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Certified Dutch Passport Translation
Certified translation of the documents that establish identity and nationality in the Netherlands, including the registry annotations and endorsements that carry the legal effect and that a reader unfamiliar with the system will otherwise skip.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, up to 250 words. No hidden fees.
100% USCIS acceptance
Every certified translation is guaranteed to be accepted by USCIS.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
The passport shows the birth surname
A Dutch passport records the geslachtsnaam — the birth surname — as the legal name, and a partner's surname appears, if at all, as an addition noted on the document rather than replacing it.
So a married Dutch woman's passport shows her own surname, and a US office expecting the married name concludes the documents do not match. We translate the field as what it is and note any partner-name entry separately.
Tussenvoegsels, and where they file
Dutch surnames frequently carry a tussenvoegsel — van, de, van der, van den — which is part of the name but is not used for alphabetisation in the Netherlands: Van der Berg files under B.
US systems file under V, so one person appears in two places. The passport prints the tussenvoegsel in a separate position from the main surname, and we reproduce the arrangement rather than concatenating it.
The BSN, and the identity card
The passport carries the BSN, the citizen service number, which does not change and is the identifier every Dutch institution uses. The identiteitskaart is also a travel document within the EU.
We name which document you sent. They carry different data and different validity.
No address, no parents
A Dutch passport shows neither address nor parents. Both live in the BRP, the personal records database, and are evidenced by an uittreksel; parentage by an afschrift of the birth act.
For a family matter the passport is never enough. See our Dutch birth certificate page.
Ordering, and what the certification covers
Upload the document, choose certified translation at $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, and it comes back typically within 24 hours as a PDF formatted to mirror the original, with a signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead. Marginal annotations are translated in place, in the margin, and every seal, stamp and registry endorsement is translated with the text. See how we translate and certified versus standard.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my wife's passport show her maiden name?
Dutch passports record the birth surname as the legal name. A partner name is an addition, not a replacement.
Does "van der" count as part of the surname?
Yes, but the Netherlands alphabetises without it and the US with it. The passport prints it separately and we reproduce that.
What is the BSN?
The citizen service number, which does not change and is how Dutch records match.
Does the passport show my parents?
No. An afschrift of the birth act does.
Ready to get started?
Upload the document and receive the certified translation, typically within 24 hours.