Declaring a stillborn child

Was your child born lifeless? You report it to the municipality. Losing a child causes great grief. Reporting it to the municipality may help you cope. And you will have official proof that your child has existed. You can also register your child in the Basic Registration of Persons (BRP).

The funeral director usually does the declaration online for you.

Making an appointment

Approach

You make the declaration at the municipality where your child was born. You will need:

  • your valid ID
  • the doctor's certificate of your child's death

Possibly also show:

  • Your marriage or partnership booklet, if you want the municipality to include your child's name in it.

This is how you register your child in the Basic Registration of Persons (BRP):

  • You go to the municipality where you live.
  • In any case, you bring:
    • your valid ID
    • A document proving that your child was born lifeless

You can file the declaration and the BRP registration at the same time as the declaration. You can also do the BRP registration later.

After the online declaration, the funeral director or yourself can pick up the death certificate at the municipality.

Description

Reporting a stillborn child is not required if the pregnancy lasted less than 24 weeks. Did the pregnancy last 24 weeks or more? Then your baby must be given a burial or cremation and registering is mandatory.

You file the declaration in the municipality where your baby was born.

Registering in the BRP

You can also register your child in the Basic Registration of Persons (BRP). Then your child's details are listed with your personal information in the BRP, for example on MijnOverheid.nl. It does not matter how long the pregnancy lasted or how long ago the birth was.

You register your child in the municipality where you live. You can make this request only for yourself and not for the other parent.

Getting first name on existing deeds

Is there already a record of your child, such as a "certificate of birth (lifeless)"? But is there no first name on it? The municipality can still put a first name on the certificate.

Once the declaration is made, you will be given permission to bury or cremate the child.

Terms

Declaration may pass:

  • 1 of the child's parents
  • someone who was present at the birth
  • an employee of the hospital
  • the funeral director

You can register your lifeless child in the Basic Registration of Persons (BRP) if you:

  • 1 of the parents are
  • living or going to live in the Netherlands

The declaration of death must be made before the burial or cremation takes place.

Term

Your child was born after a pregnancy of less than 24 weeks

It does not matter how long it has been since your child was born dead. You can always file a declaration and register your child in the Basic Registration of Persons (BRP).

Your child was born after a pregnancy of 24 weeks or more

Your child must have a funeral or cremation within 6 working days. You must have filed a declaration before the funeral.
For registration in the BRP, it does not matter how long it has been since your child was born dead.

Learn more

Information on registering a lifeless child

How do I report a child born lifeless?

Silent lives (the website of the Infant Mortality Knowledge Center)

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