Civil Records for Netherlands citizens in the United States — 2026

Civil records registration means registering births, marriages and deaths that occurred in the United States with the Netherlands authorities. Essential for citizens of Netherlands living abroad whose family events happen in the U.S.

Netherlands consulates processing civil records

What can be registered?

• Birth registration: children of Netherlands parents born in the U.S. can be registered as Netherlands nationals
• Marriage registration: marriages of Netherlands citizens (or mixed marriages) celebrated in the U.S.
• Death registration: death of Netherlands nationals in the U.S.
• Divorce registration: U.S. divorce decrees for those married in Netherlands

Required documents

• Original U.S. vital record (birth/marriage/death certificate)
• Apostille from the Secretary of State of the issuing state
• Certified translation to the official language of Netherlands
• Passport and ID of the Netherlands citizens involved
• Application form completed

How to register

Most Netherlands consulates require an appointment to file civil records. The consulate then forwards the registration to the Netherlands civil registry office.

Some consulates accept mail-in applications for civil records. Check the official site of your consulate.

Costs and processing times

Registration fees: typically free or $10-$50 per record. Processing time at the consulate: 2-4 weeks; final registration in Netherlands can take additional months.