Recognizing a child and choosing a surname

Are you not automatically the legal parent of a child? Then you can acknowledge the child. You can also choose which surname the child will have. To do this, you need to visit the municipality.

Make an appointment

Arrange online

Approach

To acknowledge a child and choose a surname, you must visit the municipality in person. Are you acknowledging the child when registering the birth? Then you must visit the municipality where the child was born. Are you acknowledging the child before the birth or after registering the birth? You can do this at any municipality in the Netherlands.

Both parents must be present for the recognition of the first child from a relationship. You cannot use the consent form in this case.
For a second and subsequent child, the mother does not need to come along and can give her consent for the recognition in the online form.
If you choose not exercise parental authority together with the other parent? Then you cannot use the form. Make an appointment and both come to the municipality.

How to acknowledge a child:

You come to the municipality.
Would you like to choose a surname when registering your first child? If so, the mother must also be present.
Please bring the following to the municipality:
- a valid form of identification for yourself
- a valid ID of the mother
- Written consent from the mother for the acknowledgment, if she is not present. Arrange consent for acknowledgment of child online.
- written consent of the child for the acknowledgment, if the child is over 12 years of age
- If the child was not born in Heerlen, please bring a copy of the birth certificate.

Has a second or subsequent child been born within your relationship and the father or duo mother wants to acknowledge the child? Then permission from the mother is required. You can give this consent online with your DigiD.

Does the child's mother or recognizer live abroad? You must show proof of marital status. Do you not have the Dutch nationality? Then other rules may apply. Sometimes you cannot acknowledge a child. Would you like more information and advice about your situation? Please make an appointment.

Costs

Recognition and name selection are free of charge. You will be charged €17.10 for a copy or extract from the civil registry. This amount is payable upon application.

(Rate 2025)

Description

If you are not married and do not have a registered partnership, the birth mother is automatically the sole legal parent of a child born from this relationship.

Does the father or co-mother also want to become the legal parent? Then he or she must acknowledge the child.

The legal parents are responsible for the child's upbringing. Read more about the consequences of recognition.

You can acknowledge a child even before it is born.

Child's last name

Are you not married and do you not have a registered partnership? Then the child will automatically receive the surname of the birth mother when the birth is registered.

Are you recognizing the child as its father or co-mother? Then you and the birth mother can choose together what surname the child will have. You can choose the surname of the birth mother, of the partner, or a combination of both.

The surname you choose for your first child will also be the surname of any subsequent children from the same relationship.

Requirements

The main Requirements recognizing a child are:

You are 16 years of age or older.
You are not related to the mother.
There are not already two parents. Because a child has a maximum of two legal parents.

You can also acknowledge a child if you are not the biological parent.

The main conditions for choosing a surname upon recognition are:

It is the first child from the relationship.

Objections and appeals

If you disagree with the municipality's decision regarding the recognition of your child, you can ask the court to review whether the municipality made the right decision. This is called 'appealing'. You must do this within six weeks.