Birth registration

How does it work?

The mother, father, or co-mother registers the birth.

If they are unable to do so, one of the following persons may do so on their behalf:

• every person who was present at the birth
• in the case of a home birth: a co-resident of the house
• in the case of a hospital birth: the head of the hospital or an employee authorized by the head

If this is also not possible, the declaration will be made by or on behalf of the mayor of the municipality where your child was born.

Birth certificate

After the registration, the municipality will issue a birth certificate. The birth certificate will contain your child's first name(s) and surname. It will also contain the names of the parents, the date, time, and place of birth. If you wish, you can purchase a copy of the birth certificate on the spot.

What should I do?

• Register your child's birth with the municipality where your child was born. Do this within 3 days. You will need to make an appointment for this.
• You cannot file a report on Saturdays, Sundays, or national holidays. In that case, you will be given one extra working day.
• Are you registering later? Then the civil registrar will report this to the Public Prosecutor's Office. You may then be fined.

Make an appointment

What do I need?

• valid proof of identity of the person filing the report
• valid proof of identity of the mother
• statement from the doctor or midwife
• marriage certificate (not required)
• certificate of recognition of unborn child (if you have one)
• deed of name choice (if you have one)

Child born in lesbian relationship

The mother and co-mother who are married or in a registered partnership must bring a statement from the Artificial Insemination Donor Data Foundation (Stichting donorgegevens kunstmatige bevruchting ) if the donor is anonymous.

Additional information

Choice of surname

As parents, you decide what surname your child will have. You can only choose the surname for your first child. You can do this before the birth or when registering the birth. All subsequent children in the family will automatically have the same surname as your first child.

2 last names

From January 1, 2024, you can give your first child the surnames of both parents if they are born on (or after) January 1, 2024. No more than two names may be given. This double surname also applies to all subsequent children of the same parents. It will not be mandatory to choose a double surname.

Other nationality

If your child does not have Dutch nationality, you may not be able to decide which surname your child will have. This depends on the country of which your child is a national. Ask the embassy or consulate about this.

Birth registration of a deceased child

Did your child live for a short time after birth, but died before the birth was registered? In that case, a birth certificate will first be issued in the municipality where your child was born. A death certificate will then be issued in the municipality where your child died.

Stillborn child

• If your child is stillborn, you can have a 'birth certificate (stillborn)' drawn up at the municipality. This is official proof that your child was born. The length of the pregnancy is not important in this case. The content of this certificate is the same as a normal birth certificate and it is entered in the death register.
• If this is your first child, you may choose the surname yourself. This can be the surname of the father or the mother. You do not have to use the same surname for subsequent children.
• You can also register your child in the BRP. This means that your child's name will appear in your personal details when you log in to MijnOverheid.nl.