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 will be given. To do this, you will visit the municipality in person.

Making an appointment

Download application form (pdf)

Approach

To acknowledge a child and choose a surname, come to the municipality in person. Do you acknowledge the child at the birth registration? Then go to the municipality where the child was born. Do you acknowledge the child before the birth or after the declaration of birth? This is possible in any municipality in the Netherlands.

Is mother unable to come with you? Then bring the completed Acknowledgment of Child form with you.
Do you choose to not exercising custody together with the recognizer? Then you cannot use the form. Make an appointment where both of you must be present.
For an acknowledgment of the first child in a relationship, both parents must be present. You cannot use the consent form then.

This is how you acknowledge a child:

You come to the congregation.
Do you want to choose a last name when recognizing your first child? If so, the mother must also be present.
You take to the congregation:
- A valid ID of yourself
- A valid ID from the mother
- written consent of the mother for recognition, if she is not present. Please use the pdf: acknowledgement child
- written consent of the child for recognition, if the child is over 12 years of age
- If the child was not born in Heerlen, bring a copy of the birth certificate.

Does the child's mother or recognizer live abroad? You must show proof of marital status. Sometimes you may also need to bring other documents. Make an appointment at the municipality for more information and advice on your personal situation.

Cost

Acknowledgement and choice of name costs nothing. For a copy or extract from the civil registry, you pay €16.60 (2024) / €17.10 (2025). You pay this amount at the time of application.

(Rate 2024/2025)

Description

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 at the municipality. You will then still become the legal parent. You must also acknowledge each subsequent child separately. This is not automatic. You can acknowledge a child before the birth, at the time of the birth registration or after the birth registration.

Are you not married or in a registered partnership? Then the child will automatically receive the name of the biological mother when the birth is declared. If you recognize the child as father or duo mother, you can choose which surname the child will receive. The last name you choose for the first child also becomes the last name of subsequent children from the same relationship.

As of Jan. 1, 2024, the first child of you and your partner may have a double surname. Was your first child born after Dec. 31, 2015? Then you can still choose the double surname. All subsequent children will receive the same last name.

When you acknowledge a child, you also automatically gain joint parental authority with the mother. You no longer need to apply for parental authority.

If you are not a Dutch national, different rules may apply. Sometimes you cannot acknowledge a child. For more information and advice about your personal situation you should make an appointment.

Terms

The main conditions for acknowledging a child are:

You are 16 years of age or older.
You are not related to the mother.
There are not already 2 parents.
Is the child under the age of 16? You have written consent from the mother.
Is the child older than 12? You have written consent from the child.

The main conditions for choosing a name upon recognition are:

Both parents are present at the name selection.
You can only choose the last name for the first child in the relationship. Until Jan. 1, 2024, that was the name of 1 of the parents. From January 1, 2024, you can also choose a double last name: 1 of each parent. Was your eldest child born on or after Jan. 1, 2016? Then you can still change the last name to a double last name until January 1, 2025.