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.

The birth of a stillborn baby is registered with the municipality where your baby was born. For any questions, please contact the municipality.

This is how it works for you

Your (future) place of residence falls under:

Municipality of Culemborg

Here is some information from your municipality.

Registering a stillborn baby with the municipality

Your child was born lifeless or has lived for a short time. You must declare this in the municipality where your child was born. You do this before the funeral or cremation.

Who can file a report?

one of the parents;
a funeral director;
someone who was present at the birth, for example a friend or relative.

Are you registering the birth of a stillborn child or a child that died shortly after birth? Then take with you:

valid proof of identity of the person making the report;
death certificate issued by the attending physician;
B-envelope containing information from the doctor about your stillborn child.

If your child was stillborn, you make an appointment with the municipality where your child was born for the registration. It is possible to recognize a stillborn child when registering. You can also have your child added to your marriage book.

It is free to have a certificate drawn up.

More information