How to register a birth in NL

Registering the birth is what creates the child's legal record in the Netherlands: the birth certificate, the entry in the Personal Records Database and, with it, the citizen service number that almost every later step needs. It is done at the municipality where the child was born, which is not necessarily the municipality where you live. For parents who are not Dutch nationals there is a second track running alongside it, because the child's residence status is a separate question from the birth record and is settled by the IND.

Decide before the birth who will register it and whether acknowledgement (erkenning) is needed, because acknowledgement can be arranged before the birth and doing it in advance removes a step from a difficult week. Check which municipality the hospital is in. Check the municipality's own page for its document list and whether it takes appointments or walk-ins, because the exact documents required are set locally and vary.

The birth record and the residence permit are two different things. Register the birth in all cases, then check which of these applies.

• The child is a Dutch national

  Nothing further is needed with the IND on this route. The birth registration and the entry in the Personal Records Database are the whole administrative task.

• The child holds the nationality of an EU or EEA country, or Switzerland

  The IND states that a child with the nationality of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland does not need a Dutch residence permit, so the ordinary child-born-in-the-Netherlands application does not apply.

• A parent holds a document under the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement

  The IND directs children of UK nationals who hold a residence document under the Withdrawal Agreement to apply under that framework rather than through the ordinary route for a child born in the Netherlands.

• The child is not Dutch and none of the above applies

  The IND route is a residence permit for a child born in the Netherlands. Its conditions include that the child was born here and does not yet have a residence permit, that the child belongs to your family, that you and the child have lived in the Netherlands since the birth, and that you hold a valid residence permit or became a Dutch citizen after the birth. The parent the child will live with is the sponsor and makes the application.

1. 1

   Arrange acknowledgement before the birth if it applies

   Where the parents are not married and not in a registered partnership, the second parent becomes a legal parent by acknowledging the child (erkenning). This can be done at a municipality before the birth, and doing it in advance takes a step out of the first three days. Since 1 January 2023 an acknowledgement normally gives the acknowledging parent joint parental authority with the mother automatically, but there are exceptions, including where the mother and the acknowledging parent declare at the acknowledgement that authority is exercised by the mother alone.

   Do this: If you are not married or in a registered partnership, make an appointment at a municipality to acknowledge the child before the birth.

   Documents needed

   • ID for both parents
   • Any earlier documents about the child's status

   Cost

   Acknowledgement at the municipality is free

   Processing time

   One appointment, arranged in advance of the birth

   Common mistake: The 2023 rule is triggered by the date of the acknowledgement, not the date of birth. A child acknowledged before 1 January 2023 does not fall under it just because the child was born later.

   Official source

   Rijksoverheid · Joint parental authority through acknowledgement since 1 January 2023
2. 2

   Register the birth within 3 days, where the child was born

   Government.nl states that a birth must be registered within 3 days, and that where a weekend or a public holiday makes that impossible you register on the first working day afterwards. Registration is with the municipality in which the child was born, which is often not the municipality where you live. If you are too late you may be fined.

   Do this: Book or attend the birth registration at the municipality of the place of birth, inside the 3 day window.

   Documents needed

   • Valid ID for the person registering
   • The statement of birth from the hospital, midwife or doctor

   Cost

   Registering the birth is free

   Processing time

   3 days, extended to the first working day after a weekend or public holiday

   Common mistake: Registering in your own municipality instead of the one where the hospital is. It is the place of birth that decides.

   Official source

   Government.nl · Rules for registering a birth
3. 3

   Check who is allowed to do it if neither parent can

   Government.nl lists who may register a birth: the father or mother; a person who was present at the birth, for example a friend or relative, if the parents are unable to register; a fellow resident of the house at which the child was born; or the head of the hospital or clinic, or their representative. The last two categories carry a condition: a fellow resident, or the head of the hospital or clinic or their representative, may only register the birth if nobody was present at the birth.

   Do this: If neither parent can attend, identify who qualifies under the official list and confirm with the municipality before the 3 days run out.

   Documents needed

   • ID for whoever attends
   • The statement of birth

   Processing time

   Still inside the 3 day deadline

   Common mistake: Sending any available adult. The categories are set out officially and the later ones only apply where nobody was present at the birth.

   Official source

   Government.nl · Who may register a birth
4. 4

   Collect the birth certificate and check the record

   When you register the birth the municipality issues a birth certificate. The child is then entered in the Personal Records Database, which is what produces the citizen service number that later applications depend on. Read the certificate at the counter: names, spellings and dates are far easier to correct now than after other bodies have copied them.

