Add a parent to a birth certificate

What is this application for?

You can apply to add a parent to a birth certificate, even if the birth was registered without them.

We assess all corrections before making them.

Refer to Evidence required for common changes and the evidence you’ll need to provide.

When we add a parent to a child’s birth certificate, we will notify the affected parties. Refer to Notifying the parents.

If you want to remove the name of a parent, visit remove a parent from a birth certificate.

Apply to add a parent to a birth certificate(opens in a new window)

Who can apply?

The mother, father or child (if over 18) may apply to add the parent.

What you'll need

We'll ask you for the following.

Details of the person on the certificate

As a minimum, we ask for:

Given name
Family name
Date of birth
Place of birth.

The current legal birth certificate

We ask you to return the original certificate before we can issue a new, corrected version.

Proof of identity

You can prove your identity two ways:

The easiest way to prove your identity is online.

You can use this proof of identity questionnaire if you're not sure which option is best for you.

To prove your identity online you'll need two identity documents. You will need to provide one document from category 1 and one document from category 2. One document must have a photo.
Category 1 documents
- Australian passport - current or expired less than 3 years ago
- Current foreign passport with a linked visa
- Australian birth certificate
- Australian citizenship certificate
- ImmiCard (Immigration Card)
Category 2 documents
- Australian driver licence
- Medicare card (only if you don't have a driver licence)
To prove your identity using certified copies of documents you must provide either:
- Two different documents from Category 1
- Three documents, each from a different category. (For example: Australian driver licence, Medicare card and recent bank statement.)
Category 1 documents
- Australian driver licence card (must be a physical licence, not a digital licence)
- Australian learner permit
- Australian passport
- ImmiCard (Immigration Card)
Category 2 documents
- Firearm licence
- Foreign passport
- Security guard/crowd control licence
- Tertiary education institution ID card (with photo)
- Working with Children Check card
Category 3 documents
- Birth certificate (Australian)
- Change of name certificate (Australian)
- Citizenship certificate (Australian)
- Marriage certificate (Australian)
- Medicare card
- Visa verification (printed visa status from VEVO)
Category 4 documents
- Centrelink card:
  - Pensioner concession card
  - Health care card
  - Commonwealth seniors health card
  - Veteran card
- Evidence of your residential address, issued in the last 12 months
  - Rental agreement
  - Rates notice
- Documents on official company letterhead or stamped and approved by the company (issued in the last 12 months):
  - Bank statement (passbook, credit, savings or cheque account)
  - Superannuation fund statement
  - Utility account (gas, water, electricity, mobile or home phone)
If you don’t have the documents we need, you can provide:
- Certified copies of any identity documents that show your name, and
- A statutory declaration.
Read more about What if I don’t have the required documents?

Evidence required

The evidence we ask for depends on the correction you want to make.

For documents in a language other than English, provide an English translation by a qualified translator. Learn more about translated documents.

The evidence listed below covers most common correction requests. If you can't provide the evidence listed, send the best evidence you have available.

We will let you know if we need more evidence.

The birth parents or their child (if 18 or older) can apply to add the child's father. You must attach:
- Certified proof of identity for the applicant; and
- A certified copy of one of the following documents:
  - Results of a DNA-based parentage test (paternity test). The test must be approved by National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA)(opens in a new window)
  - A court order directing BDM to add the father to the birth certificate. The court order may be from:
    A Victorian state court
    Another court (including a court of another State or the Commonwealth).
Learn more about how to digitise and upload hard copy documents.
When a paternity test or court order is not required
The father is named on the birth registration but did not complete his part
In this circumstance each parent and their child (if 18 or older) must attach:
- Certified proof of identity; and
- A statement declaring that the father is the child’s parent.
If you can’t get everyone’s proof of identity or everyone to sign the statement, provide what you can and a statutory declaration explaining why.
We assess all applications before adding a father to a birth certificate.
If you’re unable to apply online, you can apply to add a parent using a printable form. This process may be slower than applying online.
The child is adopted
In this circumstance read ‘Add a natural parent to a pre-adoption birth certificate’, below.
If you want to change the child's name to the birth father's name, you will need to apply to change your child's name.

Add the birth parent's female partner

If you're the birth parent’s female partner, the child's birth certificate can show you as a parent.

When registering a birth

For more information, go to Add birth parent's female partner when registering a birth.

Add birth parent’s female partner after the birth has been registered

For births on or after 1 January 2010

Type of donor treatment	Requirements for adding birth parent's female partner
Donor treatment provided by an Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART) clinic	We can only register you as the child’s parent if you: Consented to the donor treatment at the ART clinic, or Attach a court order declaring you to be the child’s parent. The court order may be from the Supreme Court or the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. If you used a Victorian ART clinic, you don’t need to provide evidence of your consent. The Department of Health provides that to us.
Donor treatment not provided by an ART clinic (e.g self-insemination)	If the birth certificate names a father Attach a court order to amend the birth record to show the birth parent’s female partner as the parent. The court order may be from: Any Victorian state court Another court (including a court of another State or the Commonwealth). If the birth certificate doesn't name a father Attach evidence that you participated in the donor treatment together. For further information, go to Self-insemination.

