4 October 2018

New arrival: online birth registrations now available in ACT

| Lachlan Roberts
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Canberrans can now register their child’s birth online for free. File Photo

Gone are the days of waiting in line to fill out paperwork to register the birth of your child.

Local parents of newborns can now skip the waiting queues at Access Canberra and register their child’s birth online for free.

ACT’s Business and Regulatory Services Minister Gordon Ramsay launched Access Canberra’s online birth registration form on Wednesday (3 October), which will offer greater convenience and significantly reduce waiting times for documentation for parents of newborns.

“Parents are quick to announce the birth of their little one on social media and now they can visit the Access Canberra website immediately afterwards to formally register the birth,” Mr Ramsay said.

“The online birth registration form allows parents to register their newborn’s birth from the comfort of their home, using a smartphone, tablet or computer. The process can be completed in under 10 minutes.”

During the first eight months of 2018, Access Canberra registered 3,406 births via its paper-based system, which will still be available for those parents who don’t have access to the online form. Mr Ramsay believes the majority of births will be registered online in the coming year.

“Registering a birth online will ensure more accurate information on birth certificates by reducing the possibility of misinterpreting handwriting,” Mr Ramsay said.

“The online method also speeds up the registration process significantly and reduces the waiting time for a birth certificate. With more than 300 services now available online, this is just another one of the ways Access Canberra is making it easier and simpler to transact with government.”

Parents should be reminded that birth registrations need to be submitted within six months of the newborn’s birth, and parents can also apply for a birth certificate at the same time as completing the online birth registration form. Those who register their baby’s birth online will receive the birth certificate in the post.

Click here for more information.

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