Administrative paperwork after the birth of a child: what do I need?

The birth of a child involves a series of administrative steps that can be somewhat tedious to deal with after giving birth.

Below, we offer some guidelines to guide and help parents with this task.

After childbirth, at the hospital, you will be given the medical report for maternity. It is a document that must be signed by the doctor who attended the birth or by the midwife.

Before going home, make sure you collect the baby's hospital discharge report and your own as mother.

Registering the birth of a child at the Civil Registry

What is a birth certificate?

A birth is understood as the moment when a person has an independent life of their own, separate from the mother's womb.

What is the deadline for registering a birth certificate?

A birth record must be registered between 24 hours and 30 days following the birth.

To register a newborn more than 30 days after birth, you need to file an administrative procedure, which requires the appearance of two witnesses confirming that the boy or girl was born on that date and in that place, and that the following documents are provided.

Who can request the registration of a birth?

The duty to declare the birth falls on the father or the mother, the grandparents, the aunts, uncles or cousins of the newborn, as well as the brothers- and sisters-in-law of the newborn.

If the parents are not married, the procedure must be carried out jointly by both parents.

Where is a birth registered?

At the Civil Registry of the address of the parents or parent, or in the town where the birth took place.

If the baby was born in a different town from the one where you want to register them, you will need to provide a certified copy of a certificate issued by the hospital stating that the registration was not started in the place of the birth of the child. You can collect this certificate when you are discharged from hospital.

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Can the birth registration be done online at the Civil Registry?

It is not possible to register births by electronic means. If you need to make a birth registration at the Civil Registry in Madrid, for example, do not forget to request an in-person appointment at the Civil Registry to start the procedure.

Which documents are needed to register a birth at the Civil Registry?

Birth registration at the Civil Registry

The birth declaration form for a child, which can be collected and filled in at the Civil Registry itself.

The documents that must be presented for the registration of a newborn at the Civil Registry are:

• Medical certificate (provided by the hospital).
• ID card of the parents or, failing that, passport or NIE.
• Family record book if the parents are married.

The deadline can be up to eight days from the birth of a child. If there is a case of force majeure, which must be specified in the register, it can even be extended up to 30 days. Beyond this period, a procedure must be filed with the Civil Registry.

Birth registration from the hospital

Currently, the registration of the newborn can be done directly in public hospitals, at the Patient Services desk at the hospital where the child was born and that this procedure is free of charge.

Full birth certificate

Once you have completed the procedure at the Civil Registry for the birth of a child, you will receive an email or a notification so that, from the online portal of the Ministry of Justice, you can apply for the electronic certification of the full birth certificate.

The purpose of this document is to certify the birth itself, as well as the place, date and time at which it took place, and to detail the filiation details of the newborn.

Once you have obtained this electronic certification, you can continue with the process to complete all the procedures relating to the birth of a child.

Municipal registration after the birth of a child

The registration of newborns in the municipal register is usually carried out automatically by the Civil Registry, and the baby is registered at the address given in the entry. If this is not the case, a certificate from the Civil Registry or the family record book, the ID card and a photocopy of the person who is going to register them at the corresponding town hall will be enough.

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Registration with Social Security to obtain the health card

This is a necessary procedure so that the newborn has healthcare cover and can be assigned a paediatrician. Although nowadays there is also the option of doing it online with Social Security, a visit to the Social Security office with an appointment booked in advance is necessary to register the newborn as a beneficiary of one of the parents. To do this you need the following documents:

• ID card/NIE or passport of the person making the request.
• Social Security card of the holder (father or mother, legal guardian) of whom the baby will be a beneficiary.
• Family record book with the Civil Registry entry for the baby, or a family record book that is not up to date together with the full birth certificate.
• The P1 form for including beneficiaries. It can be downloaded or collected from Social Security offices.

Health card for a newborn

Once this procedure has been carried out at the Social Security Institute (INSS), you must go to your health centre to request the issue of the health card for the birth of a child with the following documents:

• Documentation obtained from the INSS.
• Certificate of registration of the baby on the municipal register.
• Original and photocopy of the ID card.
• Health card of the parent to whom the baby has been assigned.

Applying for maternity and paternity leave

It is possible to apply for leave for the birth of a child. Any working mother or father, whether employed or self-employed, can apply for it, either in person at a Social Security office or online.

Fortunately, nowadays and thanks to the internet, the procedures to be carried out after the birth of our baby can be handled with minimal worry.

Frequently asked questions about the birth of a baby

Where do you register a baby?

The registration of a baby is carried out at the Civil Registry corresponding to the place of birth. It is important to attend in person with the necessary documents, such as the ID card of the parents and the birth certificate issued by the hospital or clinic where the birth took place.

How do I register my child if I do not have the delivery record?

If you do not have the delivery record, you can request a duplicate from the health centre or hospital where your child was born. You can also present other documents, such as the ID card of both parents and, in some cases, a medical report confirming the birth.

What happens if a baby is not registered?

Not registering a baby can have legal and administrative consequences. The child will not have an identity document, which limits their access to basic services such as medical care and education. In addition, they could face legal problems in the future as they are not officially recognised as a citizen. It is essential to complete the registration within the period established by law to avoid complications.

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