Birth Certificate: Everything You Need to Know About Birth Registration

What is Birth Certificate in India?

A birth certificate is a vital document given to every child at the time of their birth. This certificate contains significant details like parents’ details of the child, nationality of the child, along with the location and details of hospitals where they’ve taken birth. When a child grows older, he/she can use the respective birth certificate for applying for the other documents.

Birth certificate is one of the most important documents that establishes the date and permanent official record of a child’s existence. The child who is not registered at birth might not be able to avail the right of any official identity, a recognised name and nationality. For availing several benefits by the Government, birth registration is a mandatory process for Indian citizens.

Disadvantage of not having a birth certificate

Any individual without having a birth certificate is not entitled to apply for getting any other services. For getting admission in any educational institutes, applying for passport etc. needs your birth certificate copy. If you’re unable to provide your birth certificate your age will always be under question, and hence it could be very difficult for you to avail any further services.

Process of registering a birth certificate

The overall process of registering a birth certificate is easy. There is a requirement of providing few documents at the time of registration. The step by step process of registration is given below:

Collect the birth certificate registration form from the registrar’s office (form your municipal authority). A medical officer in-charge provides the form while a child born in a hospital.
Fill out the form. It’s better to get this done before 21 days post the birth. Unless the certificate will be issued post police verification.
All the supporting documents including parents’ identification are required to be submitted along with the form.
After 7 days of application you may follow-up with the municipal authority to acquire the birth certificate
You can provide a self-addressed envelope at the municipal office for sending a copy of the birth certificate to the mentioned address.

How you can apply for a birth certificate through online?

For registering a birth certificate through online you need to log on to the CRS portal http://crsorgi.gov.in/web/index.php/auth/login
Select the option “General Public Signup”
Provide all the required details and register
Will then receive a confirmation email
Log in now and fill all the required fields in the application form
Now take a print out of the form, and visit concerned registered office with all the required documents

Documents required to apply for a birth certificate

Proof of birth letter issued by the concerned hospital
Birth certificates and marriage certificates of parents
Address proof (Voter ID/ passport/Aadhaar card/telephone bill/electricity bill etc.)