The Embassy can assist in locating a U.S. citizen in the Netherlands in cases of parental child abduction or missing persons cases, or when a friend or loved one has not arrived at a location on the scheduled date and time. The Embassy cannot help you trace your ancestry in the Netherlands.
Missing Persons
If a family member is missing, the Consular Section can assist you.
Phone: +31 20 575 5309 during business hours. After hours, contact the Duty Officer at the Embassy at +31 70 310 2209.
When contacting us, please have:
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The name of the person,
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His/her U.S. passport number,
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Date and place of birth,
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Travel plans,
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And the date of entry into the Netherlands.
Please note, once an individual is located, you will only be notified if he/she signs an authorization which allows us to share information. We are prevented by the Privacy Act from releasing information without consent. In the absence of a privacy waiver, we will ask the person to contact you directly.
Tracing people in the U.S. and the Netherlands
Many records, such as those of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, are protected by the Privacy Act and cannot be given to third parties.
For information relating specifically to locating military personnel in the U.S. see Tracing Former Military Personnel in the U.S.
Vital Records/Public Databases/Veterans
There are no central repositories (burgerlijke stand) of birth, death, and marriage records in the United States. These records are filed at state level and, in some cases, at an even more local level. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has produced Where to Write for Vital Records, a useful guide to these sources.
Other Resources:
- Public Records
- Vital Records Information
- State and Local Government Resources
- Locate a U.S. Army Veteran
- Veterans Friends
Humanitarian Organizations
The following organizations may be able to assist in cases of sufficiently compelling humanitarian need, and where the missing person is a close relative:
The Dutch Red Cross, afdeling Sociale Opsporing (This section deals with inquiries from the people living in the Netherlands. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies lists contact information and web addresses of societies worldwide.)
The Salvation Army Family Tracing Service exists for the purpose of trying to restore (or to sustain) family relationships, by locating relatives who for whatever reason have become out of touch.
Genealogy
