How to register your newborn baby in Spain?

If you have a newborn baby, or you are planning to have a baby, this article is for you. As you can imagine, you need to go through several necessary and recommended bureaucratic processes for the little one. In this article, we will focus on registering the new birth but we will also mention many important things you need to think of.

 

1. How to register the new birth?

2. Do you need to get a Spanish birth certificate?

3. Can you register the baby in your home country?

4. Other procedures you might need to carry out after the registry

5. Recommendations from Adeslas:

 

 

1. Registering the new birth

 

This is the most important thing you need to take care of because birth registration is the first step toward a legal identity.

Birth registration at the civil registry office officially records that the baby has been born, the place of birth, sex, and details of the parents if applicable.

 

 

1. Where to register?

Normally, births must be registered at the Municipal or Consular Registry corresponding to where the baby was born.

If the birth occurs within the Spanish territory the baby can be registered at the municipal civil registry office (Registro Civil) corresponding to the area/region of Spain where his/her parents live.

 

2. When to register?

Any person who must register the birth must do so within 10 days at a Civil Registry.

However, this can be extended to 30 days when the due cause is provided.

 

3. Who has the right to do the registration?

• Father of the kid
• Mother of the kid
• The closest relative or, any adult present at the birth who can verify that the baby was born.
• The head of the maternity unit or household where the baby was born.
• In the case of abandoned babies, the person who found the abandoned baby.

 

4. What documents are needed to register a new birth?

To answer this question, we need to be aware that there are two different situations. The first one is a child born within marriage, the other one is a child born outside of marriage because the documents required for both situations are quite different.

 

1) Child born within marriage:

• Medical certificate for the birth (provided by the hospital):
  • with the full name of the baby
  • qualifications
  • registration number of the person signing the certificate
• Marriage certificate (translated to Spain) or family book if applicable
• Both DNI or NIE documents of the parents

 

2) Child born outside marriage

• Medical certificate for the birth (provided by the hospital):
  • with the full name of the baby
  • qualifications
  • Registration number of the person signing the certificate
• DNI or NIE documents of both parents
• Indication of the mother’s marital status: In the case of a prior marriage, the legal presumption of paternity must be removed by providing:
  • Marriage certificate (of the prior marriage) and the separation or divorce decree (witnessed).
  • Facto separation: two witnesses must accompany the interested party to the Registry

 

3) What other documents might you need?

• Provide additional details to complete the registration:
  1. birthdate, time, and place
  2. the baby’s sex
  3. the mother’s name
  4. other possible details

 

To get registered it’s recommended to include the passport and copies of the passport and pardon certificate. It’s recommended to get your documents fully translated before your child is born! (Hopefully, we are not too late to mention this).

 

You can always check the newest version of documents needed https://administracion.gob.es/pag_Home/en/Tu-espacio-europeo/derechos-obligaciones/ciudadanos/familia/menores/nacimiento.htmlhere.

 

 

2. Do you need to get a Spanish birth certificate?

 

Yes. You have several forms to choose from, you can consult the available forms here.

 

 

3. Can you register the baby in your home country?

 

This depends on the country. For example in the UK, you can follow this short guide here:

 

• You can register a birth abroad using the official government website
• You will need to complete the online form, make the payment online and then send the application form and translated documents to the relevant address in the UK
• Registration is usually completed within 5 days starting from the moment you submit the application

 

 

4. Other procedures you might need to carry out after the registry

 

After doing the registry, you can also do the following things to welcome the arrival of the new family member:

 

• Documents needed:
  • Apply for a passport for the kid
  • Register the kid as a resident

 

• You can also use your rights to better provide for the baby:
  • Arrange for maternity/paternity leave or even ask for an extension if parents are working
  • Arrange for tax allowance (child benefits/deduction for maternity through Tax Agency), designed to benefit working mothers until the kid reaches 3 years old

 

 

5. Recommendations from innoinsure:

 

Here at innoinsure, we care about you and the whole family. We offer the best private medical insurance, dental insurance, and accident insurance to protect you and your newborn baby. 

 

Our medical insurance covers the need for pregnancy and healthcare for newborns without extra fees.

 

New birth and recently pregnant moms may sometimes encounter discomfort because of the special stage of life they are in. With our insurance, you will get the best medical treatment with the least waiting time to ensure your health and safety. Go check the offers out!

 

If you would like to know more about this topic, check out one of these other blogs:

• Guide to Maternity / Paternity in Spain
• What are documents your newborn may need in Spain?
• Guide to the tax deduction for maternity/paternity

 

Reference:

[1] Registering a birth at the Civil Registry in Spain - Minor children – Citizens’ and family rights - Citizens - Your rights and obligations in the EU - Tu espacio europeo - Inicio. (2021). Retrieved 17 August 2021, from https://administracion.gob.es/pag_Home/en/Tu-espacio-europeo/derechos-obligaciones/ciudadanos/familia/menores/nacimiento.html