Births that occur in Malta must be registered at the Public Registry Office in Marsa or at the offices in Mater Dei Hospital, Tal-Qroqq, while births occurring in Gozo are to be registered at the Gozo Public Registry. 

The responsibility to register a birth lies with the parents. In their absence, the law states that any other person who was present at the birth (for example, a relative, the midwife, or a medical professional) is obliged to register the birth.

According to Article 240 of the Civil Code (Cap. 16), all births must be registered at the Public Registry within fifteen (15) days from the date of birth of the child.

While it is advisable to book an appointment to register your child’s birth through https://pubregbooking.identita.gov.mt/v2/#book/count/1/provider/any/, walk-ins without appointments are accepted. 

Married couples need to present:

• The medical birth notification issued by the hospital or doctor.
• Identification documents of both parents (ID cards or passports).
• The parents’ marriage certificate (only required if the marriage is not registered at the Public Registry).

When the parents are married, one parent may register the birth and provide:

• The medical birth notification issued by the hospital or doctor.
• Identification documents of both parents (ID cards or passports).
• The parents’ marriage certificate (only required if the marriage is not registered at the Public Registry).

When the parents are not married, both parents must come to the Public Registry to register the birth. Please provide:

• The medical birth notification issued by the hospital or doctor.
• Identification documents of both parents (ID cards or passports). 

Please call in person at our offices and provide:

• The medical birth notification issued by the hospital or doctor.
• Your ID card or Maltese passport.

If you are 16 or 17 years old, you may call in person at our offices and provide:

• The medical birth notification issued by the hospital or doctor.
• Your ID card or Maltese passport.

If you are 15 years old or younger, you must call in person with an immediate adult relative (mother, father, or guardian). Please provide:

• The medical birth notification issued by the hospital or doctor.
• The ID card or Maltese passport of the mother of the child.
• The ID card or Maltese passport of the adult relative or guardian.

If you are both aged 16 or 17 years old, you need to call in person together at our offices and provide:

• The medical birth notification issued by the hospital or doctor.
• Both of your ID cards or Maltese passports.

If you are both 15 years old or younger, you must both call in person with an immediate adult relative (mother, father, or guardian). Please provide:

• The medical birth notification issued by the hospital or doctor.
• The ID card or Maltese passport of the mother of the child.
• The ID card or Maltese passport of the father of the child.
• The ID card or Maltese passport of the adult relative or guardian of both parents.

Yes, all births that occur in Malta and Gozo must be registered at the Public Registry, regardless of the parents’ nationality. Registration, however, does not automatically grant Maltese citizenship unless one of the parents is Maltese.

You must present the original foreign birth or marriage certificates. If your certificates are issued by a non-EU country, they must also be legalised or apostilled. Any certificate submitted that is not in the Maltese or English language must be officially translated. The parent who was born abroad must also provide a valid original passport. 

If your marriage is registered at the Public Registry, there is no need to bring your marriage certificate. However, if you were married abroad and your marriage is not registered in Malta, you must provide the original marriage certificate. Certificates issued by non-EU countries must be either legalised or apostilled.

Yes, there is a registration fee of €2.60.

A birth registration takes around one week to be finalised, provided all documentation is correctly submitted. Once the registration process is finalised, you will receive a notification either by SMS or email. As soon as you receive the notification, you may request a copy of your child’s birth certificate either by personally visiting our office in Marsa (Malta) or Victoria (Gozo), or by ordering it online through https://certifikati.identita.gov.mt/en/Home/Index

An extract certificate costs €2.60 (or €2.50 when ordered online), while a full certificate costs €10.25 (or €9.95 when ordered online).

You may choose any name for your child, provided that it:

• Is not shorter than three words.
• Does not include symbols.
• Is not a common surname in Malta.
• Does not consist of obscene words and does not expose the child to ridicule.

