Civil Registration;

Registration of a Birth Occurred at Home

  1. Inform the Grama Niladari within 07 days of the birth is occurred.
  2. Grama Niladari shall send a report to the registrar of the area.
  3. The birth is registered by the registrar of births and deaths of the area where birth has occurred.
  4. Duly filled declaration of birth shall submit to the registrar of births and deaths of the area. Declaration of birth can be obtained from the registrar.
  5. Persons required to give information,
    1. Father
    2. Mother
    3. Each person present at the birth
    4. Person have in charge of the child
  6. Birth may be register free of charge within a period of 03 months. Birth can be registered after 03 months. Please see the delayed registration of births.
  7. Certificate of birth is issued to the informant free of charge.

Registration of a Birth Occurred in a Private Hospital

  1. The Birth is registered by the Registrar of births and deaths of the area where birth occurred. If the birth has occurred at a private hospital, inform the Registrar of that area for registration of such birth.
  2. Appropriate persons for informing of a birth for registration
    1. Father
    2. Mother
    3. Person present at the time of occurrence of the birth
    4. Medical Officer of the Hospital
  3. Obtain the relevant declaration from the Registrar of births and deaths for informing the birth.
  4. Documents to be submitted
    1. Duly perfected declaration
    2. Hospital report issued in proof of the occurance of the birth
  5. A birth can be registered free of charge within a period of 03 months.
  6. A copy of the birth certificate is issued to the informant free of charge.
  7. Visit the Additional District Registrar of the Divisional Secretariat at your nearest for further information.

Registration of a Birth Occurred in a Rural Hospital

  1. The birth is registered by the Registrar of births and deaths of the area where birth occurred. If the birth has occurred at a Rural Hospital, inform the Registrar of that area for registration of such birth.
  2. Appropriate persons for informing of a birth for registration
  • Father
  • Mother
  • Person present at the time of occurrence of the birth
  • Medical Officer of the hospital
  1. Obtain the relevant declaration from the Registrar of births and deaths for informing the birth.
  2. Documents to be submitted
  • Duly perfected declaration
  • Hospital report issued in proof of the occurance of the birth
  1. A birth can be registered free of charge within a period of 03 months.
  2. A copy of the birth certificate is issued to the informant free of charge.

Visit the Additional District Registrar of the Divisional Secretariat at your nearest for further information.

Registration of a Birth Occurred in a General Hospital

  1. Inform the Registrar of births and deaths at the General Hospital for registration of birth.
  2. Appropriate persons for informing of a Birth for registration
  • Father
  • Mother
  • Person present at the time of occurrence of the birth
  • Medical Officer of the Hospital
  1. Obtain the relevant declaration from the Registrar of births and deaths at the General Hospital for informing the birth.
  2. Documents to be submitted
  • Duly perfected declaration
  • Hospital report issued in proof of the occurance of the Birth
  1. A Birth can be registered free of charge within a period of 03 months.
  2. A copy of the Birth Certificate is issued to the informant free of charge.

Visit the Additional District Registrar of the Divisional Secretariat at your nearest for further information.

Registration of a Birth Occurred at a Foreign Country

  1. Births of children born to Sri Lankan parents in foreign countries can be registered.
  2. Birth should be registered at the Ambassador/ High Commission of Sri Lanka in the country where birth occurred.
  3. Appropriate persons for informing a birth for registration,
    1. Father
    2. Mother
    3. Guardian
  4. Declaration to inform the birth can obtained from the Ambassador's / Commissioner's Office of Sri Lanka.
  5. Documents to be submitted
    1. Duly perfected declaration
    2. Relevant documents in proof of the birth
  6. A birth can registered free of charge within a period of 03 months.
  7. A copy of the birth certificate is issued to the informant free of charge.
  8. Births of persons occurred in a foreign country and not registered there and presently have arrived in Sri Lanka can be registered.
  • Further information on this regard can be obtained from the Assistant Registrar General of the Central Record Room of the Registrar General's Department. Telephone: +94 112329773 or +94 112433075