   Do this: Check every detail on the certificate before you leave, and order a certified copy or two while you are there.

   Documents needed

   • The birth certificate
   • Your ID

   Cost

   Municipalities set their own charge for extra certified copies

   Processing time

   Issued on the day

   Common mistake: A misspelt name propagates. The health insurer, the SVB and the IND all read from this record.

   Official source

   Government.nl · The Personal Records Database (BRP)
5. 5

   Work out whether the child needs a residence permit

   The birth record and the residence status are separate. The IND states that a child with the nationality of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland does not need a Dutch residence permit, and it directs children of UK nationals holding a document under the Withdrawal Agreement to that framework instead. Otherwise the route is a residence permit for a child born in the Netherlands. Its conditions include that the child was born here and has no residence permit yet, that the child belongs to your family, that you and the child have lived in the Netherlands since the birth, and that you hold a valid residence permit or became a Dutch citizen after the birth. The parent the child will live with is the sponsor.

   Do this: Check the child's nationality position against the IND page and, where a permit is needed, start the application rather than waiting.

   Documents needed

   • Your residence document
   • The child's birth certificate
   • Travel documents

   Cost

   €85 IND application fee for a residence permit for a child born in the Netherlands (2026)

   Processing time

   The IND must take a decision within 90 days

   Common mistake: Assuming a child born here inherits your status. For a child who is not Dutch and not an EU, EEA or Swiss national, this is a separate application with its own fee and decision period.

   Official source

   IND · Residence permit for a child born in the Netherlands
6. 6

   Set up the child's insurance and benefits

   Registration creates the record; it does not create entitlements. Health insurance for a newborn is arranged with the insurer. Child benefit is claimed from the SVB. Childcare allowance is applied for from Dienst Toeslagen and has its own deadline counted from the month childcare starts. Each is a separate application with its own conditions, and the citizen service number from the birth registration is what makes them possible.

   Do this: Notify your health insurer, claim child benefit from the SVB, and start any childcare allowance application inside its own deadline.

   Documents needed

   • The child's BSN
   • The birth certificate
   • Your DigiD

   Processing time

   In the first weeks after the birth

   Common mistake: Waiting for these to happen automatically. Nothing here is triggered by the birth registration on its own.

   Official source

   SVB · Kinderbijslag aanvragen (applying for child benefit)

• Valid ID for the person registering the birth
• The statement of birth from the hospital, midwife or doctor, where one was issued
• The mother's ID, and the other parent's ID where relevant
• The deed of acknowledgement (akte van erkenning), if the child was acknowledged before the birth
• Your own residence documents, for the IND application where one is needed
• Whatever else the municipality's own page lists, because the document list is set locally

• Registering the birth is free. What the municipality charges for extra certified copies of the birth certificate is set locally.
• €85 is the IND application fee for a residence permit for a child born in the Netherlands (2026).
• Acknowledgement (erkenning) at the municipality is free. A choice of surname or a declaration made before a notary is charged separately by the notary.

The registration is done on the day, and the municipality issues the birth certificate then. The citizen service number follows from the entry in the Personal Records Database. Where the child needs a residence permit, the IND must take a decision within 90 days, and that period runs separately from anything the municipality does.

Requirements depend on your situation. Check the latest requirements with the relevant authority.

• Registering in the municipality where you live rather than where the child was born. It is the place of birth that decides which municipality takes the registration.
• Letting the 3 days run out while waiting for paperwork. The deadline stands, with only the weekend and public holiday rule to soften it, and a late registration can be fined.
• Assuming that a child acknowledged before 1 January 2023 falls under the newer parental authority rule because the child was born after it. The trigger is the date of the acknowledgement, not the date of birth.
• Assuming the child inherits your residence status automatically. A child who is not Dutch and not an EU, EEA or Swiss national normally needs the IND route, which is a separate application with its own fee and decision period.
• Expecting registration to start the allowances. It makes the later applications possible by creating the record and the citizen service number, but child benefit and childcare allowance are separate schemes with their own conditions and their own deadlines.

• Add the child to your health insurance. Cover for a newborn is arranged with the insurer and is a separate step from the birth registration.
• Claim child benefit (kinderbijslag) from the SVB, which is a scheme of its own rather than an automatic consequence of the registration.
• If you are using registered childcare, apply for childcare allowance within its own deadline, which is counted from the month the childcare starts.
• Where the child needs a residence permit, start the IND application rather than waiting, since the decision period is 90 days.
• Order a certified copy or two of the birth certificate while you are at the counter, because later requests take another trip.