Western Australia Birth Registration

Birth registration is compulsory and parents need to register their child's birth within 60 days of birth. A birth certificate can be obtained after the birth has been registered and both processes can be done at the same time. Birth registeration and certificates are handled by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Western Australia. Visit the site for further information and contacts.

To Register:

Fill out and lodge a birth registration form with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Birth registration statements are given to parents at the hospital or by the midwife. If the form is misplaced, a copy can be obtained from the Registry.

There is no fee required for registering a birth.

In WA, a complimentary birth extract is supplied upon birth registration. This document may be used by the child as proof of identity and age for school or sport enrolment and later on when applying for employment, driver's licence and when getting married. You need a full birth certificate for banks or passports - see below.

To Obtain a Birth Certificate:

Fill out the birth certificate application. You can usually get them at the same time/place as the birth registration statement, plus this application is also available online in pdf format. You can get it here: Application for full certificate or extract

Commemorative birth certificates are also available, and can be purchased by filling out an application for a commemorative birth certifcate (it comes with a standard certificate too). View samples of commemorative certificates

There are fees required for obtaining birth certificates. A full certificate or extract as of January 2005 is $40.00. Commemorative certificates are $50.00 and this includes a standard full birth certificate copy as well.

Identification is also required in obtaining a birth certificate. You have to provide photocopies of identification documents.

You can check out the list of acceptable identification documents.