Registering the birth of your baby - Saint Mary's Hospital

Where to register your baby’s birth

The registration of births in the UK is overseen by the General Register Office (GRO). In England and Wales, you have a legal responsibility to register your baby’s birth within 42 days of the birth.

A birth should be registered in the district where it occurred. If the birth occurred within the City of Manchester, you need to make an appointment with the Manchester register office. It is not possible to book appointments at Manchester Register Office over the telephone at this time and all appointments need to be booked online.

Rather than attending Heron House in Manchester city centre, if you prefer, you can register the birth of any baby born in Manchester at the following register offices. Currently you do not need to live in the district to use this service at Rochdale Register Office (until 30 April 2021). Trafford, Salford and Bury Register Offices only provide this service for their own residents.

You can register the birth at any of the following locations:

Salford Register Office

Salford Register Office operates a strict appointment system. You can now only make an appointment here if you live in Salford. You must not attend the office without booking an appointment as you will not be allowed access. You can make an appointment online or alternatively if you do not have access to the online system you can telephone 0161 793 2500. (Salford residents only)

Bury Register Office

Bury Register Office operates a strict appointment system. You can now only make an appointment here if you live in Bury. You must not attend the office without booking an appointment as you will not be allowed access. You can make an appointment by calling 0161 253 6026. (Bury residents only.)

Trafford Register Office

Trafford Register Office operates a strict appointment system. You can now only make an appointment here if you live in Trafford. You must not attend the office without booking an appointment as you will not be allowed access. To book an appointment, please telephone 0161 912 3026 during their office hours, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. For further information please visit their website. (Trafford residents only)

Rochdale Register Office

Rochdale Register Office operates a strict appointment system. From 1 May 2021 you will only be able to make an appointment here if you live in Rochdale. You must not attend the office without booking an appointment as you will not be allowed access. You can make an appointment by calling 01706 924 784.

You may also find it helpful to check the website for the Manchester, Salford, Bury, Trafford and Rochdale offices for additional information.

Registering Births at Surestart Centres

Birth registrations services can now be done at a number of Surestart Centres across Manchester. Please contact the relevant centre to make an appointment, but bear in mind there may be some delay, due to the unusually high level of demand for appointments at the moment.

Unfortunately, at the current time we are unable to issue the birth certificate on the day of registration, if you register your child’s birth at a Surestart

Centre. Instead, the registrar will issue you with a letter giving full details of how you can apply for the certificate online.

We will attend the following centres on these days:

Monday: Woodville Surestart Centre, Cheetham (0161 234 3000) and Rusholme Surestart Centre (0161 227 3171)
Tuesday: Clayton Surestart Centre (0161 219 6177)
Wednesday: Benchill Surestart Centre (available to M22 and M23 residents only) (0161 998 7280)
Thursday: Longsight Surestart Centre (0161 248 1500)
Friday: Sacred Heart Surestart Centre, Gorton (0161 245 7180) and Moston Surestart Centre, Moston (0161 205 7058)

If you are unable to get an appointment straight away, families can now make a claim for child benefit or universal credit prior to the birth being registered, where you have not been able to do so because of the pandemic. Please visit www.gov.uk for further information.

Who can register your baby’s birth?

Opposite sex couples

If you and the father were married to each other at the time of the birth, either parent may register.
If you and your partner were not married at the time of the birth, then you may register alone, but the father’s details can only be entered if you attend to register together.
If this is difficult for you, you and your partner can may make a statutory declaration using a prescribed form (please contact us for further details), or the fathers details can be added by re-registering the child at a later date. Other people may register the birth in exceptional circumstances. For further information please contact us by email (registeroffice@manchester.gov.uk)

Same-sex couples

Same sex couples can now become equal legal parents of children they conceive together or conceive through a surrogate.
Lesbian couples who are married or civil partners at the time of the conception and conceive a child through artificial insemination will both automatically be treated as their child’s legal parents. In these circumstances, either parent may register the birth.
Lesbian couples who are not married or civil partners at the time of conception but who conceive together through a fertility clinic in the UK licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority may also be treated as legal parents. In these circumstances, the mother may register the birth alone, but the second parent’s details can only be entered if they attend to register together.
If this is difficult the mother or second parent may make a statutory declaration using a prescribed form (please contact us for further details), or the second parent’s details can be added by re-registering the child at a later date.
Other people may register the birth in exceptional circumstances. For further information please contact us by email (registeroffice@manchester.gov.uk)
Different options are available to gay men depending on their specific circumstances.