My child was born in Belgium. When do I have to register the birth with the municipality and with my country's consulate?
In short
Register the birth with the municipality within 15 days. You may also need to register it with your country's consulate; ask the consulate about the deadline. If you are a recognised refugee, do not go to the consulate; ask the CGRS (CGVS / CGRA) for advice.
Video transcript
Your baby was born in Belgium. Everyone is overjoyed. Required: Report the birth to the municipality within 15 days. Your own country's consulate may need it too; ask about the deadline. The right way: Report to the municipality first, then the consulate if needed. The Belgian record is not sent to your country automatically. If you are late: Fine in Belgium: None; But: Child benefit is delayed; Also: Health insurance delayed.
What is not allowed, what is required?
- You register the birth with the registrar of births, marriages and deaths (burgerlijke stand / état civil) in the municipality where the child was born. The deadline is 15 days after the birth.
- If the 15th day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the deadline is extended to the next working day. In some municipalities, you can register the birth at the maternity ward or online.
- The birth is registered by the mother, the father or the co-mother (meemoeder / coparente). The hospital also notifies the municipality of the birth separately, by the next working day at the latest.
- Registering the birth in Belgium does not automatically pass the information on to your home country. You may also need to register the child with your country's consulate; ask the consulate about the deadline and the documents required.
- The consulate usually asks for the birth certificate (Formula A) and the parents' identity documents. If the parents are not married, the father must also formally recognise the child; ask your consulate.
Penalty and indirect consequences
- Fine / payment
- If the person responsible for registering the birth deliberately fails to register it at all, this is a criminal offence (Criminal Code art. 358, level 1): a fine, community service or probation. The law sets no separate penalty for late registration; if you are late, register the birth straight away anyway. Some countries may fine you for late registration; ask the consulate.
Legal basis:oud BW art. 43 §25490 s. NHK, md. 68/1-b
What does this level mean? Criminal Code, level 1: No prison: a fine, community service or probation. All penalty levels →
What really matters: the indirect consequences
- If you do not register the birth, the municipality draws up the birth record itself based on the hospital's notification
Legal basis:oud BW art. 42, 43 §2
- Without a birth certificate, child benefit (Groeipakket etc.) and health insurance registration are delayed
Legal basis:vlaanderen.be – Geboorteaangifte
- If registration in your home country's population register is delayed, applications there for an identity card and passport will be delayed too
Legal basis:5490 s. NHK, md. 3/r, 11/1
Why does this rule exist?
Registering the birth is the basis of the child's identity, nationality and rights. Registering early means that rights such as child benefit, health insurance and school places start on time.
Where can you go?
- Municipal population officeChange of address, identity card and residence card
- Neighbourhood police officerAddress check (wijkagent / agent de quartier)
- Social interpreterAt the municipality, the OCMW/CPAS, school and hospital, you can ask for an interpreter in your language; it is often free.
This site does not handle individual cases; it points you to the right service. All help addresses
Source and reliability
Official source- Source check
- 16 / 17 statements in an official source
- Checked: 23.10.2026
- Last checked
- 23.10.2026
- Rules can change
Show the 17 checked statementsopen
- Found in an official source
Doğum yeri belediyesinde nüfus memuruna 15 gün içinde bildirim
Burgerlijk Wetboek (Boek I), art. 43 §1 - Found in an official source
15 takvim günü
vlaanderen.be – Geboorteaangifte - Found in an official source
Son gün hafta sonu/tatil ise bir sonraki iş günü
BW art. 43 §1 - Found in an official source
Bazı belediyelerde doğumhanede veya çevrimiçi (Mijn Burgerprofiel)
vlaanderen.be – Geboorteaangifte - Found in an official source
Bildirimi anne, baba/eş-anne veya birlikte yapar
vlaanderen.be – Geboorteaangifte - Found in an official source
Hastane en geç ertesi iş günü bildirir
BW art. 42 - Found in an official source
Bazı ülkeler yurt dışındaki doğumun belirli bir süre içinde (ör. 60 gün) konsolosluğa bildirilmesini ister
5490 sayılı Nüfus Hizmetleri Kanunu md. 15/1 - Found in an official source
Belgeler: doğum belgesi (Formül A), kimlikler; evlilik dışı doğumda babalık tanıma
konsolosluk.gov.tr – SSS (Doğum) - Found in an official source
Geç bildirim için ayrı bir ceza yazılı değil; md. 358 bildirimi bilerek hiç yapmamayı cezalandırır (gecikmenin kapsama girip girmediği avukata sorulmalı)
oud BW art. 43 §2 - Found in an official source
Geç doğum bildirimi cezası ülkeden ülkeye değişir (örnek kaynakta ebeveyn cezası 2017'de kaldırılmış)
5490 s. NHK, md. 68/1-b - Found in an official source
Doğum belgesi çocuk parası ve sağlık sigortası için gerekir
vlaanderen.be – Geboorteaangifte - Found in an official source
Kayıt gecikirse kimlik/pasaport işlemleri gecikir (mantıksal genel ifade)
5490 s. NHK, md. 3/r, 11/1 - Corrected according to the source
Kanun ceza öngörmez; bildirim yoksa memur akteyi kendisi düzenler
oud BW art. 43 §2 - Found in an official source
Bildirim yapılmazsa memur doğum akdini hastane/hekim bildirimine göre düzenler
oud BW art. 42, 43 §2 - Found in an official source
Doğumu bilerek hiç bildirmemek suç, seviye 1 (md. 358)
Code pénal livre II (Loi 29.2.2024), Justel FR konsolide metin, art. 358 (madde numarası: Justel NL inhoudstafel) - Found in an official source
Seviye 1: hapis yok; para cezası, çalışma cezası veya probation cezası (Kitap I md. 36)
Strafwetboek (W 29.2.2024) Boek I, art. 36 - Reliable secondary source
Md. 43 §1 bildirimi 15 gün içinde ister, geç bildirime ayrı hüküm yok; md. 358 bu yükümlülüğe atıf yapar — gecikmenin suç sayılıp sayılmadığı yoruma açık (avukata sorulmalı)
oud BW art. 43 §1-2
The checked statements are in Turkish, as in the source text. This check does not replace legal advice.
General information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask a lawyer or free legal aid. How was this information prepared?