Newborn paperwork

What's inside

1. Get the birth certificate from the hospital

   This is the first document and the base for everything else — without it you can't register the birth. It has a limited validity window, so don't delay the next step.

2. Register the official birth certificate

   Through your local civil registry, in person or online — usually within a month of birth. This is the document every other registration will ask you for.

3. Register the child's address

   A registered address is often required before you can apply for insurance or benefits — do it right after getting the birth certificate.

4. Wait for the first pediatrician home visit

   In many places a nurse or pediatrician visits within the first days after discharge — a good moment to ask about registering with a local clinic and what's needed for the first visit.

5. Register with a pediatric clinic

   Usually tied to your address, though many places allow choosing a different clinic — check your local health portal for the process.

6. Set up the child's health insurance

   Without it, pediatric visits are paid out of pocket. Apply through your government portal or insurer — usually takes a few days to come through.

7. Start a vaccination record

   You'll need it for daycare and school later — start tracking from the very first shot given at the hospital, and keep it somewhere safe.

8. Check for the child's national insurance number

   In many countries this is now issued automatically once the birth is registered — check your government portal before making a special trip to apply.

9. Confirm the child's citizenship documentation

   You'll need this if a passport is in the plans. It's often handled at the same time as the birth certificate — ask when you register the birth.

10. Apply for family benefits

    Most benefits require an active application, not automatic enrollment. Check your government portal for what you're eligible for based on your family situation.

11. Check for family or childbirth grants

    Some one-time grants for additional children are issued automatically in certain countries — check your government portal's status page rather than waiting for a paper notice.

12. Arrange parental leave

    The parent staying home needs to file with their employer — the paperwork date often affects how leave pay is calculated, so don't put it off.

13. Add the child to parents' ID documents

    Not required, but in some countries it simplifies proving parentage for domestic travel. Optional — check if your country's ID system supports it.

14. Get the baby a passport if travel is planned

    If a trip abroad is likely in the first year, start early — babies need their own passport, they can't be added to a parent's.

15. Make copies of the birth certificate

    A couple of certified copies, or at least scans in the cloud — you'll be asked for this document constantly: clinics, daycare, airlines, benefit offices.

16. Start a folder for the child's documents

    Both physical and cloud — paperwork for a kid piles up fast, and it's much easier to keep it organized from day one than to sort it out later.