A baby born in the Netherlands to two Indian parents doesn't become Dutch just by being born on Dutch soil, so two separate paperwork trails start on the same day: the Dutch side (birth registration, BRP, BSN, health insurance) and the Indian side (registering the birth with the Embassy of India and applying for the baby's first Indian passport). Missing a deadline on either side gets expensive or slow, so it helps to know exactly what's due and when.
This checklist assumes neither parent holds Dutch nationality at the time of the birth. If one of you has already taken Dutch nationality before the baby arrives, the nationality rules change enough that it deserves its own separate checklist rather than a footnote here, DesiBiz has a companion post covering exactly that situation.
Registering the Birth With Your Gemeente (Aangifte)
This is the very first step, and it's time-sensitive: you must register the birth within 3 days at the municipality where the baby was born (the birth day itself doesn't count toward that window, and if the deadline lands on a weekend or public holiday you get one extra working day, with a minimum of 2 working days either way). The father or co-mother is legally required to do this, the birth mother can do it too but isn't obliged to.
Bring valid identification, and any paperwork from prior recognition (erkenning) or an agreed name choice if that already happened. A birth declaration from the hospital or midwife is useful to bring along but isn't mandatory. Registration itself is free, though official copies of the birth certificate cost a small fee. Miss the 3-day window and the civil registry official is required to report it to the Openbaar Ministerie (Public Prosecutor's Office), which can mean a fine, so don't leave this one for later in the week.
BRP Data and the Baby's BSN
Once the birth is registered, the baby is entered into the BRP (the Personal Records Database) and receives a BSN (burgerservicenummer) automatically, as long as the mother is a resident of the Netherlands. There's no separate BSN application to file, it happens as part of the same registration. You'll find the BSN printed on the gemeente's birth certificate extract (uittreksel), and you'll need it almost immediately afterwards for the health insurer and, later, for the Indian Embassy's own paperwork.
Health Insurance for the Baby
You have 4 months from the birth date to register the baby with a health insurer, either added to an existing parent's policy or on a separate policy of their own, it doesn't have to be the same insurer as either parent uses. Basic insurance for anyone under 18 carries no premium and no deductible. Register within the 4-month window and cover applies retroactively back to the birth date. Register later than that and the insurer's cover only starts from the actual registration date, leaving you responsible for any medical costs from birth up to that point, even though the child was technically inside the free-registration window the whole time.
The Indian Embassy Side: Registering the Birth for Citizenship
Under India's Citizenship Act, 1955, a child born abroad to Indian citizen parents can acquire Indian citizenship by descent, but it isn't automatic on paper, it runs through registering the birth with the Consular Section of the Embassy of India, The Hague. The process starts with an online application through the Ministry of Home Affairs portal, followed by submitting the physical documents in person at the Embassy.
You'll need the Dutch birth certificate, both parents' passports, your marriage certificate, proof of your Dutch residence (your residence permit or long-stay visa), and a signed declaration form, along with a fee of around €25, payable by debit card or exact cash. If either parent holds a nationality other than Indian, the Embassy will also ask for a letter confirming the baby hasn't acquired that other nationality.
Timing matters here more than it looks: applications made within 1 year of the birth are typically processed in about 7 to 8 working days. Miss that year and the application instead goes up to the Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi for approval, with no fixed timeframe at all. Don't treat this as something to get to eventually, start it within the first months rather than the first year.
Getting the Baby's First Indian Passport
This is a second, separate step that only happens after the Embassy birth registration above is done and you have the Birth Registration Certificate in hand. The passport application itself is filed online (the baby's thumbprint is used in place of a signature, printed in portrait mode), alongside a substantial supporting document set:
- Original and one full copy of the Dutch birth certificate issued by the municipality
- A copy of an uittreksel from the gemeente showing the baby's Dutch address
- Both parents' original passports, plus self-attested photocopies of the first, last and endorsement pages
- Both parents' Dutch residence permits, originals and photocopies
- A copy of your marriage certificate
- Four recent passport photographs meeting the Indian government's specifications (35mm x 45mm, the baby's eyes open)
- A signed no-objection declaration from both parents (Annexure C or D)
- Proof of an Indian address, if you keep one (a utility bill photocopy works)
- A prepaid, self-addressed envelope for the passport or documents to be returned
Both parents should ideally attend the appointment together. If one genuinely can't, they need to provide a signed authority or consent letter allowing the other parent to apply alone. If neither parent holds a currently valid Dutch residence permit to show at the time of application, the passport gets issued with short validity, up to 2 years, rather than full validity, so it's worth having your residence permit renewal in order before you apply if it's close to expiring. Processing typically takes about a month from submission. The Embassy doesn't publish one single, clear passport fee figure at the time of writing, so confirm the current cost directly with the Embassy before your appointment rather than assuming a number.
