Reporting an international child abduction
If your child has been abducted out of the Netherlands, you should report the abduction to the Centrale autoriteit Internationale Kinderaangelegenheden – Ca (Central Authority International Children’s Issues) as soon as possible. The Ca is part of the ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid (Ministry of Justice and Security).
Last updated on 22 mei 2023
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Child at risk of being abducted out of the Netherlands
If your child has not been abducted, but is at risk of being abducted out of the Netherlands, please contact the police or the Centrum Internationale Kinderontvoering – CIKO (International Child Abduction Center).
Support from the Ca in the event of international child abduction
If your child has been abducted out of the Netherlands, you should report this to the Ca. This is officially known as a ‘request for the return of your child’. The Ca then checks whether your request falls under the terms of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (HCCH) to assess whether your request meets all the requirements to be officially classed as international child abduction. If this is the case, the Ca in the Netherlands will contact the Ca in the country to which your child has been abducted.
The Dutch and foreign Ca consult on the correct legal procedure to eventually have your child returned. The Ca will inform and advise you, as the left-behind parent, about the correct legal procedures.
Requirements for reporting international child abduction
You can contact the Ca for help with the return of your child if:
- your child is below the age of 16;
- you have parental authority over your child;
- your child’s usual place of residence is in the Netherlands.
Child abduction to the Netherlands
Abduction from an HCCH country to the Netherlands
If you live abroad and your child has been abducted to the Netherlands from an HCCH country, you should contact the Ca in the country where you live. They will contact the Ca in the Netherlands about the possibility of a request for your child’s return.
Abduction from a non-HCCH country to the Netherlands
If your child been abducted to the Netherlands from a non-HCCH country, you should get in contact directly with the Ca in the Netherlands (in Dutch).
Child abducted from the Netherlands to another country
Please contact the Ca in the Netherlands. You can do this by submitting an online request for return. The Ca is available on weekdays from 10:00 to 12:30 by calling +31 70 370 62 52. In addition, you can contact the Ca via kinderontvoering@minjenv.nl on any working day.
Laws and regulations
Uitvoeringswet internationale kinderontvoering, artikel 5