Obtain a Certified Copy of the Certificate of Birth

  1. Refer the application to the Divisional Secretariat of the area in which the place of birth is occurred.
  2. Application can be obtained from any Divisional Secretariat.
  3. Fees chargeable
    1. If the number of the certificate of birth & the registered date is known Rs.25.00
    2. If don't know the number of the certificate of birth or the registered date,
  • for search of birth registers for period of 03 months Rs.50.00
  • for search of birth registers for period of 02 years Rs.100.00
  1. Required fee should be affixed in the application form by stamps.
  2. Duly filled application should be submit to the Divisional Secretariat.
  3. If you like to obtain the birth certificate by post, submit a stamped envelop with the application.

If the birth is registered a birth certificate will be send and if the birth is not registered a letter to the effect will be send.

Alteration of Information in a Birth Register

  1. In a Birth certificate,
    1. Information in cage 01 (Date & place of birth)
    2. Information in cage 03 (Sex)
    3. Information in cage 05 (Information of mother - if mother's name has been changed after the registration of the birth, it is not possible under this provision)
    4. Information in cage 09 (Informant's information) may be altered
  2. Produce the declaration to the Additional District Registrar of the Divisional Secretariat of the area where birth occurred.
  3. The declaration should be produced by
    1. Owner of the birth certificate
    2. Father or Mother
    3. Legal guardian
    4. A person who is dissatisfied with any of the information appearing in the birth register
  4. Stamps to be affixed to the declaration is Rs. 5/-
  5. A certified copy of the birth register to be amended should be essentially attached to the declaration.
  6. Following are some written evidences which may be produced to substantiate the request made in the declaration,
    1. Parents' marriage certificate
    2. List of children/ brothers and sisters
    3. Birth certificate of father/ mother
    4. Birth certificate of a child born after the registration of parents' marriage
    5. In case there is no child born after the registration of the marriage of parents, birth certificate of a elder or younger child of the subject
    6. Certified copies of records available in hospitals, maternity homes or midwife's records
    7. Student's record sheet, extract of the school admission register
    8. Copy of the electoral register where names of the subject and parents are included
  1. If father is deceased, his death certificate

Adoption of a Child

  1. Age of the adoptee child should not be more than 14years.
  2. Requirements to be met by the applicant
    1. He / She should be more than 25 years of age
    2. The age gap between the applicant and the adoptee child should be at least 21 years
    3. This will not apply if the child concerned is a descendant of the applicant / his brother or sister / any of their married partners
  3. Child's consent is required if he / she is over 10 years old
  4. Spouses (husband and wife) should produce an application
  5. Order of adoption is issued by the District Court
  6. This order should be registered at the Registrar General's Department
  7. Birth of the adoption child can be re-registered
  8. Following documents should be submitted for re-registration of such birth
    1. application for re-registration of birth
    2. Parents' marriage certificate
    3. parents' birth certificates
    4. Adoption certificate
  1. The application for re-registration of a birth should be produced to the Zonal Office of the Registrar General's Department to which the area where the child is born belongs to.

Issue of Probable Age Certificates

  1. Certificates of probable age are issued to children under 14 yrs. of issued to children under 14 yrs. of age whose birth cannot be registered.
  2. Certificates of probable age are issued to,
    1. Resident children of a children's home approved by the government.
    2. Children who are under the guardianship of persons other than children's homes approved by the government
  3. Documents to be submitted by the resident children of a children's home approved by the government.
    1. Affidavit of the matron of the children's home
    2. Medical certificate issued by a government medical officer determining the age of the child
    3. Other documents containing information of the child (if any)
  4. Documents to be submitted by the children other than residents of a children's home approved by the government together with the declaration;
    1. Affidavit of the guardian
    2. Documents in proof of the guardianship of the guardians regarding the child concerned
  • Grama Niladhari certificate or
  • Certificate of the probation and Childcare Service Officer
  • Certificate from the Social Services Department
  • Certificate issued by the Inspector of Police
  1. Medical certificate issued by a government medical officer determining the age of the child
  2. Health Development Record
  3. Copy of the school admission register if the child attends school