Anything Else Worth Sorting Early
Kinderbijslag (child benefit) isn't automatic for a first child. About 2 to 4 weeks after your gemeente birth registration, the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) sends a letter, and you then have to actively apply yourself, either online with DigiD or with a paper form. From a second child onward, it becomes automatic and the SVB simply adjusts the amount.
An OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card doesn't come into this picture. OCI exists for foreign nationals of Indian origin, since the baby here is registered as an Indian citizen by descent from birth, they're already Indian, not a foreign national looking in.
Keep the gemeente-issued birth certificate and uittreksel handy since the Embassy's own checklist accepts these Dutch originals directly, no separate legalisation or apostille step is described on their current checklist. That said, embassy document requirements can be updated without much notice, so it's worth checking the live checklist on the Embassy's own site shortly before your appointment rather than relying only on this post.
Once the paperwork is behind you, DesiBiz's directory is a good place to find Indian pediatricians, baby product stores, and other parents in the community who've been through this exact process recently.
Where to Check the Official, Current Details
- Embassy of India, The Hague, for birth registration, passport checklists, and current fees
- Rijksoverheid.nl, for birth registration, BSN, and health insurance rules
- Your own gemeente's website, for appointment booking and local specifics
- The Ministry of Home Affairs' passport and citizenship portals, for anything the Embassy directs you to file centrally
References
- Hoe doe ik aangifte van een geboorte?, Rijksoverheid
- Hoe kom ik aan een burgerservicenummer (bsn)?, Rijksoverheid
- Ben ik verplicht een zorgverzekering af te sluiten?, Rijksoverheid
- Zo regel je de zorgverzekering voor je baby, SKGZ
- Hoe vraag ik kinderbijslag aan?, Rijksoverheid
- Registration of Birth of Children Eligible for Indian Nationality, Embassy of India, The Hague
- First Passport for Children born in the Netherlands, Embassy of India, The Hague
- Checklist for Newborn Passport, Embassy of India, The Hague
- Passport FAQ, Embassy of India, The Hague
More in this series: Baby and family
- Newborn Checklist When a Parent Has Already Taken Dutch NationalityWhat changes for a baby's passport, health insurance, BRP data and Indian-origin paperwork when one or both Indian-origin parents already hold Dutch nationality before the birth.
- Dutch Post-Birth Traditions: What to Expect When a Baby ArrivesWhat beschuit met muisjes, geboortebord, and kraamvisite mean, and how to take part in Dutch traditions after a baby arrives.
- Schools and Childcare for Indian Families in the NetherlandsDutch childcare allowance can cover up to 96% of costs. Here is how kinderopvangtoeslag works and how to think about school choice as an Indian family.
- The Dutch Education System Explained: From Basisschool to UniversityVMBO, HAVO and VWO explained, how school admissions and fees actually work, and how Dutch classrooms teach differently than you might expect.
- Best Family Day Trips in the Netherlands, Sorted by Age GroupAn age-by-age guide to the best family day trips in the Netherlands, from toddler playgrounds to teen-approved thrill rides.
Related guides
- Visa Sponsorship Checklist: Inviting Parents or Relatives from IndiaA step-by-step checklist for sponsoring a parent, relative or friend visiting from India: documents, conditions, insurance, timing, and what to do in parallel.
- What Your Dutch Gemeente Actually Handles Beyond Your BSNRegistering with your gemeente is just the start. Here is what Dutch municipalities bill you for and manage on an ongoing basis.
- Bringing Childcare From Abroad to the Netherlands: Your Real OptionsThe real legal routes for bringing a nanny, au pair, or grandparent from abroad to help with childcare in the Netherlands, and what each one costs.
More guides on Visa, Legal & Paperwork or all guides. New here? Start here.
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