Central Authority

The Central Authority is the agency that has been appointed to ensure The Hague Convention on Child Abduction is complied with and that the obligations it contains are carried out in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands the Ministry of Security and Justice has been appointed as the Central Authority. The Central Authority also carries out duties under the European Regulations Brussels II b and The Hague Child Protection Convention.

How does the Central Authority work?

The Central Authority deals with requests from parents to return their child to the place of residence or to enforce international parental access arrangements. In the case of outgoing cases, they help the parent who is searching for their child to complete the request so that it can be sent to the Central Authority in the country to which the child has been taken. They then ensure the parent is kept up-to-date with all the developments in his or her case. With incoming requests, such as a request from abroad which is received by the Central Authority, the Central Authority deals with the request and checks to see if the request is complete. They will then inform the parent, who has come to the Netherlands, of the request by the other parent. They will also try to help both parents come to an amicable agreement. If this is unsuccessful, they will submit a request to return or a request to establish an international parental access arrangement to the courts, on behalf of the parent. The courts will then decide whether the request from the parent will be granted. The Central Authority is ultimately responsible for enforcing the legal decision

Address of the Dutch Central Autority:

Ministerie van Veiligheid en Justitie
Directie Control, Bedrijfsvoering en Juridische zaken
Centrale Autoriteit Internationale Kinderontvoering
Postbus 20301
2500 EH The Hague
The Netherlands

Visiting adres:
Schedeldoekshaven 100
2511 CX The Hague
The Netherlands

Telephone:
+31 (0) 70 370 6252 (reachable from Monday till Friday between 09:30 and 12:30)

Website:
www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/internationale-kinderontvoering