If you've recently given birth in Victoria, you'll need to register your newborn baby with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. All births must be registered within 60 days of the child being born. There is no fee to register.
Register your baby's birth to:
- Create an official public record of your child's identity and begin your child's future
- Access many public facilities and services such as school, Medicare and Centrelink
- Help exercise your rights and responsibilities in relation to the child
- Enable the child to access their record once they're 18
When you register the birth, you don't automatically get a birth certificate. You can order a certificate at the time of registration or order one separately later. We suggest you discuss this with the other parent.
Related information
Find out how to register:
- The birth of a child born outside of Victoria
- The birth of a child protection client, if you're a carer of children under a Children’s Court order
- A home birth
- A late birth registration
- The birth of a child conceived through assisted reproductive technology (a donor-conceived birth)
- The birth of a child born through a surrogacy arrangement
![Register a birth](https://files.bdm.vic.gov.au/styles/thumbnail/s3/2021-06/Kangaroo%20icon%20Register%20a%20birth.png?itok=cE52r8JW)