Correction and updating of birth, marriage and death registers

If an entry in the register of births, marriages or deaths is incorrect or incomplete, it can be corrected or updated. A distinction is made between corrections and updates.

• Correction:
  The entry was incorrect from the outset.

  Example:
  When a child's birth was certified, the family name was entered incorrectly.

• Update:
  Subsequent events have occurred that have changed the original facts.

  Example:
  A child's birth name has changed after birth. Initially the child had the mother's name, but due to a name declaration by the parents it now has the father's name.

Requirements

A correction must be applied for in writing or verbally for recording. The persons to whom an entry relates or who are entered in the register (i.e. in the case of a birth register, the child and the parents) are generally involved. The reason for the correction must be stated and evidence must be provided.

The burden of proof for the incorrectness lies with the person making the request.