THEMATIC BRIEFING | MAY 2020 Birth registration and the prevention of statelessness in Europe 17 Good practice Less than half of countries in the Statelessness Index demonstrate good practice in facilitating access to free and prompt birth registration after the deadline for registration has passed. However, some good practice can be identified, including no fines or penalties, no action being taken to prevent late registration, or explicit safeguards like ex officio registration where parents fail to register a child. There are also initiatives to implement electronic or automatic registration by health institutions. In Norway, the doctor or midwife present at the birth is required to give notification of the birth to the National Registry Authority when the child is born. If the child is born without assistance from a midwife or doctor, the mother must notify the National Registry Authority within one month, but there is nothing in law or practice that suggests late birth registration would not be possible. Facilitating birth registration after the deadline has passed in Spain Although deadlines for registration exist in Spain (72 hours, 10 days and 30 days), even when these are surpassed, it is possible to file for a late registration before the civil registry. In no case would a birth remain unregistered. The only additional requirement is the need to file for an out of time registration before the competent authority. Barriers to late birth registration Late registration fees, complex court procedures, and other additional requirements for registering a birth after a national deadline prevent universal birth registration in some countries featured in the Statelessness Index. Fees or fines for late birth registration In several countries in the Statelessness Index, the law provides for fees or fines to be levied to register a birth after the deadline has passed. The amounts vary significantly, from a €10-25 fee charged for issuance of a birth certificate after two years in Austria, to a potential €3750 fine and six-month prison sentence in France if the birth is not declared by someone who attended the birth. It is not clear whether such penalties are simply intended as a deterrent, or whether they are implemented in practice. Portugal, for example, provides in law for fines to be administered where the birth is not registered within the statutory deadline, but these are not then implemented in practice.51 Fees for registering a birth after the statutory deadline in Cyprus In Cyprus,the deadline for the completion of birth registration is 15 days after the child’s birth. Late registration is possible by law but subject to late registration fees. If a child is registered within 15 days of birth, €5 is charged for the issuance of the birth certificate. Between 15 days and three months after birth, a late registration fee of €30 is charged, which doubles to €60 after three months.