Request divorce certificate
Are you divorced? Then you can request written proof of this. You will get a copy of the certificate in Dutch or a multiple-language (international) extract. You request this in the municipality where you were married.
- You were married in The Hague.
- You registered your divorce with the municipality.
Did you get married abroad but divorced in the Netherlands? Then you can only request a copy of the divorce certificate. Would you like to request an extract? Then you need to Begin link: register foreign documents in the BRP, end link. with the Registry Office of the Municipality of The Hague.
An authority asks for your divorce certificate. You request this in the municipality where you were married. You will then get a copy or a multiple-language (international) extract of the certificate. This will state that you dissolved your marriage. The original certificate remains the property of the municipality.
Which document do I need?
Usually the authority requesting the certificate will tell you which document you need. It will also indicate how old the document may be. The difference between the copy and the multiple-language (international) extract:
- A copy contains exactly the same information as the certificate itself. It is also called a certified, official or authenticated copy. The copy is only available in Dutch.
- A multiple-language (international) extract is a summary of the certificate. The extract has an explanation in 10 languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish and Serbo-Croatian.
When you apply for the certificate you can indicate which document you would like to have.
€ 16.60 (in 2024) or € 17.10 (in 2025) excluding postage costs. After you have applied you will receive an invoice by email.
The municipality will send you the copy or multiple-language (international) extract within 3 weeks. When you will receive it depends on the postal service.
- You can also request a copy or extract for someone else. Read more about this under Begin link: Request a civil status document for someone else, end link. .
- If you would like to use the document abroad, then you often need an ‘apostille’. You can request this through the court. Read more about the legalisation of Dutch documents on the Begin external link: website of the Government of the Netherlands(External link), end external link..
- Do you need to have the document translated? You can have documents from abroad translated into Dutch by a sworn translator.