Change your registered sex (transgenders born abroad)

• You are 16 years or older.
• You have Dutch citizenship or you have lived in the Netherlands for at least 1 year and have a legally valid residence permit.
• Your birth certificate is registered with the Registry Office of the Municipality of The Hague. Or you have a foreign birth certificate which is drawn up and issued by an authorised agency under local regulations. This authority may not be a Dutch embassy or consulate.
• Documents from certain countries must be legalised or have an apostille. You can find more information on the Begin external link: website of the Dutch government(External link), end external link..
• Are you unable to get a birth certificate? Then the courts must first establish your birth details. To do this you need to contact an attorney.
• Official documents must be drawn up in Dutch, English, French or German. For other languages the documents need to be translated into 1 of these languages by a certified translator.
• Are you unable to get your birth certificate? Then the court needs to first confirm your birth information. You will have to contact an attorney to arrange this.
• You can only change your given names if this is permitted under the law of your country of citizenship.

In addition to these conditions, a number of documents are required in order to change the sex recorded on your birth certificate:

• A statement by an expert. The statement should affirm that you have declared to this expert that you have the permanent conviction that you belong to another gender than stated on your birth certificate. And that you understand the repercussions of your decision to change your gender identification. This statement may not be older than 6 months at the time of your application. Go to the Begin external link: website of the Dutch government(External link), end external link. for information about the experts who can issue a statement.
• A certified copy of your foreign birth certificate, if required legalised and with a certified translation (unless your birth certificate is registered with the Registry Office of the Municipality of The Hague).

• Proof of Dutch citizenship. This can be (a copy of) a Dutch identity card (both sides), Dutch passport or a Dutch nationality certificate. Or if you have a different citizenship (nationality): a copy of your passport and both sides of your valid residence permit.
• If your parents were married or had a civil partnership at the time of your birth: a certified copy of the marriage certificate or certificate of civil partnership. If your parents were married or had a civil  partnership in the Netherlands or the marriage certificate/certificate of civil partnership was registered with the Registry Office of The Hague, you do not have to submit this document.
• If your parents were not married or did not have a registered partnership at the time of your birth: a certificate of acknowledgement.
• If you were adopted (also abroad), changed your name or acknowledged: all relevant documents concerning the adoption, name change or acknowledgement of parenthood. Check whether the additional documents need to be legalised and/or have a certified translation.

• Do you meet all of the conditions and do you have the required documents? Make a request to change the gender identification on your birth certificate.
• This can only be done online. You can not take the documents to a municipal counter.
• If you have a citizen service number (BSN), make sure to have it readily available.

There is no fee to change the gender identification on your birth certificate. The municipality will charge a fee to send back all your original documents by registered mail.

The municipality aims to take up your digital request within 10 working days.

From the moment the municipality has received and approved your original documents, it takes a maximum of 6 weeks to change the information on your birth certificate.

• The municipality in which you live will register the changes in the Personal Records Database (BRP).
• Government authorities which make use of the BRP will get the changes automatically.
• It will be up to you to inform other organisations that your gender and your given names were changed.
• All of your identity documents, such as a Dutch passport, identity card, Aliens document or driving licence, will lose their legal validity. You will have to replace them at your own expense.

You can make a safe copy of your identity document with your mobile telephone or tablet using the KopieID app. Read more on the Begin external link: website of the Dutch government(External link), end external link..