Congratulations! You’ve welcomed a new member of your family. Now it’s time to register the birth with Alberta Vital Statistics, and apply for your baby’s personal foundation documents.
On this page
- What can I apply for online?
- How much does it cost?
- When and how will I receive the documents I ordered?
What can I apply for online?
Hold on! Before you can order vital documents for your baby, you need to register the baby’s birth. You can register the birth online using the Online Birth Registry within the first year after your baby is born. On online birth registration has two parts:
- You complete the online registration
- The hospital, or the midwife who assisted with the birth), sends confirmation of the birth to Alberta Vital Statistics
Once you’ve successfully registered the birth online, you will receive a tracking number that you can use to order birth documents online at eservices.alberta.ca.
You can use the eServices website to order:
- Birth certificates (one-time only)
- Social Insurance Number (SIN) for your child
- Canada Child Benefits
To register your child for an Alberta Health card, you will need to visit a registry office.
You can also register the birth by filling out paper registration forms, usually at the hospital. If you register the birth using the paper forms, you cannot also register the birth online, and you would not be able to order birth documents online. You are always able to apply for your baby’s birth certificate at any Alberta registry office in person, or if you live outside of Alberta, by mail through Registry Connect.
How much does it cost?
The cost per birth certificate is $40. There are no additional fees or taxes applied.
When and how will I receive the documents I ordered?
When you order a birth certificate online, Alberta Vital Statistics prints and mails the certificate from their office in Edmonton. Additional documents (such as SIN cards) are mailed from the offices where they are printed.
Fun facts about birth certificate orders:
- The certificates are sent by regular mail only. They are not couriered, and there is no option to pick up the certificate at a registry office.
- There is no tracking when your certificate is mailed. The tracking number you received when you registered the birth online is not applicable to the mailing of your certificate.
- Usually the certificates are printed and mailed within a few days of the registration of the birth. Delays occur if the birth information was not registered correctly, or if Alberta Vital Statistics is still waiting for the birth confirmation from the hospital or midwife.
- A birth certificate is considered “lost in the mail” if it does not reach you by 30 days from the date it was printed, and if the address information provided on your order was correct. If a certificate is lost in the mail, you can contact Alberta Vital Statistics about a free replacement, within 90 days of the date your certificate was printed.
- If you don’t receive the certificate right away, you can’t have it reprinted at a registry office. You are welcome to order another certificate in person at a registry, but all fees would apply.
- If there is a problem with the delivery of the certificate, Canada Post will usually return it to sender (Alberta Vital Statistics). If you are worried about your certificate, you can contact Alberta Vital Statistics directly, or the e-Registry Help Desk, to check on your order.
You can contact Alberta Vital Statistics directly.
You can also contact the e-registry.ca Help Desk.