Register a birth

A birth must be registered within 21 days of its occurrence. In special circumstances, the registrar can postpone this.

If the birth took place in Scotland, you can register at any registration office in Scotland by appointment.

Birth Registrations may be carried out in the district of North Ayrshire by:

• face to face appointment
• over the phone

Find out more by reading the Directions for the Registration Service document.

The mother or father/parent of a child can register a birth, as long as they're married to each other.

If the parents aren't married, the mother should either:

• register the birth herself
• bring the father/parent with her so their name can be recorded in the register

If both parents can't attend together, or if you need another relative to register the birth, please contact the registrar for advice.

You will need:

• Birth Registration Card - this is issued by the hospital, and shows the child's date, time and place of birth
• Marriage Certificate - if the parents of the child are married to each other

There is no fee to register a birth.

The registrar will issue the following free of charge:

• an abbreviated birth certificate
• an EC58 form, which you should use to register your child with a NHS doctor

If you would like a copy of the birth certificate, we can provide this for £10 up to one month after the birth has been registered. Thereafter, the cost is £15.

If postage is required this will be calculated for you. The total cost will be given to you by a member of the Registration Team.