Register a birth
Congratulations on the new addition to your family. You must register your baby's birth within 42 days (6 weeks) by law.
To register a birth in Havering your baby must have been born at Queen’s Hospital, at home or another address in the borough.
You need to book an appointment online before visiting the Register Office. We operate on an appointment-only basis and do not have any walk-in appointments.
When you register your baby you need to purchase a birth certificate. Birth certificates cost £11 each and must be paid for in advance when you book your appointment.
You can also purchase one of our animal character birth wallets for £3 each. We cannot take payments in person.
Birth certificates can be used as evidence of your baby's name, date of birth and place of birth. It is required when applying for a passport, claiming benefits, registering with a GP, and applying for a school.
What happens at the appointment
The appointment should last about 20 minutes when registering one baby. If you are registering multiple births, this will take slightly longer.
Our Registrar will ask you to confirm your baby’s details, including the spelling of their names, before you sign the birth register.
It is important to check that all details are correct before signing the birth register. If you notice a mistake on the birth certificate once it has been produced, corrections will cost £90.
Appointments to register a birth take place at Langtons House, Billet Lane, Hornchurch, RM11 1XJ
Who can register a birth
For information on who must attend the appointment and who can be included on the birth certificate, read the government’s guidance on who can register a birth.
What to bring to your appointment
To register a birth, you will need to bring the information below to your appointment.
- Date and place of your baby's birth
- Whether the baby is a boy or a girl
- Correct spelling of the baby's forenames and surname
- Parents full names
- Dates and places of parents' birth
- Parents' occupations
- Parents' addresses
- Mother's total number of previous children
- Date of mother’s marriage or civil partnership to the baby's father, if applicable
- You should also bring your baby’s personal child health record or any official paperwork with the baby’s NHS number on such as the notification of birth or ‘Red Book’
It is also useful to bring with you:
- the parents' passports
- the parents' marriage or civil partnership certificate (if applicable)
Book your appointment
Most people book their appointment in about 5 minutes.
Please have your debit or credit card ready. American Express is not accepted.
After booking, you will receive an email containing the details of your appointment. If you provide a mobile number when booking, you will also receive text message reminders of your appointment.
Book your birth registration appointment
We have limited priority appointment slots available to book online.
There is a £35 fee for this service.
Most of our appointments take place on the first floor of the Register Office and there is no lift.
If you need special assistance, such as wheelchair access, please let us know when you book your appointment. Buggies can be parked in the foyer on the ground floor.
If you require an interpreter, you are welcome to bring one to the appointment.
All babies born at Queens Hospital can be registered at the Havering Register Office.
If you gave birth at Queens Hospital and live in Redbridge or Barking and Dagenham, you can also register your baby’s birth at your borough’s local Register Office.
Visit the Barking and Dagenham Register Office to register your baby.
Visit the Redbridge Register Office to register your baby.
You should register a birth at the local Register Office in the district where the baby was born. Find your local Register Office.
If your baby was not born in Havering you can still book an appointment to register your baby with us. This process is longer, and you will not be issued a birth certificate at your appointment.
We will send details of the birth to the relevant Register Office and they will contact you. Your birth certificates will be sent to you via post.
If the baby was born in Scotland, Northern Ireland or any overseas country, the birth will have to be registered in those countries.
You can only apply for copies of a birth certificate once the baby has been registered. Find out more about how to request copies of a birth certificate.
If you would like a copy of a birth certificate for a birth registered outside of Havering, please find and contact the relevant Register Office.
If you have registered a birth outside of Havering by declaration, please do not request a copy of the birth certificate until 7 business days after your appointment.
There are some situations when you would need to re-register a birth. Re-registrations are required when:
- the mother has married the child's biological father after the birth was registered. You will still need to re-register the birth if the father's details were originally entered in the birth register, and the child has the father's surname.
- the father's name was not on the birth certificate initially, but the parents now want this added.