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 Westerwolde

Here is some information from your municipality.

Registering a stillborn baby in the Netherlands

Registering a stillborn child may be done by:

Its father or female partner of a birth mother
Its mother
A hospital employee
The funeral director
Other people who know about the death

BRP registration

You can register your stillborn child in the Basic Registration of Persons (BRP) if you live or will be living in the Netherlands.

The death registration must be done before the burial or cremation takes place.

If your child is stillborn, please make an appointment at the municipality where your child was born to register. It is possible to acknowledge a stillborn child upon registration. You can also have your child included in your marriage booklet.