What documents do I need for Child Benefit if my child was born outside the UK?

Which documents does GOV.UK ask for?

The live list is on GOV.UK — Make a claim, under "If your child’s birth was registered outside the UK". HMRC's 18 May 2026 news story repeats the same pair of documents for children born outside the UK.

GOV.UK: send originals. Documents you send are usually returned in 4 weeks. The Child Benefit enquiries page gives a dedicated address for original documents: HM Revenue and Customs — Child Benefit Office, Washington, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE88 1ZD.

How do you send originals, and when are they returned?

Online and app claims still lead to a request for those originals when the birth was registered outside the UK. GOV.UK's 4-week return line is the published expectation, not a MayTally tracking figure. Use the documents address on the enquiries page, not the general PO Box 1 writing address, when you are posting a passport or certificate.

Citizens Advice (England) says ask the Post Office for proof of postage when you send a claim form, certificates or a passport. HMRC's CH2 notes (updated 6 April 2026) also tell paper claimants to send the birth certificate if the birth was registered in Northern Ireland or outside the UK, plus the passport or travel documents used to enter the UK if the child was not born in the UK.

Can you claim before the certificate arrives?

Yes — GOV.UK says so in the same subsection. The 3-month backdate is counted from the date you make the claim. Waiting for a replacement certificate can push the claim outside that window.

1. 1
   Start the claim on GOV.UK or in the HMRC app Use how to claim. The 48-hour wait still applies if you are registering a UK birth; for a child who has come to live with you, GOV.UK allows a claim once they live with you.
2. 2
   Send the certificate when you have it GOV.UK: if you do not send the certificate when asked, you may need to start the claim again.
3. 3
   Include the passport or travel document, or rely on the eVisa check Send the travel document used to enter the UK, unless the child's only ID is an eVisa — then GOV.UK says no share code is needed.
4. 4
   Keep proof of postage for originals Citizens Advice's proof-of-postage tip is the practical record if a passport is in the post to Washington.

Does an eVisa need a share code?

GOV.UK's claim page says no: if the child's only form of ID is an eVisa, HMRC checks those details and you do not need to provide a share code. That sentence is about identity evidence for the Child Benefit claim, not a full immigration decision.

GOV.UK — Who can get Child Benefit has separate sections if you live abroad, move to the UK, have settled status, or have pre-settled status. Those are the official tests. This page does not add extra right-to-reside rules on top of that list.

Is this the same as registering the birth with the UK authorities?

No. GOV.UK — Register a birth abroad says you must register the birth under the rules of the country where the child was born. Registering with the UK authorities (a consular birth registration) is optional. GOV.UK publishes fees for that optional service; they are not a Child Benefit fee and they do not replace the certificate-plus-travel-document list on the claim page.

If the local certificate is not in English, the register-a-birth-abroad page says you need a translation by an approved translator for UK uses such as a passport. Child Benefit still wants the original certificate sent to HMRC when asked.

In shortFor a birth registered outside the UK, GOV.UK names two originals: the birth or adoption certificate, and the passport or travel document used to enter the UK. An eVisa is checked without a share code. Claim now if the certificate is still missing — the 3-month backdate does not wait for the post.