Children Born in Malta

The parent/s of a child born in Malta is/are obliged to notify the birth within fifteen (15) days. Payment of €2.60 is levied for every birth registered.

A birth notification can be made online by visiting Identità’s website https://www.identita.gov.mt/, and logging on to Birth and Death Notifications using your eID credentials. Fill out the electronic ‘Declaration of Notification of Birth’ Form and upload the Notification of Birth of a Baby issued by the hospital where the birth occurred, as well as the parent/s identification document/s.

There are exceptional cases where the birth notification process cannot be submitted online. In this case, the notification of a birth that occurred in Malta can be made by the parent/s by visiting in-person the Identità office at Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, or the Public Registry office at Onda Building, Aldo Moro Road, Marsa, MRS 9065.

In the case of a birth in Gozo, parents should visit the Gozo Public Registry, George Borg Olivier Street, Victoria. Our birth notification officers will guide the parent/s through the process. Once the Act is drafted, the parent/s is/are required to electronically sign the child’s Birth Act to confirm that they agree with the information.
The parent/s is/are also requested to sign the ‘Declaration of Notification of Birth Form’ which includes information about the child and the parent/s.

The Notification of Birth can also be made by post whereby the ‘Declaration of Notification of Birth Form’ is downloaded from the Identità website https://www.identita.gov.mt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/6.-Declaration-Notification-Birth.pdf. This form can also be obtained from the Malta Public Registry by sending an email on localnotifications.pubreg.identita@gov.mt, the Gozo Public Registry by sending an email on localnotificationsgozo.pubreg@gov.mt, or in hardcopy from the offices of the Malta Public Registry in Marsa, the Identità Office at Mater Dei Hospital in Msida, and at the Gozo Public Registry in Victoria.

Further documentation required to complete a notification of birth includes the original ‘Notification of Birth of a Baby’ certificate issued by the hospital where the birth occurred, and the parent/s identification documents. Other documentation, depending upon the civil status of the parent/s may be required.

The Act, together with the receipt of payment, is sent to the parent/s by post for confirmation and signature.

The signed Act is then sent back to the Malta Public Registry or Gozo Public Registry for subsequent registration and will be preserved in the Archives.

Once the Act of Birth is registered the parent/s is/are informed by SMS or email that the Birth Certificate can be ordered. This can then be ordered from the Public Registry website www.certifikati.gov.mt following the procedure in the ‘Ordering a Birth Certificate’ Section further below.

For Maltese citizens who were born abroad, the registration of birth can be made through one of Malta’s Missions.

The applicant must provide the Mission with an original Birth Certificate, or a true copy issued by a competent authority. The original Birth Certificate itself must be either apostilled or fully legalized. The applicant must submit an original Birth Certificate or a true copy issued by a competent authority to the Mission. The original Birth Certificate must be apostilled or completely legalized. If the certificate is issued by an EU Member State, no apostille is required. If the country from which the certificate was issued is not a signatory to the Hague Convention on Apostilles, the foreign Birth Certificate must be fully legalized.

If the birth certificate is not in Maltese or English, an official translation of the birth certificate must also be provided.

Translations must always be apostilled or fully legalised to confirm the translator's signature, unless this is done in an EU country. The translator must be recognised and certified via the EU Justice Portal in accordance with Regulation ( EU) 2016/1191. In these cases, an apostille is not required for the translation. A translation is not required if a standard multilingual form is attached to the birth certificate as a translation aid.

The requirements to register a foreign birth are:

1. The ‘Request For Birth Registration’ Form signed by the applicant;


2. An identification document of the applicant;


3. A confirmation of Maltese citizenship.

Applicants can also visit the Malta Public Registry offices, Marsa, Malta or the Gozo Public Registry, Victoria, Gozo to personally submit these documents for registration.

Birth Certificates are filed with the Malta Public Registry or the Gozo Public Registry, along with the 'Request for Birth Registration' Form, which is signed by the notifier or applicant. An Act of Birth is then drafted, which can then be registered. The Public Registry keeps all original documentation.

The Public Registry requires original documents for registration purposes. Documents presented to the Public Registry, are retained indefinitely in its archives. Public documents that are not in the English language must be translated into Maltese or English. In cases where one or several fields are in a language other than the English or Maltese language, a translation of these fields is necessary for processing the document. Further information can be obtained from the following Link Policy for the recognition of foreign public documents by Identità.

