Registering a birth in Victoria: 60 days, one login, two parents

When do you have to register a birth in Victoria?

All births in Victoria must be registered with Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM) within 60 days of the child being born, and there is no fee to register. Registration creates the official record of your child's identity, lets them use public services such as school, Medicare and Centrelink, and allows them to access their own records once they turn 18.

Registering and buying a certificate are two different tasks. The law requires registration; the certificate is optional, although it is a primary form of identification for many official purposes. This page covers the Victorian process; the Australia-wide guide explains what is the same in every state.

How do you register a birth in Victoria?

Registration is online, and you sign in with a Service Victoria account. If you don't have one, you create one first. That is the "birth registration Victoria login" people search for: there is no separate BDM account.

At minimum, the form asks for your child's names, date of birth, sex and place of birth, and details of the attending medical practitioners. For each parent it asks for names, residential addresses and any previous children, and you select the parents' relationship: married, de facto, a registered domestic relationship, or no relationship. If your child was conceived with donated sperm or eggs, BDM also needs the treatment details.

Each parent completes their own part

This is the Victorian step that catches couples out. Both parents fill in their details separately, using different email addresses, and BDM is explicit: do not complete the other parent's section on their behalf, because legally each parent must do their own part. Agree who starts the application, and check that the second parent has done theirs.

If you can't apply online, you can email BDM and ask for a paper Birth Registration Statement.

Who can register?

You can register a birth if you are a parent of a baby born in Victoria. A carer who needs a birth certificate for a child in their care must have the birth registered first, and BDM runs a separate process for carers and Child Protection clients.

If you don't know who the other parent is, or where they are, attach one of BDM's statutory declarations: parent identity unknown, or parent whereabouts unknown. If you have concerns for your safety, tell BDM. It can protect your information from the other parent; for example, it does not have to tell them your address or contact details without your consent, though it may ask for documents supporting your concerns.

What does it cost?

BDM updates its fees every financial year. It accepts credit or debit cards (not AMEX or Diners Club), BPAY and money orders, but not cash. Legal certificates go by express post and arrive folded, which does not affect their validity.

How and when do you get the birth certificate?

You don't automatically get a certificate when you register. Order one during registration or separately later. BDM's current estimate is up to 28 days (4 weeks) for a newborn's registration and certificate, plus extra time for public holidays and postage. For donor-conceived births, allow up to 4 to 6 weeks more, because BDM needs information from the donor conception registers.

Digital birth certificates

Service Victoria is trialling digital birth certificates for children. You can order one when you register, and it is added to your digital wallet in the Service Victoria app. You can also add one later if you have the paper certificate and your child was born on or after 19 February 2019. During the trial they can be used to enrol in state-run kindergartens in Casey, Mitchell and Wyndham. Commemorative certificates are keepsakes only and can't be used to prove identity.

What does the hospital or midwife do?

When a doctor or midwife attends a birth, they notify BDM that the birth happened, but you still have to register it. After a home birth without a doctor or midwife, you register the birth and also provide a letter on official letterhead from a health practitioner who saw the mother during pregnancy and examined the child after the birth, plus a statutory declaration from another person who was there.

What if the birth wasn't registered?

Late registration in Victoria starts with a certificate application. If BDM has no record of the birth, it asks you to get confirmation, usually a letter on official letterhead from the Victorian hospital, and to email the documents for assessment. BDM then tells you whether to proceed to registration, which is still free. When registering a child late, you provide records of their life in the community, such as Medicare or Centrelink cards, immunisation records or school records, so the birth is registered in the name your child has been using.

Changing your child's name later

A change of name costs $148.60, which includes a $59.10 legal certificate; the $89.50 registration part is non-refundable. In most cases both parents on the birth certificate complete the application, a child aged 12 or older must consent, and you return the existing birth certificate before a new one is issued. A name can be changed only once in a 12-month period and 3 times in a lifetime. Both parents also need to agree on the new name, and some names aren't allowed, so it pays to settle the name before you register. If you are still choosing, see the most popular baby names in Australia.

Where to get help

Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria handles registration, certificates and name changes, and you need a Service Victoria account to apply. If your baby was born in New South Wales, even if you live in Victoria, see registering a birth in NSW. Once the birth is registered, enrol your baby in Medicare, and if you are claiming government pay, read Parental Leave Pay in Australia. For travel plans, see your baby's first passport.

Frequently asked questions

How do I register a birth in Victoria?

Apply online through Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria within 60 days of the birth, signing in with a Service Victoria account. Each parent completes their own section using a separate email address. Registration is free, and you can buy a $59.10 legal birth certificate in the same application or later.

What is the birth registration Victoria login?

It is your Service Victoria account. BDM's online birth registration asks you to log in with Service Victoria, and to create an account if you don't have one. The second parent uses their own email address to complete their part, because BDM needs each parent to do their own section.

How long does it take to get a birth certificate in Victoria?

BDM currently estimates up to 28 days (4 weeks) for a newborn's registration and certificate, plus public holidays and postage. Donor-conceived births can take up to 4 to 6 weeks longer, because BDM needs information from the donor conception registers before it can register the birth.

Is there a fee to register a birth in Victoria?

No. There is no cost to register a birth in Victoria. You pay only if you order a certificate: $59.10 for a legal birth certificate from 1 July 2026, plus $10.60 for express post within Australia. A combined legal and commemorative package starts at $95.80.