Adoption certificate

The adoption certificate states

• the surname, first names, place and date of birth of the adopters as well as of the adoptee,
• the new surname and, where applicable, the new first name of the adoptee following the adoption,
• the type of adoption (simple or full adoption),
• and the date of recognition of the foreign adoption by the Federal Central Authority, if applicable.

Under certain conditions, you can request a copy of or an extract from the certificate:

• A copy contains the original data of the certificate and the history of the status of the person to whom the certificate relates.
• An extract, on the contrary, only states the current details of the certificate, without stating the history of the status of the person to whom the certificate relates. Therefore, an extract only shows the current status of the data.

Who can request a copy or an extract?

The right to receive a copy of or an extract from adoption certificates is limited to

• the persons to whom the certificate relates (adoptive parents and adoptee),
• the spouse, the surviving spouse or legal cohabitant,
• the legal representative (e.g. parent, guardian, conservator),
• blood relatives in the ascending or descending line (no relatives by affinity and side branches),
• heirs,
• and special agents such as notaries or lawyers.

If the certificate is more than 100 years old, anyone is entitled to request a copy or an extract.

You can request a copy of or an extract from an adoption certificate in the municipality in which the certificate was transcribed in the registers of the register office.

If you have an electronic identity card (eID), you can request a copy of or an extract from the certificate online

• via the e-desk of your municipality
• or via the certificates page of My Citizen Profile (‘Mijn Burgerprofiel’(opens in new window)).

Since 31 March 2019, certificates from the register office are registered in digital format only. If your certificate dates from before 31 March 2019, it may not yet be available digitally.

Some municipalities digitise old archives when copies of or extracts from the certificates are requested or changes are made.

If you collect the document yourself:

• your own identity card or residence permit.

If you are requesting the document for someone else:

• a power of attorney from that person and a copy of their identity card
• as well as your own identity card.