There are three types of re-registration for a child born in England or Wales:
- Following the natural parents' marriage to show the child as a child of marriage. This type of re-registration is a legal requirement.
- To add the natural father's details where the existing record does not show any father and the child's natural parents have not married each other since the date of the child's birth.
- Following the marriage or civil partnership of two female parents to show the child as a child of marriage or civil partnership.
If you wish to change the child's surname, it can be changed to the same as the mother, the natural father or any combination of the two as long as both parents agree to the change. Where the child is 16 years or over, their written consent will be required. You cannot change a child's forenames at re-registration.
There is no charge for the re-registration of a birth. However, new birth certificates can be purchased on the day of re-registration for a cost of £12.50 for each certificate.
Your appointment
Depending on the type of re-registration, you will need to complete the appropriate application. You should then do the following:
Request a re-registration appointment
We aim to contact you within five working days of receipt of your request to book your appointment.
If your child was born in Surrey you can re-register the birth at any one of the following register offices in Surrey: Guildford, Leatherhead or Weybridge.
Re-registration following the natural parents' marriage
- A completed form LA1, signed by both parents, for each child to be re-registered.
- Your original marriage certificate. If you were not married in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, we will need to refer your application to the General Register Office for authorisation before any re-registration can take place.
- One parent is required to attend at the register office for the re-registration.
Adding the natural father's details
This type of re-registration gives the natural father parental responsibility for the child. This responsibility can only be removed by a court. You may wish to seek legal advice on this prior to your application.
- A completed form GRO 185, signed by both parents, for each child to be re-registered.
- Both parents are required to attend at the register office for the re-registration. If there is a reason why both parents cannot attend together, please contact us to discuss your situation.
Re-registering a child born to two female parents
Authorisation is required from the General Register Office to re-register a child born to two female parents. To obtain more information and the required application form, contact us.
Please contact us if you have any questions regarding birth re-registration.
