Birth certificates give Aboriginal kids a great start in life, in school and in their community. Adults need them too. You need to register your boorai’s birth to get a birth certificate.
It’s never too late to register.
Birth certificates help you:
- enrol your child in kinder and school
- access benefits like Centrelink and Medicare.
Everyone needs a birth certificate to get a:
- bank account
- driver's licence
- passport
- tax file number.
How do I register?
Registering a birth is free, and it’s easy. You can register online. It only takes about 30 minutes.
The hospital doesn’t do this for you.
It’s never too late to register a birth. You won’t get in trouble.
Registering a birth now will help you and your child for the rest of their life.
Who needs to register the birth?
Usually, both parents need to register a birth.
It’s sometimes possible for one parent to register – for example, if you don’t know where the other parent is.
If you need help, or you don’t have access to the internet, call us. We’re here to help.
Please tell us when you register a birth if you or the other parent identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. It helps us build better services for your community.
Learn more about registering a birth.
Family violence concerns
We can register a birth while making sure we don’t put your safety at risk.
Please let us know if you don’t want the other parent to know your address because of safety reasons. We may ask you for some documentation to support these concerns.
If you tell BDM that you fear for your safety, we won’t tell the other parent your contact details without your consent.
Learn more about protecting your safety.
It's never too late to register
Sometimes, a birth needs to be registered late. If this is the case email bdm.koori@justice.vic.gov.au (External link) — we are happy to help.
You won’t get in trouble.
Watch the 'It's never too late to register a birth' video
You can read the transcript of this video.
Strong identity, strong spirit
Our Strong identity, strong spirit campaign promotes the importance of:
- Registering a birth
- Having a birth certificate.
Visit the campaign page to learn more about Strong identity, strong spirit. This includes how you can partner with BDM, request a visit to your community, and download resources to help promote the campaign.
Aboriginal heritage birth certificate
BDM offers an Aboriginal Heritage commemorative birth certificate. It combines artwork by three of Victoria's leading Aboriginal artists:
- Vicki Couzens
- Lee Durroch
- Treahna Hamm.
Each artist depicts an element of birth in a way that recognises and celebrates Victoria's Aboriginal heritage.
You can’t use commemorative certificates as legal proof of identity. For that you need a legal birth certificate.
About the photos on this page
Shakara Basso (Wemba-Wemba) with Djaran O’Brien (Yorta-Yorta & Wemba-Wemba). Photo by Michael Jalaru Torres (Djugun & Yawuru).