Registering a divorce in the civil registry in the Netherlands

Has a judge has agreed to your divorce (echtscheiding)? Then you and your partner will be sent a copy of the final order (echtscheidingsbeschikking). When does your divorce become final? Once you have registered the final order in the municipality’s civil registry (burgerlijke stand van de gemeente).

You can register the final order in the Register of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships (burgerlijke stand van de gemeente). Do this at the municipality where you were married. This must be done within 6 months of the court ruling. When you have done this you are legally divorced.

Registering the final order in the marital property register

Did you draw up huwelijkse voorwaarden (a prenuptial agreement)? Then you can register the agreement in the marital property register (huwelijksgoederenregister)(in Dutch). Do this at the court that issued the final order.

This is how it works for you

Your (future) place of residence falls under:

Municipality of Amsterdam

Here is some information from your municipality.

Municipality of Amsterdam: Registering a divorce in the civil registry

Where you register your divorce depends on your situation.

If you got divorced in the Netherlands

Did you get married and divorced in the Netherlands? Then your lawyer will send the divorce decree to the civil registrar in the municipality where you got married. The registrar will then register your divorce.

Your lawyer must send the documents to:

Gemeente Amsterdam

Afdeling Dienstverlening, Bijzonder Werk

Postbus 2752

1000 CT Amsterdam

Do you live in a municipality other than the one in which you got married? Then the registrar will inform your municipality of residence.

If you got divorced outside of the Netherlands

Did you get divorced outside of the Netherlands and you live in the Netherlands? Then you must have your divorce registered in the Basisregistratie Personen – BRP (Personal Records Database). If you live in Amsterdam, you can visit a City Office of your choice.

There is no fee for registering your divorce with the municipality. Do you need proof of your divorce? If so, an official copy of or excerpt from the divorce decree costs: € 15.70

Once the municipality has received the documents, it will register the divorce as soon as possible. The divorce becomes official as soon as the municipality registers it in the civil registry.