Child Benefit - letter from Garda or medical professional confirming residency

We recently had our first child. Better half has received the CB1 form from DSP. She has not given the option to claim online so has to do paper form. Part 8 mentions needing a letter from Garda or medical professional confirming residency. Any idea what we need to bring down to the Garda station for this and will they be happy enough to write a letter? Seems odd there’s no small section for them just to sign.

Does everyone who claims child benefit have to go to a Garda station to prove residency?

Congrats on the new baby

The form is quite comprehensive & seems to enquire in detail into parent(s) and child's residency.

It requests a "Letter from, playschool, crèche, Gardaí, or medical practitioner confirming residency of each child not
of school going age."

I'm pretty sure if you ring your GP or visit your local Garda station, they'll have a standard template letter they can provide.

smndly said:

Does everyone who claims child benefit have to go to a Garda station to prove residency?

Click to expand...

Surely it would be easier with the GP. If you're going to the Gardai just bring some documents like utility bills with you as they will have your address on them. No idea if everybody has to do this, but many people have to go to the Gardai to get a passport. My late parent had to go to them annually to get them to sign they were alive.

I had to prove residency of my kids 3 or 4 times over the years. I think it’s random after the initial claim.

Once kids are in school a letter from the school is the standard way of proving residency.


It’s slightly off topic but Ireland should just bring in residency notification requirements like the rest of Europe and do away with all this kind of paper-based approach with miscellaneous state agencies.

It's easier when they go to crèche or school later on as you just have to confirm where they attend. I would say I get a form every 18 months or so.