Registering a birth and acknowledging parentage of a child in Iraq

If your child is born in Iraq, you must register the birth there. You declare the birth at the local authorities.

It is not possible to register the birth at the Dutch embassy in Baghdad.

Do you live outside the Netherlands?

If you live outside the Netherlands, you can have the Iraqi 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).

Do you live in the Netherlands?

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).

You can acknowledge your child if you are not the child's legal parent. By doing so, you declare that you are the child's parent.

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 Iraq. 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.

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