Birth of a child

In the Netherlands, there are a variety of laws that new parents must follow. The child must first be registered at the municipal population affairs office. The father may decide to acknowledge the child if the parents are not wed.

Registering your child

By law, you have three days to notify the authorities of your child’s birth. This should be done by a parent or another adult who saw the incident. After that, your child will receive a birth certificate and a BSN, or burgerservicenummer, which is the Dutch government’s official identification number. It could be challenging to have the father’s name on the official paperwork if you are not married and you are both foreigners. We advise you to consult a lawyer since we have heard too many horror stories.

The child’s registration includes the following information:

  • first name(s)
  • last name
  • sex
  • place of birth
  • date and time of birth
  • first name(s) and last name of each parent
  • place and date of birth of each parent.

Naming your child

Do not assume that you can name your child whatever you choose. This is subject to rules. The government’s website states that it shouldn’t be a curse word, a name that could subject the child to mockery, or a name that combines several names. Additionally, if the counter employee deems the name inappropriate, he or she may decline to accept it. We ponder whether government employees were dozing off when they authorized the registration of Lexus, Alpacino, and Little Ridley-Scott. Either the mother’s or the father’s last name may be used, but not both. The four-barrelled Schultz van Haegen-Maas Geesteranus is the surname of a Dutch government minister, despite the fact that double-barrelled names are discouraged. Perhaps there are specific surnames that should be avoided as well.

Kraambezoek

Every woman in the Netherlands is entitled to a maternity nurse (Kraamzorg), and basic insurance packages are required to pay for this. This is one of the country’s distinctive aspects of childbirth. Every day during the week following the birth, a medical professional will visit your home, and their services will be paid for by your health insurance. It is crucial to make this clear in advance because in some circumstances it could not be entirely covered.

The Kraamzorg can help you with anything from routine housework to grocery shopping, in addition to providing guidance and responding to any queries you may have. The maternity nurse will be ready to help you either full-time or for a few hours each day, depending on your needs.

Vaccinations for children

Every child deserves the finest possible start in life, according to Dutch society. Because of this, children residing in the Netherlands receive free vaccinations against about a dozen different diseases under the nation’s National Immunization Program. Although vaccinations are not required, more than 95% of parents in the nation give their kids shots. In the Netherlands, the first round typically takes place at a baby and toddler clinic before the age of four. DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, and polio) and MMR vaccines are administered a second time by the age of nine (measles, mumps, and rubella; BMR in Dutch). When they become 13 years old, girls are also given the chance to receive a vaccination against cervical cancer. Schoolchildren can receive vaccinations via local health services or at a youth and family center (CJG).

Papadag

The phrase “papadag,” which is gaining popularity, refers to the day of the week that some fathers take off of work to care for their children, frequently as part of the paternity leave stipend. Approximately 13% of young fathers use their legal entitlement to spend one day every week caring for their children, according to the national statistics office.

Growing up

Dutch children consistently rank among the happiest in the world, according to surveys conducted by the United Nations and others. So you’ve chosen the ideal location for reproduction.

If non-residents, visitors, and tourists give birth in the Netherlands, Will their children get Dutch citizenship?

Although most European nations do not grant citizenship at birth, a child born to a Dutch mother automatically acquires Dutch citizenship. A Dutch father must either acknowledge the child before the child is seven or the child’s parents must be married on the day of the child’s birth. He will have to provide DNA evidence after that date.