Registering a birth

All births must be registered within 3 days of the child being born. The day of birth does not count. If the period of 3 days ends on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the declaration period is extended so that at least 2 working days remain to complete the registration. The schedule below shows the standard declaration deadlines. 

The ambtenaar van de burgerlijke stand (Registrar of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships) will inform the officier van justitie  (public prosecutor) if you are late registering the birth of your child. 

Please note: different deadlines apply in case of public holidays.

If you live in Maastricht and your child was born abroad, you must register your child’s birth according to the regulations in the country where the child was born.  After that, you must register your child in Maastricht. The procedure Returning to the Netherlands applies. You must come to the registration appointment at the GemeenteLoket (municipal service desk) together (the child and both parents). We will make some arrangements in writing beforehand. We will then invite you for an abbreviated appointment at the GemeenteLoket.

In addition, you can convert the foreign birth certificate into a Dutch one at the Dienst Landelijke Taken of the municipality of The Hague. This is not mandatory, but can be useful if you later need a copy or extract of the birth certificate.

if a child is stillborn, we can draw up a birth certificate (stillbirth) for the parents.

We will draw up both a birth certificate and a death certificate for a child who has died shortly after birth.

Your child may be born in a vehicle while you are travelling. For example in an ambulance, in a taxi, on a ship, on a helicopter or on an aircraft. If your child is born on Dutch territory, you must register the birth in the municipality where the child left the vehicle. 

The mother, the father or the co-mother (the mother's female partner) can register the birth of a child. A person who was present at the birth can register the child’s birth if the parents are unable to do so. If no one was present at the birth, a resident of the house where the child was born or the head of the institution (for example the hospital) where the child was born can also register the child’s birth. 

Rates 2025

Registering a birth is free of charge. A copy of the birth registration costs € 17.10.

• Information about registering a birth on the website of the Dutch government

• Civil Code Book 1
• 1994 Civil Status Decree
• Personal Records Database (BRP)
• General Extension of Time Limits Act

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