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 Gooise Meren

Here is some information from your municipality.

Register a stillborn child

You can register your stillborn child in the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP). You can do this in the municipality where you live. It does not matter after how many weeks of pregnancy your child was born or how many years ago your child was born.

Make an appointment

If you want to register your stillborn child in the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP) of your municipality of residence, here is what you need to do:

Request a certificate of birth of a child (stillborn)
Register your child in the Basisregistratie Personen in your residential municipality

1. Birth certificate for a child (stillborn)

To register your child in the BRP, you need a birth certificate (stillborn). You can request this certificate from the municipality where your child was born. If you already have this certificate, you can make an appointment with the municipality where you live to register your child.

About the birth certificate

If your child is stillborn, the registry office will draw up a 'birth certificate (stillborn)'. It does not matter whether your child was born after a pregnancy of more or less than 24 weeks. You can have your child's first and last names included in the certificate. The deed will further include the names of you and your partner. You can also have your child inscribed in your marriage booklet.

If there is no birth certificate or if you are unsure, you should first arrange this with the municipality where your child was born.

Please bring

If you want to apply for a birth certificate, you bring a number of documents with you:

A valid proof of identity (passport, ID card or driving licence)
If you wish to add your child to your marriage booklet, please bring the marriage booklet with you
A statement from a doctor, hospital or midwife
An obituary or information about the funeral or cremation

Don't you have this information? That's alright. The municipality can probably still help you. We will figure it out when you visit. You can also call 035 207 00 00 first.

2. Registering your child in the Basisregistratie Personen

If you have the certificate of birth (stillborn), make an appointment with the municipality where you live. You can then register your child in the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP).

Please bring

Was your child born in Gooise Meren? Then make an appointment and bring the following documents with you:

A valid proof of identity (passport, ID card or driving licence)
If your child was not born in Gooise Meren: the birth certificate (stillborn)

When you cannot register your child

If you did not live in the Netherlands and were not registered here when your child was born, you cannot register your child in the BRP
If you have not lived in the Netherlands since 1 October 1994, you cannot register your child in the BRP. In that case, your personal details are not in the BRP, so your child cannot be added to it either.

Making the certificate of birth (stillborn) and registering your child in the BRP is free of charge. Would you like to receive a copy of the birth certificate? That costs money. See gooisemeren.nl.