Contact Additional District Registrar of the Divisional Secretariat at your nearest for further information

Registration of Past Births

  1. If a birth has not been registered with 03 months since its occurrence it may be registered.
  2. Declaration should be produced to the Additional District Registrar of the Divisional Secretariat where birth occurred.
  3. Persons eligible for this
    1. Any party having interest of
    2. One of the parents
  4. Stamps to be affixed to the declaration
    1. within 12 months of occurrence - Rs. 1.00
    2. more than 12 months of occurrence - Rs. 5.00
  5. Only the following documents should be submitted with the declarations produced within one year since the occurrences of the birth.
    1. Marriage certificate of parents if they are married
    2. One of following documents in proof of the date and place of birth of the subject.
  • Hospital birth report or certified copy
  • Grama Niladhari birth report or certified copy
  • Estate birth report or certified copy
  • Public Health Officer's certificate
  1. Following documents should be produced with the declaration produced after one year since occurrence of the birth.
    1. Marriage certificate of parents if they are married
    2. Nil result sheet
    3. One of the following documents indicating date and place of birth of the person
  • Hospital report of certified copy
  • Grama Niladhari report or certified copy
  • Estate birth report or certified copy
  • Copy of the Midwife's birth register
  1. In case of non-possession of any of the above documents,
  • Health development record
  • Certificate of baptism
  • Certified copy of the school admission register / pupil's record sheet
  • Estate welfare officer's report
  • Horoscope of the record of time prepared on a proximate date to the day on which the birth occurred

If any of these documents are not available, declaration including details having knowledge of and an affidavit.

Translate Birth Certificate

  1. Offices of the Department where service of sworn translators can be received are given below.
  2. Translations which can be obtained,
  3. Sinhala - English
  4. Tamil - English
  5. English - Sinhala
  6. English – Tamil
  7. Time for receiving of applications
  • From 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
  1. Applications may be obtained from the offices where sworn translators are available.
  2. Documents to be submitted
  3. Duly completed application.
  4. Original or certified copy of birth certificate obtained from a Divisional Secretariat of the document to be translated.
  5. Stamped envelope if translations are to be received by post.
  6. Fees for translations
    Rs. 100.00 for one copy
    (Stamps should be affixed to relevant value)

Places where you can obtain Sinhala - English & English - Sinhala Translations of Birth certificates

Place

Office

Telephone No.

Anuradhapura

Land Registry

0252222201

Awissawella

Land Registry

0362222204

Battaramulla

Head Office

0112889488
0112889489

Colombo

Land Registry

0112692652

Delkada

Land Registry

0112815316

Elapatha

Divisional Secretariat

0452230038

Galle

Land & District Registry

0912234097

Gampaha

Land Registry

0332222315

Gampola

Land Registry

0812352273

Horana

Land Registry

0342260086

Kaduwela

Divisional Secretariat

0112561021

Kekirawa

Divisional Secretariat

0252264587

Kandy

Land Registry

0812222058

Kurunegala

Zonal Office (North Central)

0372228830

Matale

Land Registry

0662222727

Matara

Land Registry

0412222279

Matugama

Land Registry

0342247208

Nochchiyagama

Divisional Secretariat

0252257838

Panadura

Land Registry

0382232569

Passara

Divisional Secretariat

0552288138

Polonnaruwa

Land Registry

0272222320

Rajanganaya

Divisional Secretariat

0252257480

Tangalle

Land Registry

0472240200

Thambalagamuwa

Divisional Secretariat

0252276236

Trincomalee

Land & District Registry

0262222410

Udunuwara

Divisional Secretariat

0812315436

Places where you can obtain Tamil - English & English - Tamil Translations of Birth certificates

Place

Office

Telephone No.

Batticaloa

Land Registry

0652222395

Jaffna

Land Registry

0212225681

Kalmunai

Divisional Secretariat

0672229599

Mannar

Land Registry

0232222009

Point Pedro

Land Registry

0212263272

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