Registering a birth in Luxembourg

All births in Luxembourg need to be registered at your local commune (town council) within 5 days.  Failure to do so can have serious consequences and complicate the issue of a birth certificate.

Children born in Luxembourg are generally required to take the surname of their father, providing the parents are married. If the parents are not married and the father’s name is not on the birth certificate, the child then takes the name of the mother. There has, however, been a recent change in legislation which allows the child to take the name of both parents (as a double-barrelled name) if desired.

You don’t have to register the birth of a British citizen overseas with the British Embassy.  However, one of the advantages is that a British form of birth certificate is available in English and that a record of the birth is held at the General Register Office in the UK.

If you are going to register the birth you need to download and complete the Birth Registration Form at the bottom of this page.

What we charge 

The following services are chargeable:

• Registering a birth in the Consular Register: €122.00
• Issuing a birth certificate: €78.00 

Fees are payable in local currency only (no credit or debit cards or cheques) and are subject to periodic review.

The relevant Consular Fees must be paid in cash at the British Embassy.

Before registering

Before registering the birth we need to see evidence of that national status of the person whose birth is to be registered.  We do not accept photocopies of documents, but original documents will be returned to you as soon as possible.

We need to see:

• The child’s full overseas birth certificate naming both parents
• The British parent’s long form birth certificate, naming both parents, or if the parent is British and born outside the United Kingdom, documentary evidence of his/her claim to British nationality, e.g. a Naturalisation or Registration Certificate issued by the Home Office.  If both parents are British, the long form birth certificate of both parents.  Certificates can be ordered from the website: www.gro.gov.uk.
• The parents’ marriage certificate, if the child was born before 1 July 2007.
• Evidence of the termination of any previous marriage of either parent
• The British parent’s passport
• If the British parent works for a European or International Organisation, a letter from that organisation, confirming that the person was working for them at the time of the child’s birth
  

Don't use the form if parents are not married

Don’t use this form if the parents are not married, the father is the only British parent and the child was born before 1 July 2007

If the parents are not married, the father is the only British parent, and the child is born before 1 July 2007, an application for registration of the child can be made to the Home Office, via the British Embassy.  The application form  “MN1” for minors, can be downloaded from the website www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk.  The completed form and supporting documentation needs to be brought into the British Embassy with the current fee, for forwarding to the Home Office.  

If you are applying from outside Luxembourg, you should contact your nearest British Embassy/Consulate.

If you want to print a copy of these notes for reference, use the print icon at the top of this page.

Birth Registration Form [pdf document, new window]