Births

Congratulations on the birth of your child. You must register the birth of your child within 42 days, and they must be registered in the district the child was born in. Registering your child promptly will help you apply for things such as passports and child benefits, as you may be asked to provide a copy of your child’s birth certificate.

If your child was born in North Tyneside, including in transit through the borough, you can book an appointment to complete a birth registration at the Register Office in North Shields. When you complete a birth registration appointment, you will be able to order and receive a copy of your child’s birth certificate on the same day.

If your child was born anywhere else in England & Wales, you can complete a birth declaration at one of our Family Hubs as an alternative to attending a registration appointment outside of the borough. The information provided in the declaration will be sent on your behalf to the registrars in the district where your child was born. You will not receive your certificate during your birth declaration appointment. We will provide you with contact details for the relevant local authority so that you can place an order for copies of your certificate.

If you are the birth mother of the child, you can complete a birth registration or declaration for your child. If you would like the father/second parent’s details to be recorded on the birth certificate, both parents must attend the appointment unless they are married or in a civil partnership with each other. If the mother and father/second parent are married or in a civil partnership with each other, only one parent needs to attend the appointment.

If you are not sure who needs to attend the appointment or have unique circumstances not covered above, please do not hesitate to contact us using the details below and we will be able to provide advice.

You will be asked to provide some personal information during your appointment. This may include:

The town, city, county or country where the child’s parents were born.
Details of the parents current or most recent occupations.
The time of birth of the children if more than one child is being registered.
ID number, rank and regiment for any parents in the armed forces.

All information gathered during the appointment is strictly for the purpose of completing a registration and will be treated as confidential.

Each parent attending the appointment will be asked to provide:

Proof of ID, such as a birth certificate, driving licence or passport.
Proof of address, such as a utility bill, bank statement or council tax statement.
Proof of marriage or civil partnership, if applicable.
Your child’s ‘Red Book’, which you will have received from the hospital after birth.

If you are unable to gather the documents requested, please inform us as soon as possible and we will be able to advise you of any accepted alternatives.

To arrange a birth registration appointment for a baby born in North Tyneside, please contact the Register Office:

North Tyneside Council - Register Office
Maritime Chambers, Howard Street, North Shields, NE30 1LZ
Call 0191 643 6164
Open Monday-Friday 09:00-16:00

To arrange a birth declaration appointment for a baby born outside of North Tyneside, please contact your preferred Family Hub:

Riverside Family Hub
Minton Lane, North Shields, NE29 6DQ
Call 0191 643 8899
Appointments available Tuesday to Friday.

Shiremoor Family Hub
9 Bridge Terrace, Shiremoor, NE27 0TA
Call 0191 643 2110
Appointments available Monday & Thursday only.

Howdon Family Hub
11a Howdon Lane, Wallsend, NE28 0AL
Call 0191 643 2229
Appointments available Tuesday & Friday only.

From the 1st of November 2017, anyone applying to have a correction made to a birth entry will be charged a fee of £83-£99, if the error is deemed to be incorrect information given by the informant at the time of registration. This fee is for the consideration of a correction only and will not be refunded should the correction not be granted.

A fee of £44 will be charged for the changing of a child’s forename within 12 months of the birth registration.