Registering a baby conceived after fertility treatment
There is usually no difference to a birth registration when a child is born following fertility treatment. The child is registered as the child of the couple who were treated together, with no reference to any donor involved in the treatment.
A recent change in the law means that the above also applies to female couples who were in a civil partnership at the time of conception, provided their treatment was at a registered clinic and they sign consents.
Registering a baby conceived after fertility treatment where the father has died before the treatment
If the child is conceived through fertility treatment after the death of the man or woman receiving treatment with the mother, it is possible for the man or woman to be registered as the child's father or second female parent either when the birth is registered, or at a later date if not named initially.
Registering a baby born to a surrogate mother
This must be done in two phases:
- Initial registration - the baby is registered as the child of the woman who gave birth, and her husband/partner if she has one, unless it can be shown that he did not consent to the treatment, or was judicially separated from the woman at the time of conception.
- Re-registration - the commissioning parents then apply through the courts for a Parental Order, which is sent to The General Register Office. This must be done when the baby is between six weeks and six months old. A fresh entry is made for the child in a special register held at The General Register Office, showing the commissioning parents as the child's mother and father.
The General Register Office will write to the commissioning parents, explaining how they can apply for a new birth certificate.
The new entry held in the General Register Office supersedes the original entry made at the local registration office. The original entry is annotated and no further certificates are issued from it.
