mgul003

Hi All,

My baby is due Jan 2010 and would like to seek your advice on the following

1. What is the process of getting the birth certificate immediately after child's birth? does the hospital authorities issue the birth certificate / do we have to approach some agency who issues the birth ceritificate.

2. Do we have to have the baby's name decided before the child's birth for birth certificate?

3. Incase if the baby needs to travel abroad next months of birth abroad, which is the right time for applying for passport and visa?

Thank you

moneypenny20

Don't know if the set up is different here from the UK so can't help you on 1. 2. No you don't need a name up front - some people don't know the sex let alone what the child looks like name wise.
3. Once you have the birth certificate, you can apply for the passport and then the visa.

binnz10

When I had my son, the hospital gave me the forms needed to send off to the registry of births deaths and marriages for the birth certificate and baby bonus (if eligible). You get so long before you have to do it (it was something like within 60 days in NSW - don't know if it is different in different states) - shoul dgive you enough time to decide on a name. Once I had that I was able to send off for his passport.

Pomster

Here in Victoria the delivering obstetrician gave me a form with our new baby's details on it...bar the name.
We entered that, and sent form off with some cash for the certificate. Took about 2 weeks. Not sure how long you have before it is mandatory to send the doc off for registration though.

Once the birth cert was back, we took our 6 week old baby to a chemist/photo shop listed on BHC website- their photos were suitable for both Brit and AU passports.
Booked appt at Australia Post for passport 'interview' with 6 week old, then stuck all docs in an envelope to BHC.
Aus passport took 10 days, British one about 6 weeks.

ABCDiamond

In most States, possibly all, you have 60 days in which to register the birth.

This is normally done at a registry or local magistrates courts office. This may vary on the State you are in.

Here is a link for Queensland registration and birth certificates.
http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/600.htm

ann m

That's the fun part, isn't it? Getting a tiny baby positioned in the right place, with their head vaguely upright, and no adult hands in the picture ....

mgul003

Thank you all for the information