Birth Registration
Congratulations on the birth of your child. To officially register the birth, you must file a birth report within 3 days. You must do this at the municipality where your child was born. This is required by law.
How does it work?
The mother, father, or co-mother registers the birth.
If they are unable to do so, one of the following people can do it for them:
- any person who was present at the birth
- for a home birth: a person living in the same household
- In the case of a hospital delivery: the hospital director or a staff member authorized by the director
If this is also not possible, the registration will be completed 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 lists your child’s first name(s) and last name. It also includes the parents’ names, as well as 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 the birth with the municipality where your child was born. Do this within 3 days.
- You cannot file a tax return on a Saturday, Sunday, or a national holiday. In that case, you will have one additional business day to do so.
- Are you filing your report late? If so, the registrar will report this to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. You may then be fined.
What do I need?
- valid identification of the person filing the report
- valid identification for the mother
- Statement from the doctor or midwife (if you have one)
- marriage certificate (not required)
- Certificate of Recognition of an Unborn Child (if you have one)
- Declaration of Name Selection (if you have one)
Child born to a lesbian couple
If the mother and co-mother are married or in a registered partnership, they must provide a statement from the Foundation for Donor Data on Artificial Insemination ( ) if the donor is anonymous.
Additional Information
Choice of Last Name
As parents, you decide what last name your child will have. You can only choose the last name for your first child. You can do this before the birth or when you register the birth. All subsequent children in the family will automatically receive the same last name as your first child.
Other nationality
If your child does not have Dutch citizenship, you may not be able to choose your child’s last name yourself. This depends on your child’s country of citizenship. Please check with the embassy or consulate.
Birth Certificate for a Deceased Child
Did your child live for a short time after birth but die before the birth was registered? In that case, a birth certificate will first be issued by the municipality where your child was born. After that, a death certificate will be issued by the municipality where your child died.
Stillborn child
- If your child is stillborn, you can have a “birth certificate (stillbirth)” issued by the municipality. This is official proof that your child was born. The duration of the pregnancy is not a factor in this process. This certificate is identical in content to a regular birth certificate and is entered into the death registry.
- If this is your first child, you may choose the last name yourself. It can be the father’s or the mother’s last name. For subsequent children, you are not required to use the same last name.
- You can also register your child in the BRP. That way, your child's name will appear in your personal information when you log in to MijnOverheid.nl.