Type of donor treatment

Requirements for adding birth parent's female partner

Donor treatment provided by an Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART) clinic

We can only register you as the child’s parent if you:

Consented to the donor treatment at the ART clinic, or
Attach a court order declaring you to be the child’s parent. The court order may be from the Supreme Court or the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

If you used a Victorian ART clinic, you don’t need to provide evidence of your consent. The Department of Health provides that to us.

Donor treatment not provided by an ART clinic (e.g self-insemination)

If the birth certificate names a father

Attach a court order to amend the birth record to show the birth parent’s female partner as the parent.

The court order may be from:

Any Victorian state court
Another court (including a court of another State or the Commonwealth).

If the birth certificate doesn't name a father

Attach evidence that you participated in the donor treatment together.

For further information, go to Self-insemination.

For births before 1 January 2010

If the birth certificate names a father

You must attach a court order to amend the birth record to show the birth parent’s female partner as the parent.

We can accept a court order from:

Any Victorian state court
Another court (including a court of another State or the Commonwealth).

If the birth certificate doesn't name a father

You must attach one of the following:

A statutory declaration from each parent to add the birth parent’s female partner (see below)
A court order declaring you to be the child’s parent. The court order may be from the Supreme Court or the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

Statutory declaration to add the birth parent’s female partner

Each parent must complete a statutory declaration to add the birth parent's female partner. The statutory declaration must declare that:

They each consented to the donor treatment that resulted in the birth of their child, and
They were married or living together on a genuine domestic basis at the time of the donor treatment.

If your child is 18 years or over

Your child must complete a statutory declaration of consent to add the birth parent’s female partner to their birth certificate.

Learn more about how to digitise and upload hard copy documents.

If you’re the donor, the child’s birth certificate can show you as a parent. You need to provide a court order directing BDM to include you as the parent on the child’s birth registration.
BDM can accept an order from an Australian court with family law jurisdiction. This may include:
- Any Victorian state court
- Another court (including a court of another State or the Commonwealth). The court that most commonly does this is the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
If you don’t have a court order you will need to contact us. Email bdmvictoria@dgs.vic.gov.au.(opens in a new window)
Who can apply?
The natural parents or their child (if 18 or older) can apply to add a natural parent to an original birth certificate. An original birth certificate shows the details of a person’s birth before they were adopted.
You must provide a copy of at least one of the following documents:
- A completed statement from each natural parent and their child consenting to the amendment. If you can’t get everyone to sign the statement, you will need to provide additional evidence of parentage or a statutory declaration explaining why; or
- Documents supporting evidence of parentage. For example this might include:
  - Certified copies of results of a DNA-based parentage test
  - Certified copies of a court order for the natural parent to be added to the original birth certificate
  - Statutory declarations from family members confirming natural parentage
We assess all applications before adding a natural parent to an original birth certificate. We will work with you to update the original birth certificate and related records. Any changes to the original birth certificate will be reflected on the integrated birth certificate.
Proof of identity
Each natural parent and their child (if 18 or older) must attach certified proof of identity. If you can’t get everyone’s proof of identity, provide what you can and a statutory declaration explaining why.
Learn more about how to digitise and upload hard copy documents.
Applying online to add a natural parent to an original birth certificate
- If you do not know all the details of the natural parent to be added enter “unknown”.
- If you do not know the date of birth of the natural parent to be added enter a date that you think best reflects their approximate birth date.
Request a hard copy form to apply
If you’re unable to apply online, you can apply to add a parent using a printable form. This process may be slower than applying online.

Notifying the parents

When we add a parent to a child’s birth certificate, we will notify the affected parties. This means any parent on the corrected birth certificate, including the parent added.

Protecting your safety

When accessing BDM services, our priority is protecting you and your family’s safety. Our processes take this into account. Please tell us if you have concerns for your safety so that we can support you.

How long will it take to get my certificate?

When you apply, we email you details of documents you need to provide. Our processing times start when we receive all required documents.

If you didn't receive an email after applying, contact us.

Type of application	Processing time
Correction to a certificate	Up to 28 days (4 weeks)

Allow extra time for public holidays and postage

Certificate fees and postage

The fees are non-refundable except as set out in our Refunds page. A fee waiver may be available in certain circumstances of financial hardship.

Application fee

Application fee: $87.10.

Certificate fees

Whereabouts of original certificate	Price
If you return the original birth certificate	$0.00
If you do not return the original birth certificate	$57.50

Postage fees are additional.

Postage fees

We send legal certificates by express post, for security.

All legal certificates are folded. This does not affect the certificate's validity as a legal document.

We send commemorative certificates by standard post. This is because they're not official identity documents.

Commemorative certificates will be sent to you in a protective cardboard mailing tube. This may not fit in all mailboxes.

Legal and commemorative certificates will arrive separately via Australia Post.

Postage and handling method	Price
Express post (within Australia)	$10.40
Express post (International)	$57.10

Payment methods

Pay via credit/debit card or BPAY.

After you've submitted your application

You'll receive an email after you've submitted your application.

If you didn't receive an email after applying, first check your spam inbox. If you still don't have the email, read about common causes of delay.

Once we have everything we need, we complete your application within processing timeframes and email to let you know when we've posted your certificate.