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Ministry of Health

Birth Registration Services

As part of our new electronic birth registration service, the Vital Statistics Agency has partnered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), Service Canada, and Health Insurance BC to provide the parents of newborn children a quick, easy, and secure way to register for :

Note - Application for these services through Vital Statistics is only available when you are registering the birth of your child who is under the age of one.


Applying for Canada Child Benefits with Birth Registration

After the CRA receives the information from the birth registration, your child will be registered for:

  • The Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) and any related provincial or territorial programs.
  • The goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit and any related provincial programs.
  • The Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB).

Who can apply
To apply for Canada Child Benefits at the same time you register your newborn, you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen or permanent resident
  • The mother of the child whose birth is being registered
  • Primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of this child

For more information, visit the CRA web site at www.cra.gc.ca/benefits or call 1-800-387-1193.

Important notes
Once a mother applies on the birth registration form, she must not re-apply for Canada Child Benefits using another method such as the CRA's RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application. Re-applying may result in a delay in processing the first application or issuing payments.

Personal information requested for Canada Child Benefits is collected under section 4 of the Privacy Act and is used to register children for the CCTB and any related provincial programs, and the UCCB.

Applying for your Child's Social Insurance Number (SIN) with Birth Registration

A Social Insurance Number is free and is required to access various Canadian government benefits and programs such as:

  • The Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP)
  • The Canada Learning Bond
  • Canada Education Savings Grant

Who can apply
To be eligible to apply for your child’s SIN at the same time you register the birth, you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen or permanent resident
  • A parent of the child

If you are not a Canadian Citizen or permanent resident, you may still be eligible to apply for your child's SIN, but will need to apply directly to Service Canada.

After your child's birth is registered with the Province of British Columbia, the information necessary to apply for a SIN for your child is forwarded to Service Canada. Your child’s SIN card will be delivered within five business days of the birth being completely registered.

For further information, including information relating to your privacy rights, go to www.servicecanada.gc.ca.

Enrolling your Child in the Medical Service Plan for BC Residents with Birth Registration

Medical Services Plan (MSP) requires that, if the newborn is a BC resident, he/she must be enrolled in MSP.

Who can apply

To be eligible to apply for MSP at the same time that you register your child's birth:

  • You must be the mother of the child.
  • You must have active MSP coverage at the time the child is born.
  • The child must be a resident of British Columbia.

A resident is defined as someone who:

  • Is a citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
  • Makes his or her home in British Columbia.
  • Lives in British Columbia at least six months of the year.

You can expect to receive a BC Services Card in your newborn's name within 4-5 weeks of submitting the
Registration of Live Birth.

For additional information regarding MSP enrollment, visit the Ministry of Health website.