Municipality of Steenwijkerland: acknowledging parenthood of your child

• You are at least 16 years old.
• You have Dutch nationality. If you do not have one, the municipality can check for you whether recognition is possible under the legislation of your nationality and which documents you need for this.
• Other conditions

• A valid proof of identity for yourself and the mother (passport, driver's license, Dutch identity card or aliens document).
• Written permission from the mother if she is not coming. Do you want to make the choice of surname at the same time as the acknowledgment? The mother must come in person if you want the child to have the surname of the acknowledger. This only applies to the 1st child from the relationship.

For more information, visit the municipality's website.

• 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 a copy or extract from the civil status records you must pay a fee. For more information, contact the municipality.

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.