Unless you have already decided upon a family name when you got married, you may choose either the surname of one of the parents or a combination of both parents’ surnames. As an example, if the surnames of the parents are Borg and Camilleri respectively, the surname of your child may be:

• Borg
• Camilleri
• Borg Camilleri
• Camilleri Borg

If the surnames of both parents are double-barrelled (for example, Borg Camilleri and Spiteri Agius), you may choose to have your child registered with four surnames, which is the maximum number of surnames allowed by Article 92(4) of the Civil Code (Cap. 16 of the Laws of Malta). Surnames will be registered in the respective order of the parents’ surnames:

• Borg Camilleri
• Spiteri Agius
• Borg Camilleri Spiteri Agius
• Spiteri Agius Borg Camilleri

One cannot mix the surnames in a different order; the surnames must be kept in the same order as the parents’ surnames.

The process for registering the birth remains the same, and the documents submitted are as already explained. The birth must always be certified by a medical practitioner or midwife, who will issue a birth notification form for registration purposes.

If you notice any error or omission on your child’s birth certificate, please contact the Public Registry immediately so that the matter can be reviewed without delay. Depending on the nature of the correction, you will be advised accordingly on the way forward to make the necessary amendments. 

While we strongly recommend that you finalise the registration of your child within the 15-day timeframe, late registrations are accepted. 

You will generally need:

• The medical certificate of death (DH35) issued by the doctor.
• The original Maltese ID card of the deceased.
• The identification document of the person notifying the death.

Deaths occurring in Malta must be notified at the Public Registry Offices at Mater Dei Hospital, L-Imsida. In the case of deaths occurring in Gozo, these must be notified at the Gozo Public Registry in Victoria, Gozo.

Usually, the death is notified either by a close relative (spouse, child, or parent) or by the person in charge of the funeral arrangements.

Yes, you can. You may, however, be asked to provide personal information about the deceased, particularly in relation to his marital status.

If the divorce is already registered at the Public Registry, no further documents are required.

You need to provide the original marriage certificate and the original divorce documents from the country where he got married and obtained his divorce. Marriage and divorce documents from non-EU countries must be duly legalised or apostilled, and documents not issued in English must be translated by an official translator.

When a non-Maltese national dies in Malta or Gozo, we normally request:

• The medical certificate of death (DH35) issued by the doctor in Malta.
• A copy of the passport of the deceased.
• The original Residence Card (if applicable).
• The original marriage certificate, divorce certificate, or death certificate of the spouse (if applicable).
• The identification document of the person notifying the death.

While walk-ins are accepted, we recommend that you book an appointment to avoid longer waiting times, particularly during busy periods.

The deceased’s identity is confirmed using the deceased’s Maltese ID card or Residence Card, the Maltese or foreign passport, and other official identity documents as may be required. The medical death certificate also assists in verification.

Usually, a death certificate is issued within 10 working days from the date of notification. You need to either visit our office in person to obtain the death certificate or order it online, in which case it will be sent to you by post to any address of your choice.

No, death notifications are free of charge. However, there is a fee when requesting a death certificate.

An extract certificate costs €2.60 (or €2.50 when ordered online), while a full certificate costs €10.25 (or €9.95 when ordered online).

Yes, you can order either full copies or extracts of the death certificate.

Yes, you need to bring the physical ID card with you.

You need to file a police report first and bring the police report with you.

If there are any discrepancies, they must be rectified before registration. The Public Registry may require supporting documentation to verify the correct details.

Yes, under normal circumstances, and assuming the body was released for burial by the respective authorities, the funeral arrangements can proceed without the death certificate from the Public Registry.

You may notify a death in person, online, or by post. Please visit https://notifications.identita.gov.mt to notify a death online, or send an email to localnotifications.pubreg.identita@gov.mt if you wish to have the death notified by post.

Usually, it takes 10 working days from the date of notification to issue a death certificate. Please note, however, that since the Public Registry must wait for additional documentation from the Health Authorities prior to issuing the death certificate, it may take longer to finalise the registration.

All supporting documents, such as birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates, must be apostilled or legalised if issued by a non-EU country.