Acknowledging parentage of a child

Where to request this?

You can request this at the municipality where:

• The official residence of the mother, the child or the person who wishes to acknowledge parentage is
• The child was born

When to request this?

• Before the birth
• When registering the birth
• At a later time after the birth

How to request this?

The person who wishes to acknowledge parentage has to go to the city office together with:

• The mother (if the child has not yet been born or is under 12 years of age)
• The mother and the child (if the child is over 12 years of age)
• The child (if the child is at least 18 years of age or an emancipated minor)

By appointment only.

Make an appointment

What do you need to bring?

Both partners have been born and registered in Belgium

• Identity cards of the mother and the person who wishes to acknowledge parentage
• Before the birth: medical certificate (original version, no scan or copy) containing these matters:
  • Stating that the mother is pregnant
  • Expected date of birth
  • Signature of doctor or midwife
• The child is not born in Belgium or you do not have a Belgian birth certificate based on the foreign certificate? If so, also bring the following items:
  • Recent copy of the child’s birth certificate with a sworn translation into Dutch
  • Foreign documents sometimes need to be legalised

One of the partners does not have the Belgian nationality or was not born or registered in Belgium

Phone us or send us an email to determine what documents you need.

Price

Free of charge.

Conditions

You can find more information about the conditions for acknowledging parentage of a child on the website of the Flemish Government (Dutch only).