Register a birth

You must register a birth within 42 days of the child being born. You’ll only get a birth certificate after you register your baby’s birth.

If your baby was born in Redbridge, you’ll need to make an appointment.

Important

You need to register a birth in the borough where the baby was born. Find a register office

If your baby was born at Queens Hospital and you live in Redbridge, you can register the birth with us.

If your baby was born at Whipps Cross Hospital, you must register the birth at Waltham Forest.

Who can register a birth

You do not need to bring your baby to the registration.

If the parents are married or in a civil partnership

the mother can register the birth alone
the father or second parent can register the birth alone
both parents can attend together but only one parent can register the birth

If the parents are not married or in a civil partnership

both parents must register the birth together for both to be included on the birth certificate
the mother can register the birth alone but the father or second parent will not be included on the birth certificate
The father or second parent cannot attend alone

If a parent cannot attend

One parent can register the birth on their own, and you can still have both parents included on the birth certificate, if you have a statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage.

You’ll need to bring this with you at your appointment.

Cost of certificates

Registering a birth is free. But you’ll need to pay for the birth certificates.

Each certificate costs £12.50.

You’ll need to pay for the certificate before your appointment.

You can pay with a debit or credit card.

What you need to bring

You’ll need to show:

your baby’s red book or the discharge letter from the hospital
proof of identity for each parent such as passport, driving licence, birth or marriage certificate
any name change documents like a deed poll
proof of address like a driving licence or council tax bill

At your appointment you’ll be asked for:

the date and place of the baby’s birth
whether the baby is a boy or girl
the full name(s) and surname of the baby
the parent’s full names, place and date of birth
the mother’s maiden surname (if she has one)
the parent’s addresses and jobs
the date of the parent’s marriage or civil partnership (if applicable)

Location of your appointment

You’ll need to attend your appointment in person.

Your appointment will be at Redbridge Town Hall:

128-142 High Road
Ilford
Essex
IG1 1DD

If you do not speak English

You must bring your own translator. The translator must bring ID. They need to be with you at the appointment.

You cannot translate for each other.

Book an appointment

You must make an appointment to register a birth.

Appointments are from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

You’ll need:

an email address
details about the birth such as date of birth and place of birth
parent's details
your credit or debit card to buy certificates

You'll need to login or sign up to a MyRedbridge account.

Book a birth registration appointment

Register a stillbirth

To register a stillbirth or a baby who has died, please contact us to make an appointment.

See register a stillbirth

Re-register a birth

You can re-register your child’s birth if they were born in Redbridge and:

you want to add the natural father’s details to the birth record
you have married your child's natural father after the birth and want their details on the birth record

There is no charge for re-registering a birth.

How to apply

You must complete one of these forms:

You should complete the form and send it to us:

Redbridge Registration Service
London Borough of Redbridge
Redbridge Town Hall
128-142 High Road
Ilford, Essex
IG1 1DD

Once we receive your application, we’ll email you to book your appointment. This can take four to six weeks.

Corrections

If you need to make a correction to a birth certificate, there will be a cost depending on the information that needs to be corrected.

£83 if the correction can be done by us
£99 if the correction needs to be referred to the General Registrar Office

You’ll need to pay extra for a new certificate.

See the GOV.UK for information on correcting a birth certificate.

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