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Births registration

When to register

	Under the relevant Ordinance, the birth of a newborn child shall be registered within 42 days of birth without any fee required.
	A prescribed fee is required for registration of birth after 42 days of birth.
	Application for registration after 12 months of birth will require the consent of the Registrar, apart from the payment of a prescribed fee.
	A birth will be registered upon receipt by the Registrar of the relevant birth return from the hospital in which the newborn child is born. Please make enquiry with the hospital for the date of filing the birth return before applying for birth registration at a relevant births registry.
	You may also contact the relevant births registry by phone to confirm its receipt of the birth return of your newborn baby before making application for birth registration.
	When applying for birth registration, the attendance of the newborn baby is not required.

Where to register

	The birth of a child should be registered at the registry of the district in which it occurred.
	If the child was born before arrival at a hospital/clinic, the birth should be registered at the Births and Deaths General Register Office.
	Application for consent to post-registration of birth should also be made at the Births and Deaths General Register Office.

How to register

Birth registration

	The presence of the child is not required for birth registration of new-born in hospitals.
	Unless the parents are not married and the father's particulars are requested to be registered, the attendance of either parent is sufficient.
	The following original documents are required :- parents' marriage certificate; and parents' Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards; or parents' identity cards and valid travel documents (e.g. passport, documents of identity, etc.).
	Except the Hong Kong marriage certificate, photocopies of the above documents are also required for record purpose in the case where either parent is 'settled' in Hong Kong. ('Settled' means ordinarily resident without being subject to any restriction in the period for which a person may remain.)
	After registration of birth, it is advisable to obtain a certified copy of birth entry.

Post registration of birth

	Applicant for consent to post-registration of birth is required to apply for a search of his birth record in the first instance to ensure that he has no registered birth record in Hong Kong.
	The application for consent to post-registration of birth should be supported with evidence indicative of the applicant's date and place of birth as well as proof of relationship between the applicant and his parents.
	The parents and 2 additional witnesses will be required to make statutory declarations on the applicant's birth in Hong Kong.

Fees

	No registration fee is payable if the birth is registered within a period of 42 days.
	A registration fee will be charged if the birth is registered after the period of 42 days.
	Fee will be charged for each certified copy of birth certificate issued.
	Upon application of an extra certified copy, if the birth certificate previously issued or its photocopy cannot be produced, a search fee will also be charged.

Special consideration

In the case of an illegitimate child, the father's name is to be included in the register on the following circumstances :-

	at the joint request of both parents; or
	at the request of the mother on production of :- mother's Declaration, and father's Statutory Declaration to confirm the child's paternity; or
	at the request of the father on production of father's Declaration, and mother's Statutory Declaration to confirm the child's paternity; or
	at the request of the father or mother on production of a certified copy of relevant Court Order to confirm the child's paternity, and if the child has reached the age of 16, the written consent of the child to the registration of that person as his father.