The International Child Abduction Center (Center IKO) is the legal expertise center in the field of (the prevention of) international child abduction. We provide free advice, guidance and information to parents and professionals.
The legal advisors of the Center IKO specialize in the legal aspects of international child abductions. They provide advice and information about the legal possibilities a client has and help to find solutions for a client’s situation. They also offer guidance to parents.
Our legal advisors give advice by phone and e-mail. The legal advisor gives advice based on the information shared by the client. In order to give the most complete advice possible, it is our preference to discuss the situation over the phone. This way, the legal advisor can gather all the necessary information that is needed for an accurate advice.
We do not act as a legal representative or a lawyer. We can, however, assist you and, if necessary, refer you to a lawyer or mediator.
The Center IKO provides up-to-date information, advice and support to anyone affected by (or at risk of) international child abduction. If an international child abduction has already occured, we can help you complete the relevant forms or find a specialised lawyer in the Netherlands or abroad. We can also inform you of the various (legal) options available to you, and guide you through the process. However, Center IKO cannot take legal action on your behalf.
The Central Authority for International Children’s Issues (Ca IKA) implements the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction liaising with parents and other relevant partners in the process. Ca IKA is responsible for handling, assessing, and forwarding requests relating to the return of children, international contact, information, and safeguarding concerns. If your child has been abducted to another country, the Ca IKA will send the return request to the Central Authority of the country in which your child is located. If your child has been taken to a country that is not a party to the Hague Convention, the Ca IKA will forward your request to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry will then pass the return request on to the Dutch consular office in the country where your child is currently located.
For more information, please contact us.
You have received a letter from the Central Authority. This may have shocked you and you probably want to know what to do next. This letter can include several things. You may be requested to voluntarily return your child to the country from which he/she was taken. Or you can receive a request to cooperate in establishing an international contact arrangement. Your child's other parent made the request. Usually this is legally based on the Hague Child Abduction Convention. The Center IKO can explain what to expect and what to do. We can also give you more information about the different procedures.
When you try to open a form of the Central Authority, you might get the message:
“Please wait… If this message is not eventually replaced by the proper contents of the document, your PDF viewer may not be able to display this type of document…” et cetera
If this is the case, you can open the form using the following instructions:
Are you still not able to open the form with these instructions? Please contact the Central Authority.
According to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (HCCH), international child abduction occurs when a child is taken from their usual place of residence to another country - or is not returned from it - without the consent of the other parent with custody rights concerning the child’s residence. The child must be under 16 years of age, and the move must be intented to permanently change the child’s place of residence. In the Netherlands, a parent has custody rights concerning a child’s residence if they have legal custody. This may differ in other countries.
For more information, please contact us.
An international child abduction can be a criminal offense. It depends on the laws of the country from which or to where the child is taken. Under Dutch law, international child abduction is a criminal offense. It is referred to as a withdrawal from the parental authority (article 279 of the Dutch Penal Code).
Always contact us first, before you file a report with the police. Filing a report can have advantages and disadvantages. Please contact us first to be well informed about the possible consequences for your situation.
When one of the parents does not comply with the international contact arrangements, it can be difficult to enforce compliance with the agreements made. You can consider making (new) agreements together with the help of cross-border mediation. You can also start legal proceedings before the court in the country where your child lives. You can ask the judge to decide that the other parent needs to comply with the agreements. The judge can, for example, attach consequences to non-compliance with the agreements. A specialized lawyer can advise and assist you in this.
Whether you need permission for a relocation to the Netherlands, depends on the rules of the country where your child is currently living. This does not depend on your or your child's nationality.
Contact us for more information and advice in your situation.
A vacation falls within the scope of the parental authority that a parent exercises over the child. There is an obligation to provide information to the other parent about the residence details and the duration of the holiday.
At the Dutch border control, they pay extra attention to children who are going abroad. Not every child that crosses a border, goes on a vacation. Once across the border, half of the abducted children do not return. The return of a child after an international child abduction often takes a long time and is complicated.
To prevent international child abduction, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (RNLM) checks who has the parental authority and if the persons with parental authority gave their permission for traveling abroad. When the permission is not evident, the RNLM may ask additional questions. This happens many times a day and can cause delay. The RNLM even has the possibility of refusing someone to cross the border, if the permission cannot be proven.
Make sure you bring the necessary documents when you are traveling with your child. Find out which documents are needed in your situation here.
Yes, you need consent to travel with children within Europe.
Although residents of the European Union can travel freely within the Schengen Area, border checks are conducted at its external borders. Although the chances of being checked are low and checks are carried out at random, under Dutch custody law, consent is required to travel with children.
Permission for traveling abroad is required for children who are minors. Under Dutch law this is up to the age of 18. For children who have reached the age of 18, permission of their parents is no longer necessary.
Yes, permission is also needed when you are traveling with your children by car or train.
Is it a trip for a group of children, such as a school or (sports) club? Then all minors need permission from the parents with parental authority. The parents of the children can sign an authorisation form for this. It is also possible for a school or association to draw up a form on which all parents can give their permission. At the information evening about the trip, all parents can sign this form. This way, all signatures are collected in one document.
