If you are living outside of the Netherlands but were born there, it is possible to go to almost any Dutch register in your country of residence and register yourself as having been born in the Netherlands. In order to use a birth certificate or citizenship for official purposes, you need to register a foreign birth certificate in the Netherlands and have it legalized by The Hague.
Step 1
Go to the Dutch mission or embassy in your country of residence. Besides its embassy in Washington, D.C., the Netherlands has 26 consulates in the United States, including the major cities of New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta and Miami and smaller cities such as Jacksonville, Florida; Raleigh, North Carolina; Portland, Oregon; and Honolulu, Hawaii. The Netherlands also has a consulate in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Step 2
Explain to an official at the Dutch embassy in the Foreign Documents Department that you want a copy of your Dutch birth certificate.. If you are a U.S. citizen, you will need to provide identification information, specifically your naturalization papers and passport. If you are Dutch citizen, and have lost your birth certificate, ask the consular official for a request for an official copy of your birth certificate from The Hague. The request for the birth certificate (whether U.S. or Dutch citizen) may take several weeks and you will be charged a fee for the request, which will vary depending on the embassy and your citizenship status. Only proceed to Step 3 if you are a United States citizen.
Step 3
Contact The Hague at +31 0 70 353 2000 between 2 a.m and 4 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) and speak to an official in the Legalization Desk in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You need to request that your birth certificate be legalized by The Hague in order for it to be accepted outside of the Netherlands as an official birth certificate. The Hague will charge you a fee for the legalization of the document, which will vary depending on your residency and relevant shipping costs.
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Writer Bio
Jessica Jewell is a writer, photographer and communications consultant who began writing professionally in 2005. Her chapbook, "Slap Leather," is forthcoming from dancing girl press. Her recent work has appeared in "Nimrod," "Harpur Palate," "Copper Nickel," "Rhino," "wicked alice," "Poetry Midwest" and "Barn Owl Review." Jewell was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She earned her Master of Fine Arts from Kent State University.