There are a number of reasons to re-register a child’s birth certificate in the United Kingdom. Children born before a marriage, however, must be re-registered by law.

When married parents have a child, the husband is automatically assumed to be the father. Unwed mothers, on the other hand, are asked—but not required—to provide the name of the birth father in the hospital. Unless compelled by a court order, the father is not required to acknowledge paternity, just as the mother is not required to put down a name.

However, the Legitimacy Act of 1976 is an unclear and strange British law that applies and affects all parents. The goal of this law is to recognize children as “child of the marriage”

Here are ways to add a father’s name to a child’s birth certificate copy. 

At the register office, you can request to correct and add the biological father’s name to the child’s birth certificate. 

The application form you use will depend on whether or not you marry the father.

• Form # 1 – Use this form if you’re married or have formed a civil partnership with the child’s father after the child’s birth was registered. By law, you must re-register the birth.
• Form # 2 – Use this form if you’re not married or in a civil partnership but you prefer the natural father’s name on the birth certificate record. 

Bring the accomplished form to the register office. In case one of you is unable to attend because you are not married or in a civil partnership, the other must fill out a ‘Statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage‘ form and mail it to the General Register Office.

How to get a new birth certificate

You’ll have to order a new birth certificate separately if you want one. You won’t get one automatically when you re-register the birth. Another question often being asked is how to correct father’s name in birth certificate.

You can request a correction if the current birth certificate names the wrong father. The incorrect father’s name will be removed as a result. The birth can then be re-registered with the correct father’s name.

Declaration of Parentage

A declaration of parentage formally states whether a named person is the legal parent of another person under British law. When a court determines who the father of a child is, it is known as a Declaration of Parentage. If a court has issued a Declaration of Parentage, you don’t need to do anything to change the birth record. The General Register Office will be notified, and the birth will be re-registered. If you want a new birth certificate, you’ll have to order one.