How do I register a birth in Ireland?

Here is how to register your baby's birth in Ireland, from the HSE and Citizens Information, both checked on 17 October 2026.

When do I have to register a birth in Ireland?

You must register your baby's birth within 3 months, although you have up to 12 months in some circumstances. Registering within 3 months matters: the details go to the Department of Social Protection, so your baby's PPS number and the Child Benefit forms are sent to you automatically. After 12 months, contact the Civil Registration Service.

If you register after 3 months, you have to contact Client Identity Services and the Department of Social Protection yourself to arrange the PPS number and Child Benefit. After a hospital birth, wait 3 weeks before booking your appointment; after a home birth, you can book at any time.

How do I book an appointment to register a birth?

Book with any HSE Civil Registration Service, wherever the birth took place; most people choose their local office. You can book online or by phone, and some offices take walk-ins at certain times. Registering is free. Some parents are invited to register online on MyWelfare.ie instead, using a birth notification ID posted to the mother.

Find your nearest office with the HSE's Find a civil registration service. You can also post or email the completed form to the office first, but the birth is only registered once you sign the register in person.

To register online you need the birth notification ID from the letter and a verified MyGovID account; both parents need one if you are not married to each other. Some births cannot be registered online, for example if either parent is separated, divorced or widowed, for a same-sex couple, for a donor-conceived birth or for a stillbirth. Contact your local office for these.

What do I bring to register a birth?

Bring the completed birth registration form, one for each baby if you had twins or more, and your government-issued photo ID with a photocopy of its photo page. Accepted ID includes a passport, driving licence or Public Services Card. If you married outside Ireland, also bring your original marriage certificate.

Citizens Information also says to bring your PPS number. A marriage certificate that is not in English or Irish needs a certified translation. After a home birth with a midwife or doctor, bring the signed birth notification form they gave you as well; with no healthcare professional present, the HSE has a separate notification form for your maternity hospital or GP to complete with you. Download the birth registration form (PDF) from the HSE.

Who can register the birth?

Usually the parents register the birth. If you are married to each other, either of you can do it and only one signature is needed. If you are not married, the HSE says both parents must attend and sign; if one of you cannot, phone the Civil Registration Service for advice.

Citizens Information lists declaration forms for when one parent cannot attend. Since 10 December 2025, a mother who is not married to the father and registers alone must give the father's contact details, unless a statutory declaration applies: for example, she does not know who or where he is, or naming him would not be safe for the child. The Civil Registration Service then writes to the father, and if he does not reply within 28 days the birth is registered without his details.

Parents who marry each other after the birth should re-register it, even if the father's details are already on the register.

What does a birth certificate cost?

Registering the birth is free, but certificates cost money. A full standard birth certificate is €20 and an uncertified copy of the entry is €5. You can get a certificate when you register, or later from any registrar's office, by email or online. A Multilingual Standard Form for use elsewhere in the EU is free.

You need the birth certificate to enrol your child in school, to apply for a passport and for much else. You no longer need to send copies for social welfare claims if the birth is in the Irish register, because the Department of Social Protection can check it directly.

How does registering the birth start Child Benefit?

When you register within 3 months, the details go to the Department of Social Protection, which gives your baby a PPS number and sends the Child Benefit forms to you. Child Benefit is €140 a month for each child, and a once-off €280 New Baby Grant comes with the first payment.

Our Child Benefit guide has the payment dates and what to do with form CB1. The PPS number is also what you need to apply for Parent's Benefit: see our Parent's Benefit guide.

Can I change my baby's name after registering?

You can add or change a forename for a €5 fee, with form CRA 16 signed by both parents and original documents showing the name your child uses. A surname can usually only be changed when the birth is re-registered, for example to add the father or after the parents marry each other.

If only the mother is named on the birth entry, only she needs to sign. Choose the surname with care when you register: it must be the surname of either or both parents, unless you apply to the Registrar General or a Superintendent Registrar for a different one.

Who do I contact about registering a birth?

Contact your local HSE Civil Registration Service, which you can find on the HSE website, or the General Register Office in Roscommon on 090 663 2900 or gro@welfare.ie. For free help, call the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0818 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm.