Documents at the birth of a child: practical guide

What are the documents to prepare when a child is born? How do you get your tax code, how do you request the pediatrician and how to communicate to the employer?

The first days after birth are a sort of roller coaster, the first contacts with the baby, the start of breastfeeding, the beginning of mutual understanding between the parents and the baby, which must be followed and understood in its care needs …intrusive relatives and the need for tranquillity

Among all this, there must also be room for the arrangement of bureaucratic duties.

According to the art. 1 of the Civil Code

 Legal capacity is acquired from the moment of birth. The rights that the law recognizes in favor of the conceived are subordinated to the birth event.

This means that in order for our child to acquire civil rights, the birth event must be registered. The declaration of the birth is a right of the person and is obligatory by law.

Registration in the registry office: the declaration of birth

The declaration of birth is made to allow for registration in the municipal register of civil status.

To make the birth declaration (also called   birth declaration)  the birth certificate  is required , which is issued by the medical personnel present at the birth.

The birth certificate contains the mother’s personal details, indications of the municipality, hospital, clinic or other place where the birth took place, the day and time of birth and the sex of the child.

In the case of married parents or recognition by only one of the parents, the notification of the birth can be made:

1. by either parent to the hospital or clinic where the child was born, within 3 days of delivery. The Direzioen Sanitaria will then send the documentation to the registrar of the municipality in whose territory the birth center is located or, at the request of the parents, to the municipality of residence.
2. by one of the parents at the Civil Status Office , in the municipality of residence of the mother (or father according to the parents’ agreements) or in the municipality of birth, always within 10 days of the birth

If the child was born to unmarried parents:

1. by both parents  at the hospital or clinic where the child was born, within 3 days of the birth. The Health Directorate will then send the documentation to the registrar of the municipality in whose territory the birth center is located or, at the request of the parents, to the municipality of residence.
2. by both parents at the Civil Status Office , of the municipality of residence of the mother (or of the father according to the parents’ agreements) or of the municipality of birth, always within 10 days of the birth

As an alternative to the parents , the notification of the birth can be made by a special attorney, or by the doctor or midwife or other person present at the birth. In these cases whoever makes the declaration must always respect the possible wish of the mother not to be named.

For  births that took place with home birth , the birth notification must be made in the municipality of birth or in the municipality of residence of the parents, or one of them if they have different residences.

The attribution of the name

The choice of name must be subject to defined rules.

• up to 3 names can be assigned to the child. In any case, only the first name will appear in the civil status certificates
• the name imposed on the child must correspond to the gender
• the child cannot be named after the father or a living brother or sister,
• the child cannot have a surname as a first name,
• no ridiculous or shameful names may be given to the child,
• if foreign names are chosen, these must be expressed in letters of the Italian alphabet, with the extension to the letters: J, K, X, Y, W and, where possible, also with the diacritical signs proper to the alphabet of the language of origin of the first name,
• children whose parents are not known cannot be given names or surnames that suggest their natural origin, or surnames of historical importance or belonging to particularly well-known families in the place where the birth certificate is drawn up.

The tax code

The tax code is a specific alphanumeric sequence, to uniquely identify people residing in Italy.

It is issued by the Revenue Agency, just go to the relevant offices with the birth certificate of the child drawn up by the Municipality, or the relative self-certification.

The attribution of the tax code can also be carried out by the Municipalities (within 60 days of birth) or by the Consulates (for residents abroad)

The choice of the pediatrician

To enroll the child in the National Health System, it is necessary to present the child’s tax code at the local ASL counter. In some Regions it is also possible to enroll in the Family Pediatrician already at the birth point.

A list of the approved paediatricians available in the Municipality of residence to choose from is presented. In case of lack of places available (each pediatrician can follow a maximum of 800 patients between 0 and 14 years of age unless there are particular exceptions), a list of those in neighboring municipalities is presented.

A personal health card in the name of the child is then issued, which is used to take advantage of pediatric assistance or to access other structures of the National Health System.

Every child, from birth, must have his own pediatrician in order to access all the services and benefits guaranteed by the National Health Service (NHS), included in the essential levels of assistance.
The pediatrician is compulsory for children up to 6 years of age; for children between 6 and 14, the choice can be between a pediatrician and a family doctor.

The communication of the date of birth to the employer

Within one month of the birth of the child , the worker will have to make a further electronic application for maternity leave which will cover the period of three months following the effective date of the birth. Also in this case, a copy of this receipt must be delivered to the employer.