Request a birth certificate
A birth certificate provides written proof that your birth is recorded in the civil registry. You can request a copy of the certificate in Dutch or as a multiple-language (international) extract. You request this in the municipality where you were born.
- You were born in The Hague.
- Were you born abroad? You can Begin link: convert your foreign certificate into a Dutch certificate, end link. in the Civil Registry Office of the Municipality of The Hague. Afterwards you can request a copy or extract.
An authority asks for your birth certificate. You request this in the municipality where you were born. You will then get a copy or a multiple-language (international) extract of the certificate. The original certificate remains the property of the municipality.
Usually the authority requiring the certificate will tell you which document you need. It will also indicate how old the document may be. The difference between the copy and the multiple-language (international) extract:
- A copy is exactly the same as the certificate itself. It is also called a certified, official or authenticated copy. The copy is only available in Dutch.
- A multiple-language (international) extract contains a summary of the certificate. The extract has an explanation in 10 languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish and Serbo-Croatian.
When you apply for the certificate you can indicate which document you would like to have.
€ 17.10 excluding postage costs. After you apply you will receive an invoice by email.
The municipality will send you your copy or multiple-language (international) extract within 3 weeks. When you receive it depends on the postal service.
- The time of birth is on the birth certificate. Are you requesting an adoption certificate? Then the time of birth is not on the document.
- You can also request a copy or extract for someone else. Read more about this under Begin link: Request a civil status document for someone else, end link. .
- Was the birth certificate drawn up more than 100 years ago? Then you will need to contact Begin link: The Hague City Archives, end link. .
- If you would like to use the document abroad, then you often need an ‘apostille’. You can request this through the court. Read more about the legalisation on Begin external link: rechtspraak.nl(External link), end external link..
- Do you need to have the document translated? You can have it translated by a sworn translator. For documents which are needed within the European Union you can request a Begin link: multilingual standard form, end link. along with the document from the Netherlands.