Congratulations on the birth of your baby!

How do I get a health care card for my baby?

The hospital staff will give you a Birth Registration Statement that must be completed.

Please fill out as much of the form as possible and sign it before you leave the hospital. Even if you haven’t decided on a name for your baby or you want the father or other parent to be there to complete the form, filling in most of the sections of the Birth Registration Statement will speed up the process of getting a healthcare card for your newborn. If you have any questions, the hospital staff can help you.

If you are a NWT resident, please complete a NWT Application for Health Care – Newborn, and submit it to the Health Services Administration Office.

If you complete the Birth Registration Statement before you leave the hospital, staff would be happy to mail the form for you OR you can mail it directly to the Vital Statistics Office in Inuvik.

How do I get a birth certificate for my new baby?

A birth certificate is an essential first piece of identification for your child.

• Complete all sections of the Birth Registration Statement (Please read the information about “Choosing a Last Name").
• Read it over carefully after you have completed it.
• Make sure that the spelling of the baby’s name is the way you want and any accents and hyphens are included.
• All births in the NWT have to be registered with the Vital Statistics Office in Inuvik within 30 days of birth. Please note: It is the responsibility of the parent to register the birth but the hospital is required to send it on your behalf, if at all possible.

You can apply for a birth certificate right away and once the baby is registered, Vital Statistics will mail the birth certificate to you. Please note that the fee for birth certificates applies to newborn babies as well.

Canada Child Benefit

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and the Department of Health and Social Services, Government of the Northwest Territories are offering the Automated Benefits Application (ABA) service – a quick, easy, and secure way to apply for Canada child benefits for your newborn. This includes the Canada Child Benefit (CCB), the goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit, and any related provincial/territorial programs the CRA administers.

How to register

If you are the mother, a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, and primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of your child, all you need to do is:

• Complete and sign your birth registration form;
• Consent to the Registrar General of Vital Statistics sharing your information with the CRA;
• Provide your social insurance number (SIN)

Note:  When you provide your Social Insurance Number, the following information will be sent to the CRA, after your child’s birth has been registered with the Northwest Territories:

• your name, date of birth, place of birth, SIN, residential and mailing address;
• your child’s name, date and place of birth, sex of the child; and
• your child’s birth registration number and registration date.