Registering a stillbirth

Registering the stillbirth of a child is no doubt the farthest thing from a grieving parent's mind. There are family members who can help and while you must register a stillbirth by law, you do have one year from the date of the stillbirth to complete the registration.

The doctor or midwife will send the medical certificate of stillbirth by email to the General Registrar's Office. The Registrar will then contact the next of kin and the stillbirth will be registered by phone. There will be no need to attend your local Registrar's office. If you have any queries regarding this process, please contact the Registrar on 028 9127 8001.

Who can register a stillbirth?

The mother or father of the stillborn child (if they are a married couple) can register the stillbirth. If the parents are not married to each other, the name of the father may only be recorded if the Registrar speaks to the father at the time of registration.

The following people may also register the stillbirth:

the grandmother, grandfather, uncle or aunt of the stillborn child
any person present at the stillbirth
any person having charge of the stillborn child
the occupier of the premises where the stillbirth took place

To register a stillbirth you will need to provide the following information:

full name and sex of the stillborn child
date of the stillbirth
district and place of stillbirth
full names and dates of birth of the parents
full addresses and occupations of the parents

Once the registration is completed, the Registrar will issue a stillbirth certificate free of charge.

Order a stillbirth certificate

If you need to order a certified copy of a stillbirth certificate, the procedure differs slightly from other types of certificates. Only certain family members related to the stillborn baby can order the certificate. They are:

mother or father (if named on the certificate)

General Register Office
NISRA
Colby House
Stranmillis Court
Belfast
BT9 5RR

Telephone: 0300 200 7890