Short answer: After a baby is born in British Columbia you need seven things: the hospital’s Notice of Live Birth, a birth registration (free within 30 days), a birth certificate ($27), a Social Insurance Number (free), MSP enrolment (within 60 days), Canada Child Benefit registration (up to $8,157/year for a child under 6), and — if you plan to fly internationally — a Canadian passport ($58.50). In BC, five of these are done in one online form called the BC Newborn Registration Service.
Nobody hands you a checklist at the hospital. You go home with a baby, a car seat and a sheet of discharge instructions, and somewhere in the blur of the first two weeks you realise there is paperwork — with deadlines. This guide lays out every document a new parent in Surrey, Langley, Vancouver, Burnaby, Delta, White Rock and the rest of Metro Vancouver needs in 2026, what each one costs, how long it takes, and the order to do them in.
What Documents Do You Need After Having a Baby in BC?
Here is the complete list at a glance. Print it, screenshot it, or work through it section by section below.
| Document | Who issues it | Deadline | Cost (2026) | How long it takes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notice of Live Birth | Hospital or midwife | Automatic | Free | Filed within days |
| Birth Registration | BC Vital Statistics | 30 days | Free (late = $27) | Same day to submit |
| Birth Certificate | BC Vital Statistics | No deadline | $27 | 4–6 weeks |
| Social Insurance Number (SIN) | Service Canada | No deadline | Free | ~2–3 weeks |
| MSP enrolment (BC health coverage) | BC Medical Services Plan | 60 days | Free | Card in 6–8 weeks |
| Canada Child Benefit (CCB) | Canada Revenue Agency | Apply ASAP | Free | First payment ~8 weeks |
| B.C. Family Benefit | Automatic with CCB | None | Free | Paid with CCB |
| Canadian passport | Passport Canada | Before travel | $58.50 | 10–20 business days |
The good news: British Columbia bundles the four biggest items — birth registration, birth certificate, SIN and CCB — into a single online application, plus MSP enrolment. You fill in one form, once, and four agencies get what they need.
1. Notice of Live Birth (Days 1–5)
This is the only document you do not have to chase. Your hospital, birth centre or registered midwife files the Notice of Live Birth with BC Vital Statistics within a few days of delivery. It records the fact of the birth — date, time, weight, birthplace, attending practitioner.
It is not proof of identity and it is not a birth certificate. Banks, Service Canada and Passport Canada will not accept it. What it does is unlock the next step: you cannot register the birth online until Vital Statistics has received it.
What you get: Most BC hospitals hand you a card or slip with a Newborn Registration Number. Do not lose it — you need it to log in to the online registration. If you gave birth at home with a midwife, ask them for it directly.
2. Birth Registration — Free If You Do It Within 30 Days
Registering the birth is the legal act that creates your child’s official identity record: their legal name, date and place of birth, and you as the parent(s). Everything else in this guide flows from it.
Deadline: 30 days from birth. Registration is free within that window. Register late and BC Vital Statistics charges a $27 late fee.
How to register a birth in BC
Use the province’s secure online Birth Registration service. Set aside about 30 minutes and have both parents at the same computer — if both parents are named on the registration, both must certify separately during the session.
You will need:
- Your baby’s date of birth and the hospital or place of birth in BC
- Your baby’s full legal name as you want it recorded (see the warning below)
- Each parent’s surname exactly as it appears on their own official documents
- Each parent’s date and place of birth
- Each parent’s Personal Health Number (the number on your BC Services Card)
Get the name right the first time. Changing a child’s legal name after registration means a formal legal name change through Vital Statistics, a fee, and a wait. Check the spelling of every given name and the order of names before you hit submit. If you are using a name with accents, hyphens or multiple middle names, look at it twice.
What if one parent can’t take part?
If a parent is out of the country, incapacitated or otherwise unable to certify, you cannot complete the standard online session. Call BC Vital Statistics at 1-888-876-1633 (toll-free in BC) or 250-952-2681 to discuss your options. If the mother is registering the birth without naming a second parent, there is a declaration checkbox for that in the online form.
