It is advised to acknowledge your child before birth. Use the button or call 14 036 to make an appointment for the acknowledgement of your child. You can acknowledge your child before birth, during the birth registration, or at a later date.
You can acknowledge your child if:
You can read more about the acknowledgement of your child on the National Government’s website.
You can acknowledge your child before birth, during birth or at a later date. Are you acknowledging before birth? Then your child will immediately have a legal father or duomoeder from birth.
Make an appointment by pressing the button above or calling 14 036. If the acknowledger, the mother and/or child was born in a foreign country, or does not live in the Netherlands, or has only been briefly living in the Netherlands, then you have to make an appointment by phone. You will hear which (extra) documents you will need to bring with you over the phone.
Is your child above the age of 12 and would you like to acknowledge them? Both the mother and the child will need to attend the appointment. The child will also need a valid proof of identity.
A child above the age of 16 will need to attend the appointment with the acknowledger. The mother’s consent is not needed. Children can indicate which surname they want after acknowledgement from the age of 16. Please visit the National Government’s website for more information.
When acknowledging the child you will immediately determine if you will have joint custody or if the mother will have sole custody. You cannot change this decision afterwards through us. This can be done through the parental authority register or through the courts. On the National Government's website you can learn more about what custody means (in Dutch).
Did you acknowledge your child before 1 January 2023 and do you still want both parents to have parental responsibility? Read here to learn how to still arrange custody (in Dutch).