Newborn Registration

By Meida van Baal , doula and maternity nurse

If you are new in the Netherlands and are expecting a baby, here are some key information on registering your baby.

What you need to do before the birth:

If you and your partner are not married or are not registered as partners, but have a cohabitation agreement, the biological father of the baby can recognize the baby before the birth to ensure that the baby will have both parents registered on the document. A deed of acknowledgement or “erkenning kind voor de geboorte” can be drawn up at a notary public or at the Registrar of Births, Deaths, Marriage and Registered Partnerships office.

If you and your partner are married or are registered partners, then the baby will automatically have both parents registered on the document.

When the baby is born:

A baby must be registered within three working days after the birth at a municipality or “gemeente.” There is a fine if you are late.

Make an appointment online as soon as possible at the municipality in the city where the baby is born. This could spare you from long waits. The municipalities at the center of major cities are usually busy. A wait for non-appointment holders could exceed an hour. If you cannot get an appointment, check the office hours of the municipality near you and go early.

Who can register a baby:

The recognized father of the baby.

The mother (preferably not). The mother should be home recovering from the delivery.

A person present at the birth.

Documents to bring:

Valid passport or identification card of the person registering the birth.

Valid passport or identification card of the mother.

Note: A driver’s license is only accepted if the card was issued in the same municipality.

Birth notification from the hospital or the midwife.

The deed of acknowledgement of parentage.

Declaration of surname choice for the baby if the surname will be different from the mother.

For more information, check out the following website: https://www.government.nl/topics/family-law/parental-responsibility-and-guardianship