3. Birth Certificate — $27, and the Biggest Bottleneck
The birth certificate is the document everyone else asks for. You need it for a passport, for school enrolment years later, for an OCI card, for RESP accounts, and eventually for your child’s driver’s licence.
Cost in 2026: $27 for a birth certificate. A Certified True Copy of the Birth Registration — the long-form version showing full registration details — costs $50.
Which version should you order? Order the long-form certificate that shows both parents’ names. Passport Canada requires parental information for a child’s first passport, and so does an OCI application. A short-form or wallet certificate without parent names will send you back to Vital Statistics for a second order — and another 4–6 week wait.
Timeline: BC Vital Statistics states that registering a birth and issuing the certificate takes 4 to 6 weeks on average. This single step is why a newborn passport realistically takes 8–10 weeks from birth. If you have travel booked, order the certificate the day you register.
You can order additional copies later through the Vital Statistics online ordering system. Many parents order two — one to keep in a safe place, one for the applications that ask you to mail an original.
4. Social Insurance Number (SIN) — Free, and You Need It Sooner Than You Think
Your baby needs a SIN. Not for work, obviously — for money. A SIN is required to:
- Open a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP)
- Receive the Canada Education Savings Grant (the government adds 20% on the first $2,500 you contribute each year — up to $500 a year, free)
- Receive the Canada Learning Bond (up to $2,000 for eligible lower-income families, with no contribution required from you)
- Open certain in-trust investment accounts
Cost: Free. There is never a fee for a SIN, and anyone charging you for one is running a scam.
How to get it: Tick the SIN box inside the BC Newborn Registration Service and Service Canada issues it automatically — no separate application, no office visit. If you missed it, you can apply separately through Service Canada with your child’s birth certificate.
Service Canada mails a confirmation letter with the number. There is no card any more. Photograph the letter, store it somewhere secure, and do not carry it in your wallet.
5. MSP Enrolment — 60 Days for BC Health Coverage
Your baby is covered under your Medical Services Plan account temporarily, but they must be formally enrolled as a dependent.
Deadline: 60 days from birth. Enrol through the newborn registration bundle, or add your child through your MSP account if you missed it.
Until the enrolment is processed, your baby is covered under the parent’s Personal Health Number — so do not delay a doctor’s visit worrying about coverage. The BC Services Card with your child’s own Personal Health Number arrives roughly 6 to 8 weeks after enrolment.
While you wait: Give your parent PHN at the pediatrician’s office, the walk-in clinic and the pharmacy. Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health public health units will also ask for it at your baby’s first immunization appointment.
Don’t forget your workplace plan. MSP covers doctors, not dental, prescriptions or vision. Most extended health plans give you a limited window — often 30 to 60 days — to add a newborn as a dependent. Email your HR or benefits provider in the first week. Miss the window and you may wait until the next open enrolment.
6. Canada Child Benefit — Up to $8,157 a Year
The Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment from the Canada Revenue Agency. For the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year the maximum amounts are:
| Child’s age | Maximum per year | Maximum per month |
|---|---|---|
| Under 6 | $8,157 | ~$679.75 |
| 6 to 17 | $6,883 | ~$573.58 |
The full amount goes to lower-income families and phases down as adjusted family net income rises, based on your previous year’s tax return. Both parents must have filed their taxes — this is the single most common reason payments stall.
How to apply: Tick the CCB box in the newborn registration bundle and the CRA is notified automatically. Alternatively, apply through CRA My Account or by filing Form RC66.
When it arrives: Allow roughly 8 weeks for the first payment. CCB is paid on the 20th of each month (or the preceding business day).
