Has your child been taken from the Netherlands to a Hague Convention State? Then you have the option to file a request for return at the Central Authority in the Netherlands. You can find the form and the contact details of the Dutch Central Authority here. The request can be filed for children under the age of 16. You do not need a lawyer to file the request.
The Dutch Central Authority forwards the request to the Central Authority in the country where your child has been abducted to. The foreign Central Authority tries to establish the child's place of residence and tries to get in touch with the abducting parent in order to arrange the voluntary return of the child. If this is unsuccessful, you can start legal proceedings before the court in the country where your child is currently residing.
Has your child been taken to the Netherlands from another country? Then you can file a request for return directly at the Dutch Central Authority. It does not matter whether the country where your child has been taken from is a Hague Convention State. The Netherlands handles these requests equally. The procedure through the Central Authority is the same as described above.
Has your child been taken from the Netherlands to a Non-Hague Convention State? You still have the possibility to file a request for return at the Dutch Central Authority. However, they cannot forward the request to a foreign Central Authority, because a Non-Hague Convention State does not have one. The Dutch Central Authority registers the request for return and forwards it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry forwards the request to the Dutch embassy or consulate in the country concerned. They will try to find a solution diplomatically. If they cannot find a solution, you might have the possibility to start legal proceedings.
Contact us for more information about the possibilities through the Central Authority.
