Registering a U.S. birth with the UK authorities
A birth in the U.S. is registered with the U.S. authorities first, usually at the hospital. The local birth certificate is the document the UK accepts, for example for a passport, according to gov.uk.
What UK registration adds
For a child born on or after 1 January 1983, you can also register the birth with the UK. The record is kept by the General Register Office, or by National Records of Scotland, and you can order a consular birth registration certificate as proof.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Registering the birth | £150 |
| Each consular birth registration certificate | £50 |
| Return of documents | £6 to £42, depending on the country |
It normally takes at least 5 working days plus courier time; the Overseas Registration Unit tells you if your case needs more evidence.
You do not need to register the birth in the UK for the child to be British or to get a passport.How to apply
The service is online. You enter the details from the U.S. birth certificate and pay. Questions, multiple births such as twins and applicants who cannot use the online service go to Overseas.RegistrationUnit@fcdo.gov.uk.
A consular registration reaches the GRO only in the November of the following year, so a copy needed before then is ordered from the Overseas Registration Unit.
Registering a death
Deaths in the U.S. on or after 1 January 1983 can also be registered with the UK, again optionally, by mail to the Overseas Registration Unit in Milton Keynes. The gov.uk death registration service warns that verification can take up to 3 months. Our guide to a death in the USA covers the rest.
Registering with the U.S. first
In the U.S., the birth is registered at the hospital. If the child is born outside a hospital, you notify the state health department or the local vital records office, according to the FCDO's guide to living in the USA (living in the USA).
The U.S. birth certificate is the document you will use for the child's first British passport. A certificate not in English would need a translation by an approved translator, which does not apply to U.S. certificates.
Copies later on
Copies of a consular birth registration are available from the General Register Office from the November of the year after registration, at the GRO's price. Before that, the Overseas Registration Unit supplies them; see ordering a UK birth certificate.
Is UK registration worth it?
The FCDO is clear that it is optional and that a child can get a UK passport without it. What it adds is a record held in the UK, with the General Register Office or National Records of Scotland, and a consular birth registration certificate that proves you registered.
For twins or other multiple births, gov.uk asks you to email the Overseas Registration Unit rather than use the online form.
None of the nine British offices in the U.S. lists birth registration among its services on gov.uk: the application goes to the Overseas Registration Unit in the UK, online, and the documents travel by mail.