Re-registering and changing parent details
You must re-register your child’s birth if you want to add the details of the natural father or second female parent to the birth record. You must also re-register the birth if the parents have married or entered into a civil partnership after the birth of the child.
You can either complete the form before booking to re-register, or at your appointment, with the registrar's assistance.
In certain cases your application to re-register your child may need to be sent away to be processed by the General Register Office (GRO). If this is necessary, you’ll need to come in for a second appointment to complete the re-registration once the application has been approved by GRO.
If you want a new birth certificate following re-registration it costs £11
Re-registration can’t be done at a Surestart Centre
Mother and father have married after the birth
If you have a child born in Manchester that you’d like to re-register following the marriage or civil partnership of the parents, fill in an ‘Application for re-registration following parents’ marriage’ form and then book an appointment online. Only one parent needs to attend the appointment but both must sign the form. You’ll need one form per child.
Mother and father aren’t married
If you have a child born in Manchester and want to add the father’s name to the birth record, fill in an ‘Application for the re-registration of a child’s birth’ form and then book an appointment online. Both parents must attend the appointment. You’ll need to complete one form per child. If one of you can’t attend the appointment, they must fill in a ‘Statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage’ form. The other parent will need to bring that to the appointment and your application will be sent to and processed by the General Register Office (GRO). Once it’s approved you’ll need to make a second appointment with us to complete the re-registration process.
If there’s been a ‘Declaration of Parentage’
A Declaration of Parentage is when the court decides who the father of a baby is. You don’t need to do anything to change the birth record in this instance the court will tell the General Register Office and the birth will be re-registered. You’ll need to order a new birth certificate if you want one.
Mother and second female parent have married / entered into civil partnership after the birth
If the mother has married or formed a civil partnership with the child's second female parent, after the birth has been registered, the birth should be re-registered.
Contact the General Register Office (GRO) for the relevant forms, which – with any supporting documentation – should be submitted to GRO. Once it has been authorised, the re-registration will be carried out at the Register Office.
GRO contact details for re-registration:
- corrections.re-reg@ips.gsi.gov.uk
- 0300 123 1837
Changing the father's name on the birth certificate
If the wrong father is named on the birth certificate, you can ask for a correction to remove it and then re-register the birth with the correct name.
This only applies if a DNA test proves (or a court order says) that the man named on the certificate isn't the natural father. Contact us for more information.
Visit gov.uk for further guidance about changing parent details on a birth certificate