Municipality of Gouda: acknowledging parenthood of your child

You will need the following for the appointment:

• A valid identity document for the father.
• A valid identity document for the mother(s).
• If the child to be officially acknowledged is under the age of 12, the mother’s written consent to the official acknowledgement, unless she is present.
• If the child to be officially acknowledged is between the ages of 12 and 16, the consent of the mother and the child in person or in writing.
• If the child to be officially acknowledged is aged 16 or over, the child must be present. The child must choose their surname and consent to the official acknowledgement. The mother’s consent is not required.

Please note: if the child to be officially acknowledged is under the age of 16, the birth mother must attend in person if you want the child to be given the surname of the person having the child officially acknowledged. For more information, please call the municipality at phone number +31 182 58 84 44.

• Official acknowledgement and choice of surname are free of charge.
• You can apply for an akte van erkenning (acknowledgement of parenthood certificate) in the municipality where the acknowledgment took place. For more information about the costs, please call the municipality at phone number +31 182 58 84 44 or send an e-mail gemeente@gouda.nl.

The acknowledgement cannot always be processed immediately. This depends on the personal situation of the child and the person acknowledging the child. For example, acknowledgement takes longer if the child was born before 1985 or if the person having the child officially recognised does not hold Dutch citizenship.