Registering a stillborn baby in the Netherlands

A stillbirth is registered with the municipality in which the child was born. The municipality then issues a birth certificate (geboorteakte) for a stillbirth. It does not matter how long the pregnancy lasted.

A birth certificate for a stillbirth is an official document, proving that your baby was born.

The birth certificate for a stillbirth is recorded in the Registers van de burgerlijke stand (Register of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships)

Choosing a surname for a stillborn baby

You may choose your child’s surname, which can be either the father’s or the mother’s surname. This choice does not affect the names of any subsequent children, meaning that you can choose a different surname in the future.

You can also register your stillborn baby in the Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen – BRP) if you wish. This is a different procedure from registering the birth of your baby as stillborn. You do this in the municipality where you live.

This is how it works for you

Your (future) place of residence falls under:

Municipality of Boekel

Here is some information from your municipality.

Register stillborn child

A stillbirth can be registered by:

the father or female partner of the mother;
the mother;
an employee of the hospital;
the funeral home;
others who know about the death.

Registration in the BRP

You can register your stillborn child in the Basisregistratie Personen – BRP (Personal Records Database) if you live or will be living in the Netherlands.

The death must be registered before the funeral or cremation takes place.

If your child was stillborn, make an appointment with the municipality where your child was born to register the birth. It is possible to erkennen (acknowledge parenthood) of your stillborn child upon registration. You can also have your child recorded in your trouwboekje (Livret de Famille or Family Book).

Booking an appointment

Please contact +31 (0) 492 326800.

It is free to have an Akte van geboorte (levenloos) drawn up.

You pay a fee for an afschrift (official copy) of the certificate. For more information, contact the municipality.

Objection

If you do not agree with this decision, you can submit a notice of objection. You need to do this within six weeks from the date on which the decision was sent.

You must send your notice of objection to:

Civil registrar

Postbus 99

5427 ZH Boekel

In the notice of objection you need to mention:

- The date on which you write your notice;

- Your name and address;

- With which decision you disagree;

- The reasons on which you disagree with the decision.

The notice of objection must bear you signature.

Submitting a notice of objection does not suspend the decision. This means the decision, against which you lodge a complaint, will have effect during the procedure of objection.

Urgent?

If you think the decision needs to be changed quickly to prevent irreversible consequences you can apply for provisional relief with the administrative court. This is an emergency procedure in which the judge can take measures to prevent irreversible consequences. To apply for provisional relief you need to pay a court fee. If you wish to apply for provisional relief you also need to send a letter to the preliminary relief judge of the Court ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Postbus 90125, 5200 MA ’s-Hertogenbosch.