P06E - Birth Certificates

For people born in Portugal 
The Civil Registry Offices (Conservatória do Registo Civil) maintain records of births and issue Birth Certificates. The Registry issues a simple certificate called a Certidão de Nascimento. 

Registration must be made at the Civil Registry representative at the maternity hospital where the child was born (at the Nascer Cidadão counter) or where the mother was transferred after delivery. If it is not possible to register at the maternity hospital, you can register at any Civil Registry office in the next 20 days after birth or online through the website by choosing the option “Registar nascimento online”, however you’ll need to have the Digital Mobile Key (CMD - Chave Móvel Digital) activated in order to proceed with this option. Once registration is complete, you will receive, free of charge: the birth certificate, by post, and a copy of the registration, in PDF, by email.

If at least one of the parents is a foreign national the name chosen for the child may be one recognised by the country. To register such a name, you will first need to obtain a certificate from the Consulate stating that the name is recognised. 

Many children born of non-Portuguese parents will also have the right to take up the nationality of their parents. Should you wish to maintain the child’s rights to another nationality you are also advised to contact your Consulate. Many countries also require the registration of the birth at the Consulate. 

Copies of the Birth certificate, known as Certidão de Nascimento, are required for certain procedures such as when applying for registration in the social security system. Someone born in Portugal can request a Certidão de Nascimento from any Civil Registry. The prices to pay for this certificate depends on its purpose (can vary between €10 and €20) and there are reductions if it is required for certain formalities such as obtaining an Identity Card.

A Birth Certificate can be requested:

• online (if you have a CMD) and will be available for consultation for up to 6 months.

• in paper (needs to be requested at the counter) and it has no validity term. It remains valid indefinitely unless it is misplaced, lost, stolen or is in poor condition. In these cases, you can request a duplicate of the document, upon payment of a fee.