Registering a Birth or Death
REGISTERING A BIRTH
A baby born in Birmingham Registration District should usually be registered with Birmingham Register Office.
You will need to make an appointment by ringing
0121 675 1004 or 0121 675 2902 or 0121 675 2904
Lines are openMonday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.15pm
You should contact us to make an appointment as soon after the birth as possible. At certain times of the year we may not be able to offer you an appointment for some weeks.
By ringing the above numbers you can make an appointment to register the birth at either Birmingham Register Office, Holliday Wharf, Holliday Street, Birmingham, B1 1TJ or at the Sutton Coldfield Outstation, The Council House, King Edward Square, Sutton Coldfield, B73 6AP, which offers a limited service.
See our Opening Hours for details
A parent can also register the birth by making a declaration in person at any convenient Register Office, however a birth certificate will not be issued until the details have been forwarded to Birmingham Register Office.
If the parents are married to each other only one parent needs to attend.
If the parents are not married to each other and they wish the fathers details to be included in the register they must usually attend together.
When attending the Register Office parents should bring the hospital discharge papers with them.
There is no charge for registering a birth.
When the birth is registered the parents will receive a short birth certificate.
Full birth certificates showing parents details cost £4.00 on the day of registration and for the following two weeks. After this date certificates cost £7, for as long as the register is being used by the registrar. It then increases to £10.00.
Payment for certificates should be made in cash.
Email register.office@birmingham.gov.uk - please include a daytime contact telephone number.
REGISTERING A DEATH
When someone dies you need to register his or her death with the registrar in the area where the death took place within five days.
A death occurring in Birmingham Registration District should usually be registered with Birmingham Register Office.
You will need to make an appointment by ringing
0121 675 1004 or 0121 675 2902 or 0121 675 2904
Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.15pm
By ringing the above numbers you can make an appointment to register the death at either Birmingham Register Office, Holliday Wharf, Holliday Street, Birmingham, B1 1TJ or at the Sutton Coldfield Outstation, The Council House, King Edward Square, Sutton Coldfield, B73 6AP, which offers a limited service.
See our Opening Hours for details
You will need to take the medical certificate of cause of death with you. You will get this from the doctor or the bereavement officer at the hospital. Alternatively, if there has been a post mortem, the coroner may issue the document you require to register the death - the doctor or hospital will assist in these circumstances.
You will need the following information in order to be able to register the death:
The date and place of death
The full name of the person who has died (this should be the name they used at the time of their death)
Any other names they may have been known as. For example, they may have changed their name by deed poll.
Their date and place of birth (town and county if possible)
Their job and whether they were retired
Their usual address
If the person who died was a married person or in a civil partnership or widowed, you will also need to know:
In the case of a woman, her surname before she first married or registered her civil partnership
The full name and occupation of the deceased's wife, husband or civil partner.
You will need to give your full name and address. You will also be asked to give your relationship to the person who died, for example, son, daughter, widow, widower, niece, nephew, surviving civil partner, or the person making the funeral arrangements.
You will also be asked to answer some extra questions.
This information is used for government statistics and is kept confidential
Was the person who died married or in a civil partnership?
Is their husband or wife or civil partner still living? If they are, what is their date of birth?
How long did they stay in hospital or other establishment, for example a hospice?
Was the person under 75? If they were, what industry did they work in?
Did they get a pension paid from government funds? This includes the civil service, teachers, armed forces and war widows. This does not include the state pension or pension credits. You will be asked this so that the registrar can let the relevant department know the person has died.
Have you found a medical card showing the person NHS number?
There is no charge for registering a death.
Once you have completed the registration, the registrar will give you:
green form to give to the funeral director; and
a white form (called a BD8) that you can send off with any benefit or pension details to the Department for Work and Pensions.
You will also be able to obtain death certificates for £4.00 on the day of registration and for the following two weeks. After this date certificates cost £7, for as long as the register is being used by the registrar. It then increases to £10.00.
Payment for certificates should be made in cash.
You will need these certificates when you are sorting out the finances of the person who has died. For example, banks and insurance companies will probably need a death certificate to allow access to accounts and funds.
If you would like to speak to a Registrar or if any of the following apply, please telephone us on 0121 675 1004 or 0121 675 2902 or 0121 675 2904 and ask for the Nominated Officer
Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.15pm
If the death has been reported to the coroner
If a relative cannot attend to register the death
You would like to register by declaration at a different Register Office
If you need further advice about the procedure for registering a death.
E-mail:register.office@birmingham.gov.uk - please include a daytime contact telephone number
For further practical advice and support, after the loss of a relative or friend click on the following link
www.birminghambereavementadvice.org.uk
The site can help you with
what to do first
finding a funeral director
probate and legal procedures
money and tax issues
finding support
preventing junk mail being sent to the deceased.
Supported by :
University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust
NHS West Midlands
Bereavement Advice Centre
Birmingham Register Office has moved