Registering a birth

When at least one of the parents has the Dutch nationality, and your child was born at the LUMC you can register the birth of your child online. If not, make an appointment to visit the service desk at the Stadskantoor.

Who can register online?

Are you not married or registered partners? And your child has not been acknowledged by the other parent before birth? In this case only the mother can register the birth online. The child will have the mother’s surname.

Are you not married or registered partners? And your child has been acknowledged by the other parent before birth? In this case the other parent can register the birth online. Both the mother and the other parent have to log in. You have to send us the certificate of acknowledgement of the unborn child as an attachment. You can choose which surname the child will have: the mother’s or the other parent’s surname. You will make this choice when your first child out of this relationship is born. If you have more children out of this same relationship, they will have the same surname.    

What do you need to register online?

• The mother’s DigiD.
• The declaration from the doctor/midwife at the LUMC.

Is there another parent who acknowledged the child before birth? Then you will also need:

• The other parent’s DigiD.
• The certificate of acknowledgement of the unborn child.

Make a scan or a picture of the documents to attach these to the online registration of birth.

If you register online, you give permission to the municipality and the LUMC to exchange information about you child.

Online aangifte doen

Do you want to publish the birth of your child in the Leidsch Dagblad? On the day of your online registration please send an email to burgerzaken@leiden.nl. Please mention the name and the date of birth of your child or children in the email.

To register at the service desk you always need:

• A valid identification document: your passport, European identity card or Dutch Residence Permit.
• The declaration from the doctor/midwife.

Are you not married or registered partners?

And did you acknowledge your child before birth?

• Please bring the certificate of acknowledgement.

Did you not acknowledge your child before birth?

Then you can acknowledge the child during the registration of birth.

• Is this your first child? Then the mother has to be present when registering the birth. She has to give consent for the acknowledgement.
• With the second and following children the mother can give written consent. Please use the form Toestemming moeder voor erkenning (pdf, 68 kb) (pdf, 68 kb).
• Please bring the mother’s identification document.

Are your married or registered partners?

• Did you choose to give the child the mother’s surname? And you did not register this choice in Leiden? Please bring the document that states the choice of surname.
• Please bring your marriage certificate if you would like your child added to this record.

Making an appointment at the service desk

Choose the appointment button which applies to your situation. Some appointments may take more time than others.

• If one or both parents do not have the Dutch nationality, please make an appointment using this button:

 1 of meer ouders niet Nederlands

• If both parents have the Dutch nationality, please make an appointment using this button:

Allebei de ouders Nederlands

These are the time limits for registering your child according to the law:

Day of birth – day of registering

• Born on Monday – register Thursday at the latest
• Born on Tuesday – register Friday at the latest
• Born on Wednesday – register Monday at the latest
• Born on Thursday – register Monday at the latest
• Born on Friday – register Tuesday at the latest
• Born on Saturday – register Tuesday at the latest
• Born on Sunday – register Wednesday at the latest

Do you live in Leiden?

• We will register your child in Leiden. Afterwards we will send you the personal record of your child. In the Personal Records Database (BRP) the names of your child are registered as well as the Citizen Service Number (BSN).
• The municipality will inform official authorities about the birth of your child. For example to the Social Security Bank (SVB) for child benefits and to the organization that will execute a hearing test and the heel prick test.
• Please inform your health insurance about the birth of your child.

Do you live in another municipality?

• The municipality of Leiden will inform the municipality where you are registered about the birth of your child.
• The municipality where you are registered will inform official authorities about the birth of your child. For example to the Social Security Bank (SVB) for child benefits and to the organization that will execute a hearing and the heel prick test.
• Please inform your health insurance about the birth of your child.

Marriage certificate

Did you register online? In that case you can choose to register the data of your child in your marriage certificate. This is not required.

You can add your child’s surname, first name(s) and date of birth to your marriage certificate yourself.

The municipality can also add your child’s data. You can make an appointment at the service desk. Adding data to your marriage certificate is free.

Make an appointment

Did you acknowledge your child and want to apply for custody?

Are you not married or registered partners? And you did acknowledge your child?

Then you can apply for joint custody. Joint custody means that both parents are legal representatives of their child.

Go to www.rechtspraak.nl to arrange custody of your child online.

Do you want to know more about custody?

Please visit www.rijksoverheid.nl.

If the parents are married or registered partners the child will automatically get the other parent’s surname. If the parents are not married or registered partners the child will get the mother’s surname.

Do you want to choose your child’s surname? Go to the page achternaam kiezen voor uw kind for more information.

If the mother or the other parent cannot register the birth, someone else can register the birth:

• Someone who was present at the birth, for example a family member or friend.
• An adult housemate of the mother, if she gave birth at home.
• The head of the hospital, the prison or another institution where the birth has taken place.

If someone else registers the birth, it is not possible to register online. Call 14 071 to make an appointment to come to the service desk.

In case there is nobody who can register your child, the mayor of the municipality will register the birth. The mayor will assign a civil servant to register the birth.

In case your child dies shortly after birth, we still issue a birth certificate. If the child dies within the 3 day period it may take to register the birth, a birth certificate will be made. The municipality will issue a death certificate at the same time.

This registration cannot be done online. Please call 14 071 to make an appointment to come to the service desk.

If you give birth to a stillborn child, you can have ’a certificate of birth (stillborn)’ made up. This is an official acknowledgement that your child is born.

A ‘certificate of birth (stillborn)’ is similar to a birth certificate. This certificate will be included in the registry of deaths. It does not make a difference whether your child was stillborn after a pregnancy which lasted more or less than 24 weeks.

This registration cannot be done online. Please call 14 071 to make an appointment to come to the service desk.

You can have your child registered in the Personal Records Database (BRP). Please read the page Levenloos geboren kind for more information.

Is your child born in the Netherlands, but it does not have the Dutch nationality? Read de website van de Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND) for more information.

Registering the birth of your child is free.

Do you want an official copy of the birth certificate afschrift van de geboorteakte? Then there are additional costs. Please check the fees.

The municipality will process your online registration within 3 working days. You will receive a confirmation.

A registration at the service desk is processed right away.

• Civil Code, Book 1
• Personal Records Database Act