Acknowledging a child and choosing a name
What is it?
Are you married or in a registered partnership with the child's mother? Then you automatically become the legal parent. The first child automatically receives the father's last name.
Are you not married and do not have a registered partnership? As a partner, you can acknowledge the child at the municipality. You will then become the legal parent. The child will automatically receive the name of the biological mother when the birth is registered. Upon acknowledgement, with the mother's consent, 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. You must recognize each subsequent child separately. You can acknowledge a child before birth, at the time of the birth declaration, or after the birth declaration.
You may change your children's last name to that of the other parent. This is allowed when you get married or enter into a registered partnership. Children over the age of 16 must sign for this themselves.
If you acknowledge a child before Jan. 1, 2023, it does not mean that you also have parental authority. Without parental authority, you may not decide anything for your child. You can apply for parental authority through the website Rechtspraak.nl. This also applies if the child is born after January 1, 2023.
How does it work?
To acknowledge a child and choose a last name, you go to the municipality in person. Do you acknowledge the child at the time of 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? Then you can go to any municipality in the Netherlands.
This is how you acknowledge a child:
Do you want to choose a last name when recognizing your first child? If so, the mother must also be present.
Requirements
The main Requirements for recognizing a child are:
- You are 16 years of age or older.
- You are not related to the mother.
- There are not already 2 parents.
- If the child is older than 12 and younger than 16, the mother and child consent to recognition.
- If the child is over 16, the child consents to recognition.
The main Requirements 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.
- Is your child born abroad and you cannot choose the last name there? Then you can do so in the Netherlands within two years after the birth.
- Your child has the Dutch nationality.
- Is the child 16 years old or older? Then the child makes his or her own declaration about the choice of name.
For the first child, the mother must always give consent in person. For subsequent children, written consent, with a copy of the identification document, is sufficient. You give written consent by completing this consent form.
What does it cost?
Recognition and name selection costs nothing.
What do I need?
- A valid ID of yourself
- A valid ID from the mother
- written consent of the mother for recognition if she is not present
- written consent of the child over 12 years of age for recognition
You give written consent by downloading the consent form, filling it out and bringing it to your appointment.
Additional information
- Information about acknowledging a child
- Information on parenting as a dual mother
- Parenting declaration requested by the paternal mother
- Learn more about choosing a last name at Rijksoverheid.nl
- Information sheet: The choice of surname
Objection and appeal
Do you disagree with the municipality's decision on recognizing your child? Then file an appeal with the court.