For a birth that occurred in Malta:

• Parents’ identification documents;


• The ‘Notification of Birth of a Baby’ Certificate issued by the Hospital and signed by the midwife;


• Other documentation, depending upon the civil status of the parent/s as required; &


• Payment of €2.60.

For a birth of Maltese citizen born abroad:

• Confirmation of Maltese Citizenship;


• The Original Act of Birth or a true copy issued from the same competent authority to the Public Registry. The original Birth Certificate itself would need to be either Apostilled or fully legalized. There is no need for an apostille if the certificate is issued from an EU Member State. If the country from where the certificate was issued does not form part of the Hague Convention on apostilles, the foreign Birth Certificate must then be fully legalised;


• If the birth certificate is not in Maltese or English, an official translation of the Birth Certificate must also be submitted;


• If a translation is done in an EU country, the translator can be recognized and confirmed through the EU Justice portal as per the EU regulation 2016/1191. In these cases, an apostille for the translation is not required. A translation is not required if the Birth Certificate is accompanied by a multi-lingual standard form as a translation aid; &


• Identification document/s.

The procedure is carried out in Maltese and English.

All documentation fields, including the ‘Birth Act’ and ‘Birth Certificate’ are in Maltese and English.

The accepted means of notification are the submission of appropriate identification documents and signature of the notifying parent/s on the Act of Birth.

The signature is collected electronically when the parent/s notifies/notify the birth in person at the Malta Public Registry, Marsa, the Identità office at Mater Dei Hospital, Msida or the Gozo Public Registry, Victoria, Gozo or by a wet signature when the notification is completed online or by post.

Other documents, depending upon the civil status of the parent/s may be required to complete the Notification of Birth.

In cases of a Maltese citizen’s overseas birth, the registration can also be made through one of Malta’s Missions or directly with the Malta Public Registry Offices in Onda Building, Aldo Moro Road, Marsa, MRS 9065, or the Gozo Public Registry, Victoria, Gozo.

When a birth takes place in Malta, the parent/s must notify the Malta Public Registry if the birth occurred in Malta, and the Gozo Public Registry if the birth occurred in Gozo, within 15 days of the birth.

The Public Registry requires an average of two weeks from the day of notification to register the birth and make the Birth Certificate available online or in person at the Malta Public Registry in Marsa or the Gozo Public Registry in Victoria.

A payment of €2.60 is required for every birth notified.

Additional fees may apply if births of Maltese citizens born abroad are submitted through a Maltese Mission.

Where for some reason, the Director of the Public Registry refuses to register any Act, or where a person claims that there is an erroneous indication of any particular in the Act of Birth following the registration thereof, an application may be filed before the competent court in terms of the provisions of the Civil Code (Chapter 16 of the Laws of Malta), requesting that court to either order the registration of the Act or to order the correction of the particular in question.

The procedure requires a payment method and details of the person whose birth certificate is required.

The date of birth, name, surname and the first and last name of the parents are required.

The procedure is carried out and the prepared certificate is ready within 6 days. If an apostille is required, an additional 3 days should be allowed for the preparation of the certificate.

If you order a birth certificate online, you will be informed by SMS or email about the current status of your order.

For a Birth Certificate ordered online:

• Extract (basic information) the fee is €2.50


• Full certificate (full information) the fee is €9.95


• Add-on Apostille/Legalisation is an extra fee of €12


• Multi-lingual certificate ordered only on full certificates the fee is €10

For Birth Certificates ordered in person:

• Extract (basic information) the fee is €2.60


• Full certificate (full information) the fee is €10.25


• Add-on Apostille/Legalisation is an extra fee of €12


• Multi-lingual certificate ordered the fee is €10

The Public Registry supplies information regarding the availability of the ‘Birth Certificate’ of the child when this is requested by the parent/s. Enquiries can be made using the contact information below.

Malta Public Registry, Onda Building, Aldo Moro Road, Marsa, MRS 9065.
Email: localnotifications.pubreg.identita@gov.mt
Tel: +356 2590 4200.

Gozo Public Registry, Level 2, 132, George Borg Olivier Street, Victoria
Email: localnotificationsgozo.pubreg@gov.mt.