Death Certificate Translation for the Netherlands

Gemeente, burgerlijke stand and the overlijdensakte

A death in the Netherlands is entered in the register by the municipality’s burgerlijke stand and an overlijdensakte is issued; the notaris administering an estate, or the body assessing a pension file, takes from a document of that kind the fact that the death has been officially recorded. A Turkish death registry extract is not the equivalent of an overlijdensakte; it is a foreign record proving the same fact, and in translation it is not equated with one. The heading of the document, the civil registry office that drew it up and the information it carries pass across unchanged, and the identity of the deceased together with the date and place of death is kept complete.

Rarely does the document go on its own: in an estate file it accompanies the certificate of inheritance, in a pension file the relevant social security papers. Where the name of the deceased and the dates line up exactly with the other documents, the notaris or the institution can assess the file as a whole. One surname spelled differently weakens the impression that the papers belong to the same person and holds the matter up, which is why the spelling of the name is kept the same on every document.

The CIEC multilingual standard-form extract

The Netherlands is among the countries party to the multilingual standard-form arrangement (CIEC) for civil status documents; a death record obtainable in multilingual form from the Turkish civil registry presents its fields pre-printed in several languages and can often be accepted without a translation being asked for at all. Where such a copy is available, whether a separate sworn translation is still required is something to establish with the gemeente, the notaris or the institution handling the procedure; it can spare a step in the process and a cost that need not be incurred.

No one should assume that the multilingual copy will be accepted in every procedure; some processes will still want a sworn translation of the monolingual extract. Because an official translation in the Netherlands is expected to come from a translator on the Rbtv register, that condition is kept in view where a translation is needed. The translation carries across in full the person’s name, the date and place of death and the details of the issuing authority.

Date and place format, and the consular record

The core of a death certificate is the identity of the deceased and the date and place of death, and these are rendered faithfully to the source format. A date format that gets confused, or a place of death written wrongly, can affect rights and time limits that turn on when and where the death occurred. Where the death happened abroad and was registered with the civil registry through a Turkish consulate, that chain of registration on the document is reflected accurately too.

In the Netherlands a death has a direct bearing on the personal records held by the municipality and on the pension and social security files that depend on them; the institutions concerned look for the document showing that the death has been officially recorded. Where an estate is involved, the notaris considers the death certificate before drawing up the verklaring van erfrecht, which is why its translation is often the first link in the file. Consistency of names and dates across the documents makes it easier for institutions to assess the file in one go; where the body is to be repatriated, the document is prepared in step with the consular and medical papers.

• Do not equate the Turkish registry extract with an overlijdensakte; carry the issuing authority across as it is.
• Confirm with the authority whether the multilingual standard-form copy is accepted.
• If a translation is needed, check that the Rbtv number appears on the certification page.

Certification: the apostille and Rbtv registration

Because a death registry extract originates with the civil registry, an apostille, where one is needed, is obtained from the governor’s office or the district governor’s office. A translator producing an official translation in the Netherlands is expected to be entered on the register of sworn translators (Rbtv), and the registration number appears on the certification page. The Turkish chain, sworn translator followed by notarisation and apostille, is an option as well; where a multilingual standard-form copy is used, a separate translation is usually unnecessary. The Netherlands is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; confirm the current position from the official HCCH list. Your matter can be handled through our single office in Ankara Kızılay, the cost is set out on our pricing page, and you can upload your document to request a quote. This page is for general information; please confirm with the gemeente or notaris concerned what form of document is required.