Birth certificate registration: how to register a birth and get the certificate

A birth certificate is the document that everything else is built on. The identity number on it is the number the person will carry for life, and it is the foundation for a Smart ID card, a passport, school registration, a tax number and eventually a bank account. Getting it right early is significantly easier than fixing it later.

The 30-day window

Births must be registered within 30 days of the birth. Within that window, the process is a notification rather than an application:

1. The hospital or maternity facility records the birth and, at most facilities, submits the notification electronically to Home Affairs.
2. The details are captured on the national population register and an identity number is allocated.
3. The parents collect the abridged birth certificate from a Home Affairs office or a designated service point.

If the facility does not submit electronically, the parents must register the birth themselves within the 30 days, using the proof of birth issued by the facility.

Late registration

After 30 days, the process changes. A late birth registration requires:

• the standard documents (both parents’ identity documents, proof of birth),
• additional evidence that the birth occurred, which can include an affidavit, a baptismal record, immunisation records or school records depending on the child’s age,
• and, where the delay is long, a fuller investigation before the record is created.

Late registration is not refused, but it takes longer and depends on evidence you may not have kept. That is the entire argument for registering in the first month.

Abridged and unabridged certificates

	Abridged	Unabridged
Shows	The child’s details and identity number	The child’s details and both parents’ details
Cost	Issued with registration	Applied for separately, fee applies
Needed for	Everyday proof of identity and age	Passport, some visas, adoption, certain travel

The distinction catches parents out at the worst moment - at the passport counter. If you plan to travel with the child, apply for the unabridged certificate before you need the passport, because the two processes run in series rather than in parallel.

Documents, by situation

Situation	What to bring
Married parents	Both identity documents, marriage certificate, proof of birth
Unmarried parents, paternity acknowledged	Both identity documents, proof of birth, acknowledgement completed
Mother registering alone	Mother’s identity document and proof of birth
Late registration	The above plus affidavits and any supporting records

After the certificate

The identity number allocated at registration is what the child will use for a Smart ID card when they reach the age for one, and for a first identity document before that. A passport applications for a minor follows its own rules on parental consent, covered in the passport guide.

Last reviewed 13 October 2026. Registration windows and requirements are set by the Births and Deaths Registration Act and Home Affairs practice; confirm current requirements before travelling to an office.