B.C. Family Benefit — automatic, no extra form
If your child is registered for the CCB, they are automatically registered for the B.C. family benefit. No action required. For July 2026 to June 2027 the maximums are $1,750 for the first child, $1,100 for a second child, and $900 for each additional child, reduced above an adjusted family net income of $30,176. Eligible single parents receive an additional supplement of up to $500 per family. It is deposited together with your CCB payment.
7. Canadian Passport — $58.50, Required for Any Flight Abroad
Every Canadian citizen needs their own passport for international air travel — there is no minimum age, and a baby cannot travel on a parent’s passport. A child passport costs $58.50, is valid for a maximum of 5 years, and cannot be renewed.
You cannot start until the long-form birth certificate arrives, which is why the realistic timeline from birth to passport in hand is 8–10 weeks with standard processing.
We have a full walkthrough — documents, guarantor rules, infant photo specs and every Service Canada office in the region — here: How to Get a Newborn Passport in Canada (2026): A Metro Vancouver Parent’s Complete Guide.
8. Immunization Record
Not a document you apply for, but one you will be asked for repeatedly — at daycare registration, at kindergarten enrolment, and any time you change health authorities.
In BC, your public health unit records immunizations in the provincial registry. You can view and download your child’s record through Health Gateway using a BC Services Card login. Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health will also give you a paper record card at the first appointment — keep it with the birth certificate.
Daycare tip: Almost every licensed daycare in Surrey and Langley asks for an up-to-date immunization record at registration. Have a PDF saved on your phone before you start touring. See our daycare checklist for Surrey parents.
Documents Some Metro Vancouver Families Also Need
OCI card (for Indo-Canadian families)
If one or both parents are Indian citizens or of Indian origin, a baby born in Canada can be registered for an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card — effectively a lifelong visa to India. You need the Canadian passport and the long-form birth certificate first, so it sits at the end of the document chain. Fresh OCI for a minor costs CAD $376 plus BLS service charges, and since April 2026 applications must be submitted in person for biometrics.
Full walkthrough: How to Apply for an OCI Card in Canada (2026).
India e-Visa (if you’re travelling without OCI)
Canadian passport holders — including a Canadian-born baby — can enter India on an e-Visa applied for entirely online, currently USD $80 for Canadian nationals. Infants need their own e-Visa. See How to Get an India e-Visa from Canada (2026).
Citizenship certificate
A baby born in BC is a Canadian citizen by birth and does not need a citizenship certificate — the birth certificate is proof. You only need one if your child was born outside Canada to a Canadian parent.
Will and guardianship documents
Not government paperwork, but the thing most new parents postpone indefinitely. A will naming a guardian is the only way to say who raises your child if both parents die. Worth an afternoon with a BC notary or lawyer.
Newborn Paperwork Timeline: Week by Week
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| At the hospital | Collect the Newborn Registration Number slip. Confirm the midwife or hospital is filing the Notice of Live Birth. |
| Week 1–2 | Agree on the legal name. Email HR to add baby to your extended health and dental plan. |
| By day 30 | Complete the online birth registration (free). In the same session: order the birth certificate ($27), request the SIN, apply for CCB, enrol in MSP. |
| By day 60 | Confirm MSP enrolment went through if you skipped it earlier. |
| Week 4–6 | Birth certificate and SIN letter arrive in the mail. |
| Week 6–8 | BC Services Card arrives. First CCB payment lands. |
| Week 6+ | Apply for the passport if travelling. Open an RESP and claim the Canada Learning Bond. Start the OCI application if applicable. |
Where to Get Help in Surrey and Metro Vancouver
Most of this is done online, but if you need a person:
Service BC — for birth registration and certificate questions. Surrey Service BC Centre, 200-7404 King George Boulevard, Surrey. BC Vital Statistics: 1-888-876-1633.
Service Canada — for SIN and passport. Locations include Surrey City Centre (13761 96th Avenue), Surrey South (103-15295 Highway 10), Burnaby (100-3480 Gilmore Way), Langley (102-8747 204th Street), Coquitlam (100-2963 Glen Drive), Richmond (350-5611 Cooney Road) and Vancouver (978 Granville Street). Toll-free: 1-800-622-6232.
