Registering a stillborn child
What is it?
When a child is stillborn, it is a profound emotional loss. If you wish, you can have your child registered in the Basic Register of Persons (BRP). This is not mandatory. You must submit your request for registration to the municipality where you live.
Once you have registered this information ,your stillborn child will be visible to you on MijnOverheid.nland on an extract from the BRP.
How does it work?
- You can submit the request if you were living in the Netherlands at the time of the birth and were registered in the BRP.
- It doesn't matter when your baby was born or how long the pregnancy lasted.
- You can only register your child in the BRP on your own behalf. Because this is a very personal matter, you cannot do this on behalf of the other parent.
What should I do?
- You must submit a request to the municipality where you live.
- To register your child, you will need a birth certificate (stillborn) or a certificate of stillbirth. If you do not have such a certificate, you can have one issued by the municipality where your child was born.
- It is possible that your child’s names do not appear on the birth certificate (stillborn) or the certificate of stillbirth. In that case, you should provide the names when you submit your request for registration in the BRP. Parents may therefore choose different names independently of one another. This is not a problem at all in this situation.
Please note
Please address your request to the City Council.
What do I need?
- A stillbirth certificate or a certificate of a stillborn child.
- A valid form of identification.
Your child was born abroad
- Birth documents, such as a certificate issued abroad stating that your child was stillborn.
- If you have difficulty obtaining these documents, please let the municipal office know. Because this is a very personal situation, the rules will be applied with flexibility and understanding. You can then make a statement regarding your child’s birth at the municipal office.
How long does it take?
You will receive a response from the municipality within 4 weeks of submitting your request.
Additional information
- Apart from you, only the registrar can view this record. Other government agencies will not receive any information about your stillborn child.
- If you moved abroad after the birth of your child, you should submit your request to the last Dutch municipality where you were registered.