Acknowledging a child and choosing a name
If you are not automatically the legal parent of a child, you can acknowledge a child. You can then also choose which surname the child is given. To do this, you visit the municipality in person.
You automatically become the legal parent if you have a registered partnership or are married to the child's mother. Otherwise, you can acknowledge the child with the municipality. Then you will become the legal parent. You must also acknowledge each subsequent child separately. This is not automatic. You can acknowledge a child before its birth, at the time of the registration of the child’s birth or after the registration.
Are you not married or in a registered partnership? Then the child will automatically be given the biological mother's name when the birth is registered. If you acknowledge the child as father or co-mother, you can choose which surname the child will be given. The surname you choose for the first child also becomes the surname of subsequent children from the same relationship.
Acknowledging a child does not mean that you also get parental authority. Without parental authority, you cannot decide anything for the child. You can apply for parental authority via the website Rechtspraak.nl.
The main conditions for acknowledging a child are:
- You are aged 16 or older.
- You are not related to the mother.
- There are not already 2 parents.
- If the child is over 12 and under 16: the mother and child consent to acknowledgement.
- If the child is over 16: the child consents to acknowledgement.
The main conditions for choosing a name upon acknowledgement are:
- Both parents are present at the name selection.
- You can only choose the surname for the first child in the relationship.
Acknowledgement is free of charge. A copy or extract from the personal records database costs €14.00 (cost in 2021).
To acknowledge a child and choose a surname, you visit the municipality in person. If you are acknowledging the child at the time of the registration of the birth go to the municipality where the child was born. If you are acknowledging the child before its birth or after its registration go to any municipality in the Netherlands.
This is how you acknowledge a child:
- You go to the municipality.
- Do you want to choose a surname when acknowledging your first child? Then the mother must also be present.
You take with you to the municipality:
- Your own valid identity document
- A valid identity document of the mother
- Written consent of the mother for acknowledgement if she is not present.
- Written consent for acknowledgement from the child if over 12 years old.
To apply for acknowledgement in Diemen, contact the Civil Affairs Department by phone on (020) 31 44 888.
If you disagree with the municipality's decision on acknowledging your child you can file an appeal with the court.