Gender change

What is it?

If you have changed your gender, you can have this changed in the Basic Registration of PersonsBRP). You can have your gender changed from 'male' to 'female', or vice versa.

Declaration of gender change is free of charge. However, please note the cost of renewing your passport, identity card and/or driver's license. After the declaration of gender change, these are no longer valid.

How does it work?

There are four steps:

  1. arrange declaration of competence
  2. Make an appointment with the registry office in your hometown (or in The Hague)
  3. applying for a new Map or passport
  4. informing other authorities

What to do.

Make an appointment to change your gender on your birth certificate at the municipality where you were born. During this appointment, you will state directly which first name(s) you would like to have from now on. From the age of 16, the declaration can be made without the consent of the parent(s) or guardian(s).

No Dutch nationality

If you do not have Dutch nationality, you can only make the request if you have a valid residence permit and have lived in the Netherlands for at least one year. If your birth certificate is not registered in the civil registry in the Netherlands, you must file the declaration with the civil registrar of the municipality of The Hague.

What do I need?

  • Valid proof of identity
  • Statement (not older than 6 months) from a designated expert from one of the following:
    • the Knowledge and Care Center for Gender Dysphoria at the VU Medical Center in Amsterdam,
    • The Gender Team at the University Medical Center Groningen in Groningen, Netherlands
    • The Gender Team at Curium Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, Netherlands

How long does it take?

You will immediately receive a printout of the change.

Additional information

Notifying other agencies

All agencies that have access to the Basic Registration of Persons (BRP), automatically receive notification of a change of gender and any changed first names. On this basis, they themselves change your data. This applies to:

  • health insurer
  • pension fund
  • Social Insurance Bank
  • Tax Office
  • National Highway Administration
  • UWV

For agencies and companies that do not have access to the BRP, you must change your personal data yourself. For example:

  • bank
  • insurance company
  • associations and foundations
  • subscriptions
  • GP
  • dentist
  • hospital
  • payroll

Keep in mind that some companies will ask for a copy of your new ID card or passport.

Foreign passport

A foreign birth certificate does not change when you change your details in the Netherlands according to the Transgender Law. This means that the foreign passport cannot be changed here either. An exception applies to persons of Spanish nationality.

Information on how this is regulated in other countries can be obtained from Transgender Europe.

Not being able to change a foreign passport can cause many problems, such as with identification or contracting.