If your child is born in Denmark and the mother has a Danish address, there are different scenarios effecting the process of how your child is birth registered in the CPR - as to where the mother lives in Denmark and where the child was born at the time of birth.
Please select your appropriate scenario in the following and read further.
Contents
If the mother lives in Denmark - outside the Southern part of Jutland
If the mother lives in Denmark - in the Southern part of Jutland
Processing paternity/co-motherhood for children born in Denmark
If the child is born abroad – and the mother lives in Denmark
_____________________
If the mother lives in Denmark - outside the Southern part of Jutland
When the mother lives in Denmark - outside the Southern part of Jutland it is the parish of residence (the local registrar) who registers the birth of the child. If the mother does not have a civil registration number at the time of birth it is the registrar in the parish close to the hospital who registers the birth.
The midwife gives notice of the birth and makes sure that the child is assigned a civil registration number.
However, if the child was born at home with a midwife present, the midwife must complete a Notification on birth and deliver it to the mother's registrar within 14 days from the time of birth. The child is assigned a civil registration number by the registrar who also completes the birth registration.
If you give birth to your child without the presence of a midwife, you as parents must give notice of the birth yourselves. In this case follow this process:
- Find and download the notification on birth registration on paper
- Complete it by hand (there is no self-service to complete it online)
- Deliver the notification of birth to your local registrar within 14 days after birth
> Download the Notification on birth on paper (pdf.) (in Danish only)
The registrar assigns a civil registration number to your child and completes the birth registration in the CPR.
Some days after the birth the mother will receive an information letter ("Letter of information") in her Digital Post that guides you to the further process of registering a paternity or co-maternity and name for your child. If the mother is married the spouse will also receive the Letter of information.
If the mother (father/co-mother) is exempt from mandatory digital self-service or Digital Post, the letter will be sent by post.
> Find an example of the Letter of information
> Look up any words and terms that you are not familiar with
If the mother lives in Denmark - in the Southern part of Jutland
When the mother lives in the Southern part of Jutland, it is the mother's municipality of residence that must register the birth of the child, regardless of where in Denmark the birth takes place. The process is:
The midwife gives notice of the birth, and your child is assigned a civil registration number.
If the mother has given birth at home with a midwife present, the midwife must complete a birth registration form and deliver it to the mother's municipality of residence in the Southern part of Jutland. The municipality assigns a civil registration number to your child and registers the birth.
If the midwife was not present when the child was born, you as parents must give notice of the birth yourselves. In this case follow this procedure:
- Find and download the notification on birth on paper
- Complete it by hand (there is no self-service to complete it online)
- Deliver the birth registration form to your local registrar within 14 days after birth
> Download Notification on birth on paper (pdf.) (in Danish only)
The municipality assigns a civil registration number to your child and registers the birth in the CPR.
After birth the mother will receive an information letter in her Digital Post with information on how to proceed and register a paternity or co-maternity and naming for your child.
If the mother is exempt from mandatory digital self-service or Digital Post, the letter will be sent by post.
> Find an example of the Letter of information
> Look up any words and terms that you are not familiar with
> Read about the borders and area of the Southern part of Jutland
Processing paternity/co-motherhood for children born in Denmark
If the mother is married at the time of birth, the spouse is automatically registered as the father/co-mother of the child when the child is registered. You do not need to fill out a Care and Responsibility Declaration to get joint custody.
If the mother is unmarried, the procedure is different, please find more information in the following article:
> Read about paternity/co-motherhood
If the child is born abroad – and the mother lives in Denmark
If the child is born abroad, the birth is first registered in the country where the child is born.
When you return to Denmark with your child, the parents must make sure that the child is registered at Folkeregistret (Citizen Service Centre) in the municipality where they live. Folkeregistret registers the child and assigns a civil registration number to the child.
The parents must bring documentation on birth (birth certificate, etc.) that you received at the time of birth in the country where the child was born.
_____________________
Other relevant links