middle names, surname and sex of the baby
- Parent/s full names, surnames, previous surnames and address
- Places and dates of parent/s birth
- Date of parent/s marriage or civil partnership (if applicable)
- Parent/s jobs
- Mother's maiden surname and any previous married surnames
Not all of this information may be required, depending on who is registering the birth. Please read the information on corrections to registrations before attending your appointment.
What does it cost to register a birth?
It does not cost anything to register a baby’s birth. Registrations effected from 1 November 2017 will no longer receive a free short certificate.
A full birth certificate contains all the information that appears in the register entry and is the certificate you will require to obtain a passport or open a bank account for your child.
These certificates are available to purchase at the time of registration at a cost of £11.00 each. We recommend you purchase at least two full certificates at the time of registration. You can order a certificate any time after the registration.
Customer survey
After attending your appointment please fill in our customer survey. We are always interested in your feedback and ideas and appreciate your comments.
Other services of interest
Southampton Registration services also perform a Naming ceremony
Southampton has many Sure Start Children’s Centres across the City offering support for all families with children under five.
Sign your family up to Southampton libraries to hear of news activities and events.
Trees for Life is a free annual event for families to plant a tree to celebrate babies born in Southampton.