Does the other parent refuse to give permission for traveling abroad and are you unable to resolve this? As a parent, you can ask the court for replacement permission. Contact us for more information about this procedure.
There is an obligation to provide information to the other parent about the residence details and the duration of the holiday.
No, it is not mandatory to bring the authorization form for traveling abroad with a minor. However, the permission itself is mandatory. How you demonstrate the permission is form-free in the Netherlands. The authorization form has been developed to easily demonstrate at the Dutch border control that the parent(s) gave permission. You can adjust the form to your situation. The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (RNLM) is also familiar with this form. For a quick and smooth border crossing, the Center IKO therefore recommends using this form.
In some countries, such as South Africa, additional requirements apply for traveling with children. Check with the embassy or consulate of the country you are traveling to if there are additional requirements for traveling with children.
You are not required to provide your NIN/SSN/Citizen Service Number. But filling it out will expedite the verification of the form.
With the additional documents you can prove who the child's parents are and who the parental authority has. With this you can demonstrate that the persons who gave permission are indeed the child's parents with parental authority.
An (international) extract from the Personal Records Database (BRP) of the child with parental details can be requested at the municipality where the child is living.
An (international) birth certificate can be requested at the municipality (gemeente) where the child was born.
An extract of the custody register (gezagsregister) can be requested for free at the district court. On the website of the 'Rechtspraak' you can find how to request the extract.
Documents proving that a parent has parental authority (gezag) should stay recent. Parental authority can still change, so it is important to prove the current situation. We recommend that these documents should not be older than 3 months. This means that the documents should not be older than 3 months.
Do you have an international extract of the Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen - BRP) including details on the child's parents and the parental authority? Then you do not need to request a new extract at the municipality every time. You can use the old extract, if you also bring a recent extract of the custody register (gezagsregister). The custody register registers the decisions that have been made about the parental authority. With an extract of the custody register you can prove that nothing has changed since the date of the extract BRP. You can request an extract of the custody register at the district court for free.
Documents that only prove who the child's parents are (and that do not give information about the parental authority), can be requested once and used until the child turns 18. The child's parents usually do not change, so these documents remain valid for traveling with children.
When parents automatically have the parental authority, this is not recorded in the custody register (gezagsregister). Only when parents have applied for joint parental authority or when the court has ruled on the parental authority, is this recorded in the custody register. If this has not happened, the extract will state that your child does not occur in the custody register. With this statement you exclude that you have applied for joint parental authority or that the court has ruled on the parental authority.
The signature on the authorization form will be compared to the signature on the passport, ID-card or driver's license. With the copy, the signature on the authorization form can be checked for authenticity.
Certain information on the copy may be removed, such as the Citizen Service Number. Only the name and signature on the copy must be clearly visible.
A copy of the passport, ID-card or driver's license is used to check the signature on the authorization form for authenticity. Therefore, it is not needed that the passport, ID-card or driver's license is still valid. A copy of an expired document can also be added to the authorization form.
No, for the Dutch border control a stamp from the municipality (gemeente) is not necessary. A copy of the passport, ID-card or driver's license of the parent who gives permission, is sufficient to check the signature on the authorization form.
In some countries, such as South Africa, additional requirements apply and a stamp is indeed mandatory. Check with the embassy or consulate of the country you are traveling to if there are additional requirements for traveling with children.
No. ChatGPT does not provide legal advice. Laws and regulations regarding travel with minors vary depending on the situation and the country. AI applications like ChatGPT are not capable of assessing all circumstances or providing legally accurate advice. For reliable and up-to-date information about parental consent when traveling with minors, please consult Centrum IKO or another qualified authority.
This depends on the child protection measure and the specific circumstances.
If there is a supervision order in place, parental consent from the (other) parent(s) with custody is required for travel abroad. Consent from the Certified Institution (GI) is not required. However, the GI may object to the trip if it could interfere with the exercise of the supervision order. If a GI decision has restricted your contact rights (e.g., via a written directive), this may affect your ability to travel abroad. We advise you to speak with the youth protection worker or guardian and discuss your travel plans.
If your child(ren) has/have been placed in care, and the foster parent(s) wish to take them on holiday, your consent is not required. Due to the out-of-home placement, your custody rights are limited and the GI has the authority to decide on residence.The GI must therefore approve the foster family’s holiday abroad. The GI may object to the trip if it affects the contact arrangements. Ultimately, however, the decision lies with the responsible youth protection worker or guardian. Foster parents are advised to carry the court order for the out-of-home placement, as well as a written statement from the GI confirming that they have no objections to the holiday.
If any of the above is unclear or if your situation differs slightly, please contact us.
In principle, consent cannot be withdrawn arbitrarily unless the parent has a compelling reason, such as a change of circumstances, to revoke their consent. Whether such a reason is considered will then be able to explain the (legal) options in more detail.
No, this is not mandatory. Only the details of the accompanying parent need to be included. You may add the details of your new partner (who is not a parent), but this is not required.