Canada Revenue Agency — for CCB. Benefits enquiries: 1-800-387-1193.
Medical Services Plan — Lower Mainland: 604-683-7151.
HealthLink BC — free 24/7 health advice from a registered nurse, and the best first call for any newborn health question: 8-1-1.
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents do I need after having a baby in BC?
You need a birth registration (free within 30 days), a birth certificate ($27), a Social Insurance Number (free), MSP enrolment (within 60 days), and Canada Child Benefit registration. A Canadian passport ($58.50) is needed only if your child will travel internationally by air. In BC, birth registration, birth certificate, SIN, CCB and MSP can all be completed in one online session.
How long do I have to register a birth in BC?
30 days from the date of birth. Registration is free within that window; after 30 days BC Vital Statistics charges a $27 late fee. There is no penalty beyond the fee, and you can still register a late birth.
How much does a birth certificate cost in BC in 2026?
A BC birth certificate costs $27. A Certified True Copy of the Birth Registration, which shows the full long-form details, costs $50. Order the version showing both parents’ names — it is what Passport Canada and OCI applications require.
How long does it take to get a birth certificate in BC?
BC Vital Statistics states that registering the birth and issuing the certificate takes 4 to 6 weeks on average. This is the slowest step in the newborn paperwork chain, so start it the week your baby is born if you have travel planned.
Does a newborn need a Social Insurance Number in Canada?
Yes, if you want to open an RESP, receive the Canada Education Savings Grant, or claim the Canada Learning Bond. A SIN is free and is issued automatically if you tick the box during the BC newborn birth registration.
How do I add my newborn to MSP in BC?
Enrol your baby as a dependent within 60 days of birth, either through the newborn registration bundle or through your MSP account. Your baby is covered under your Personal Health Number in the meantime, and their own BC Services Card arrives about 6 to 8 weeks after enrolment.
How much is the Canada Child Benefit for a newborn in 2026?
For the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year, the maximum Canada Child Benefit is $8,157 per year (about $679.75 per month) for a child under 6. The amount reduces as adjusted family net income rises. Both parents must have filed their taxes for payments to be issued.
Do I have to apply for the B.C. Family Benefit separately?
No. If your child is registered for the Canada Child Benefit, they are automatically registered for the B.C. family benefit. It is paid together with your CCB deposit — up to $1,750 a year for a first child in the July 2026 to June 2027 benefit year.
Can I do all the newborn paperwork online in BC?
Yes, for the most part. The BC Newborn Registration Service handles birth registration, birth certificate ordering, Social Insurance Number, Canada Child Benefit and MSP enrolment in one online session. Only the passport application must be submitted in person or by mail.
What if I registered my baby’s name wrong?
Correcting a legal name after registration requires a formal application to BC Vital Statistics, supporting documents and a fee. Minor clerical errors made by the agency can be corrected without charge. Check spelling and name order carefully before submitting the registration.
Does my baby need a passport to fly within Canada?
No. Passports are not required for domestic flights. Airlines may ask for proof of age, so carry the birth certificate. A passport is required for all international air travel, including flights to the United States.
More Guides for New Parents in Metro Vancouver
- How to Get a Newborn Passport in Canada (2026)
- How to Apply for an OCI Card in Canada (2026)
- How to Get an India e-Visa from Canada (2026)
- How to Choose a Daycare in Surrey, BC: A Parent’s Complete Checklist
- Daycare in Langley, BC (2026): Costs, Waitlists & How to Find a Spot
- Kids Dental Care in Surrey, BC (2026)
- Find pediatric health care providers near you
- Newborn and family photographers in Metro Vancouver
Last updated: August 2026. Fees, deadlines and benefit amounts are sourced from BC Vital Statistics, HealthLink BC, the Canada Revenue Agency and the Province of British Columbia, and may change. Always verify current details before applying. This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice.
