Registering a birth and acknowledging parentage of a child in Denmark

If your child is born in Denmark, the birth must be registered there. In Denmark the obstetrician or doctor registers the birth in the population register. Be sure that they do so using the correct surname and given names. You do not have to register your child’s birth with the embassy.

Within a week you will receive a form at your home address. Use this form to notify the authorities of your child’s full name. You have 6 months from the day the child is born to complete this form and send it back to the population register. After returning the form you will receive your child’s birth certificate by post at your home address. Verify that the information on the birth certificate is correct.

If you live outside the Netherlands, you can have the Danish birth certificate converted into a Dutch birth certificate at the municipality of The Hague’s Foreign Documents Department. This is not mandatory, but it can be useful if you ever need an extract from the birth certificate in the future. Having the document converted does not take care of your child’s registration in the Non residents Records Database (RNI).

If you live in the Netherlands, you must also register the birth with the municipality where you live, using the foreign birth certificate. Do this as soon as possible once you return to the Netherlands. The municipality will then process your and your child’s details in the Personal Records Database (BRP).

If you are not married and you are the child’s father, you can acknowledge parentage of them by completing the Declaration of Joint Care and Responsibility on Paternity form. It is available in a bilingual Danish/English version. Request the form within 28 days of your child’s birth. The form must also be signed and stamped by the issuing authority.

By using this form to acknowledge parentage of your child, you are automatically granted parental responsibility for them.

The declaration of acknowledgement of parentage is legally valid in the Netherlands if it is in English and has been signed and stamped by the issuing authority.

If you live in the Netherlands or if you are Dutch and live abroad, you can always acknowledge parentage in the Netherlands of your child born in Denmark. You can do this at the municipality or a notary. You can also authorise someone to do this in the Netherlands on your behalf. To do this, you must get a notary to draw up a power of attorney. You cannot acknowledge parentage of your child at a Dutch embassy or consulate-general.

In the Netherlands, acknowledging parentage of your child does not automatically grant you parental responsibility for your child. Find out more about acknowledging parentage in the Netherlands on Government.nl.