Declaration of Birth

Every child born in Québec must be declared to Le Directeur de l'état civil, which enters its birth in the register of civil status.

Registration enables the child to:

• prove his/her identity
• obtain a health insurance card and social insurance number
• obtain a birth certificate and other civil status documents.

The parents¹ must declare the birth of their newborn child within 30 days of the birth.

Unless otherwise indicated, the term “parents” includes couples of the same or opposite sex, reflecting changes introduced by the Act instituting civil unions and establishing new rules of filiation (S.Q. 2002, chapter 6)

Here is the procedure for declaring a birth:

1. The accoucheur (person who assists in the delivery) draws up an Attestation of birth.

• A copy of the Attestation is given to the parent(s) along with the Declaration of birth form which one or both parents must fill out, preferably at the hospital, or else at home.
• The parent (or hospital) sends the documents to Le Directeur de l'état civil.

2. The parent may complete the Declaration of birth at the hospital or at home.

• At the hospital: The parent gives the declaration to hospital personnel who will send it together with the attestation to Le Directeur de l'état civil.
• At home: The parent sends the green copy of the Attestation of birth and the original of the Declaration of birth to Le Directeur de l'état civil.   They must be received within 30 days of the child's birth.
• The parent keeps the green copy of the declaration.
• If the parents are not married or joined in a civil union, the signatures of both parents are required to establish their filiation with the child.
• A witness (person of full age other than the parents) must sign the Declaration of birth.

• Le Directeur de l'état civil sends parents a Notice of registration of birth along with the Request for certificate or copy of act form.
• Parents must check that the information on the Notice conforms to the Declaration and immediately notify Le Directeur de l'état civil of any mistake.   If they wish, the parents may apply for a birth certificate.

Surname and given name(s) of the child

Choosing the child’s surname is a major responsibility of the parent(s) and no one else.

Surname

The child’s surname must be formed from the names of his parents. So the child may have a single or compound surname. The surname can have no more than two parts.

If both parents have single surnames, the child may take one or both names. If both names are used, they will be joined by a hyphen.

If both parents have compound surnames, they may give the child a single name taken from one part of these surnames. If the parents want to give the child a compound name, they must make a choice because the child’s surname can be composed of only two parts, joined by a hyphen.

A surname may not contain a number or an initial letter.

If only one filiation (maternal or paternal) of a child is established, he/she will bear all or part of the surname of the parent whose filiation is declared in the act.

Given name(s)

A limit of four given names is recommended. The usual given name must be stated first in the appropriate box. If one of the given names is compound, join the two parts with a hyphen or they will be considered as separate given names. The spelling of given names entered in the register of civil status matches exactly how you spelled them when you filled out the Declaration of birth¹.
 

**It is important to indicate all given names that you wish to give your child, especially if you will baptize him/her later, since the Declaration of birth constitutes the civil act.

Looking for names?

These sites can help parents find original or distinctive given names:

• Portal to francophone given names (french only)
  http://cafe.rapidus.net/jhuriaux
• Given names and surnames of today and yesterday
  http://www.clic.net/~loduches/englishhome.html
• Institut de la statistique du Québec
  http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/default_an.htm
• Régie des rentes du Québec
  http://www.rrq.gouv.qc.ca/an/accueil/00.htm
• Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec
  http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/index_en.shtml
• Guide to given names (french only)
  http://www.prenom.com
• 100 000 given names - your name and your destiny
  http://www.asiaflash.com/rao/ 
• Baby zone (french only)
  http://www.bebe-zone.com/
• Educaloi - Le carrefour d'accès au droit (access to the law) (french only)
  http://www.educaloi.com/

To consult the Civil Code of Québec:

• Faculty of Law, Université de Montréal
  http://www.lexum.com/index_en.html  

Health insurance card

Recording the child’s birth in the Québec register of civil status will allow parents to receive their child's first Medicare card rapidly after verifying his or her eligibility for the health insurance plan.

Certificate and copy of an act of birth

These are official documents that give access to the rights and privileges enjoyed by all Quebecers.

The certificate or copy of the act is especially useful to:

• establish one's legal identity and parental ties
• prove one's age, sex or nationality.

The certificate or copy of the act is also indispensable when you:

• travel abroad, apply for a passport, or cross a border
• clam retirement allowances from the Government of Canada or pension benefits from Québec
• obtain a social insurance card or a first driver's licence
• enroll a child in a private or government-subsidized day care center
• enroll a child in primary or secondary school
• apply to a CEGEP or university
• apply for a scholarship.

The birth certificate states:

• the name and sex of the child
• the place, date and time of birth (the time is given only for births after January 1, 1994)
• the registration number and issue date.

    A birth certificate or copy of an act of birth can be issued only to persons who are named in it or who establish their interest.

The birth certificate is available in two sizes:

• birth certificate (full size) (21,5 cm x 18,5 cm)
  gives the following information: name, sex, date and time of birth², place of birth, registration number, issue date, and names of father and mother.
• Important: this certificate is necessary to register with an educational institution, private or government-subsidized day care centre or government bodies such as the Régie des rentes and Régie de l'assurance maladie.  It is also required by the Passport Office in the case of a minor.
  
  $15 each

*Time of birth is given only for births after January 1, 1994.

• birth certificate (abridged) (9,4 cm x 5 cm)
  Contains the same information as the large-format certificate, except for the names of the father and mother.
  
  Important : The abridged certificate is not accepted for registering with an educational institution, private or government-subsidized day care centre or government bodies such as the Régie des rentes. This format is not accepted by the Passport Office in the case of a minor.
  
  $15 each

Difference between a certificate and a copy of an act

A birth certificate contains the information listed above, whereas, for events since January 1, 1994, a copy of an act of birth reproduces the entire contents of the act.   However, acts drawn up before this date contain no more information than the certificate. So there is no point ordering a copy of an act for an event that occurred before 1994, unless you are required to do so (e.g., to apply for citizenship, or to work or stay abroad, embassies and consulates require a copy of the act of birth).

Cost of a copy of an act: $20