What do I need to consider when applying for a Dutch passport or ID card for my child abroad?
If you live abroad, the process of applying for a passport or ID card for your child is different to the process in the Netherlands. Read here how to prepare. Find out which documents you need and how the application works.
Does my child need a passport?
Your child always needs their own passport or ID card to travel abroad. It is no longer possible to add a child to your passport.
First register the child’s birth
If your child has just been born you will first need to register their birth. You cannot apply for a passport or ID card for your child without a birth certificate.
Choose your country to find out how to register your child's birth
You can also find out here how to give your child a combined surname.
Gather documents
The first time you apply for a Dutch passport or ID card for your child you will need various documents.
You will need a birth certificate to apply for a passport or ID card for your child. You will be given the birth certificate when you register your child's birth.
Find out how to get a birth certificate for your child if you live outside the Netherlands
Do I need to have the birth certificate legalised?
Whether you need to have the birth certificate legalised or translated depends on the country that issued it.
Fill in the checklist to see whether you need to have the birth certificate legalised or translated
Your baby needs their own photograph for their passport. The photograph must comply with the standard rules for passport photos. Exceptions apply to children under 6. Their eyes do not need to be exactly horizontally aligned. They are also permitted to smile slightly or have their mouths open.
Find out more about the requirements for a photo for a passport or ID card
Decide where to submit your application
You can apply for a passport or ID card via:
- a Dutch embassy or consulate-general in your region
- a border municipality in the Netherlands
- the passport counter at Amsterdam Schiphol airport
Fill in the checklist and see where you can apply for a passport or ID card
I cannot apply for a passport in my country of residence
You can apply for an emergency passport for your baby. This will enable you to travel to a country where you can submit an application.
Find out how to apply for an emergency travel document
Determine who will attend the appointment
Does my child need to attend?
Your child must always attend the appointment when you submit the application at the application location, so their identity can be established. Children aged 12 and older can go to the application location alone. Your child will need to bring an application form signed by both parents. They will also need to bring colour photocopies of their parents’ passports or ID cards.
Fill in the application form for a passport or ID card
Do both parents need to be present?
You can attend the appointment without the other parent. In that case, you will need to bring a colour photocopy of the passport or ID card of the parent who is not present. The photocopy must be signed by the parent who is not present at the appointment, with the date on which the photocopy was made. If the other parent has not signed the application form you have filled in and signed, you will also require a completed declaration of consent.
View the declaration of consent form for parent/guardian
Make an appointment
Select your country and complete the checklist to find out how you can make an appointment.
Fill in the checklist for applying for or renewing a Dutch passport or ID card from abroad