How do I register a baby's birth?
Yes: registering a birth is mandatory and free. The basis is the Civil Registry Code (art. 96). The birth must be declared within 20 days. Through the Nascer Cidadão programme, most maternity wards have a registry officer on site, letting you register at the hospital before discharge. Parents declare (either one); if they can't, the duty passes to close relatives or the hospital director. It's free. If the parents are married, either declares; if unmarried, one declares and the other confirms. The name must comply with IRN rules (Portuguese spelling, max 2 first names + 4 surnames). In short: yes, mandatory, free and within 20 days.
📋 The rules
- Declare the birth within 20 days
- Nascer Cidadão: register at the maternity ward
- Parents declare (or relatives/hospital director)
- Registration free
- Name follows IRN rules (2 first names + 4 surnames)
🔓 Exceptions
- Born abroad to Portuguese parents: register at the consulate
- Late registration possible, but may need a justified process
- Citizen Card mandatory from the 20th day
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Registration is free and, in the normal (slightly late) case, there's no fine on the parents. The Citizen Card has its own administrative fee. Persistent failure to register can lead to Public Prosecutor intervention and official registration, not a daily cash penalty. Beware the Brazil confusion: there registration is at a private civil-registry cartório, with a window usually of 15 days; in Portugal it's at the Civil Registry (or Nascer Cidadão at the maternity ward), within 20 days, and the IRN sets the admissible names. Myth: "you can give any name" is false — the IRN name list is binding. To register: use Nascer Cidadão at the maternity ward or the registry, within the 20 days.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
What's the deadline to register a baby?
The birth must be declared and registered within 20 days, under the Civil Registry Code. In most maternity wards, through the Nascer Cidadão programme, you can register at the hospital itself, before discharge, which is advisable as it avoids later trips to the registry.
Is birth registration free?
Yes. Birth registration is free, with no fee. What has its own cost is the Citizen Card, which becomes mandatory from the 20th day of life. The registration itself, the basis of all the child's rights, has no cost.
Who can declare the birth?
As a rule, the parents declare the birth, either one being enough. If the parents can't, the duty passes to the closest relatives or the health establishment's director. If the parents are married, either declares; if not, one declares and the other confirms.
Can I give my child any name?
No. The name must comply with IRN rules, which include Portuguese spelling, a maximum of two first names and four surnames, and a ban on names that raise doubts about sex or are offensive. The IRN publishes lists of admitted and non-admitted names, which are binding.
Is it the same as registration in Brazil?
Not entirely. In Brazil, registration is at a civil-registry cartório, of a private nature, with a window usually of 15 days. In Portugal, it's at the Civil Registry, or Nascer Cidadão at the maternity ward, within 20 days, and the IRN sets which names are admissible.
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