Applying for a copy of a birth certificate

Last updated on 8 September 2022

Lees deze informatie in het Nederlands

When do you need a copy of your birth certificate?

You will need a copy of your birth certificate if, for example: 

• an organisation requests your birth certificate. This may be your municipality.

• you are adopted and want to know who your biological parents are. Those details are usually recorded on a birth certificate. 

Official copy, extract or multilingual international extract of a birth certificate

You won't receive your original birth certificate that the municpality has on file. You can choose from an an afschrift (official copy), uittreksel (extract) or a meertalig internationaal uittreksel (multilingual international extract).

Official copy of birth certificate

This is a copy of the birth certificate record held by the municipality. The municipality puts a stamp on it. The official copy has the same information as your original birth certificate.

Extract of a birth certificate

The extract of the birth certificate contains the following information:   

• your last name;

• your first name(s);

• your place of birth;

• your date of birth.

Details regarding your parents are not included in the extract.

Multilingual international extract of birth certificate

The multilingual international extract is an up-to-date summary of your birth certificate for international use. It provides an explanatory statement in: 

• Dutch;

• English;

• French;

• German;

• Spanish;

• Greek;

• Italian;

• Portuguese;

• Turkish;

• Serbo-Croatian. 

Requesting a copy of your birth certificate if you were born in the Netherlands

You request a copy of your birth certificate in the municipality where you were born.

Requesting a copy of your birth certificate if you were born outside the Netherlands

Were you born outside the Netherlands? Do you want to request a copy of your birth certificate? If so, contact the Registrar of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships in the country in which you were born. Is your birth certificate registered with the municipality of Den Haag (The Hague)? If so, you can apply for a copy there. 

Laws and regulations (in Dutch)

Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 1, artikelen 19, 23b en 25

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