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Genealogy archives online in the Netherlands, by province (2026)

· 10 min read · The Memory Palace Team

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In the Netherlands a large share of the records is online, but spread over national search sites and some twenty regional archives. This overview shows, province by province, which archive has what online, what is free and whether you can search by name.

Last checked: 3 October 2026, on each archive's own website. Where an archive does not state something, the table says "not stated". We make The Memory Palace, a small app made by one person, Bram, in Leuven, Belgium.

Where to start

Start with WieWasWie or Open Archieven: both search the records of dozens of archives at once, for free. Once you know the region your ancestors lived in, go to that region's archive, which often also has scans, population registers and notarial records missing from the national sites. For relatives who died after 1939, order the personal record card from the CBG.

Which records are public

RecordPublic after
Birth record100 years
Marriage record75 years
Death record50 years

Civil registration starts in 1811 in most of the country, and as early as 1796 in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and South Limburg. Before that you search the churches' baptism, marriage and burial registers (DTB).

How to read the tables

  • Account: whether you need to sign in to view records and scans.
  • Search: "by name" means there is a name index; "browse scans" means you page through the registers yourself.
  • Not stated: the archive does not say so on its site. If in doubt, ask its reading room.

Archives by province

National portals

SourceWhat is onlinePeriodCostAccountSearchSite language
WieWasWie (CBG)Civil records, parish registers, population registers, military records, emigration records, colonial records, name index across archives
More than 252 million persons from over forty institutions. Searching is free and registering is optional; extra search options cost 23.55 euros a year.		Not statedFree, some paidNoBy nameDutch, English
Open ArchievenCivil records, parish registers, notarial records, memorial cards, name index across archives
367,727,267 person mentions from 200 archives, including Belgian ones. Searching and viewing are free; a Plus subscription (18 euros a year) adds alerts and downloads.		Not statedFree, some paidNot statedBy nameDutch, English, German, French
Delpher (KB, national library)Newspapers
Full-text newspapers, magazines and books; useful for family announcements and local news. Not a person index.		1618 to 1995FreeNot statedBy name and browseDutch
CBG VerzamelingenNewspapers, memorial cards, colonial records, photos
Family announcements (9,253,411), memorial cards, East Indies sources and family files. A day pass costs 7.65 euros; which items are free without it is not stated.		Not statedFree, some paidNot statedBy nameDutch
CBG, persoonskaarten and persoonslijstenPersonal record cards
Personal record card (died 1939 to 1994) or personal record (died from October 1994): 4.65 euros per search, found or not. Ordered, not browsed.		Deaths from 1939PaidYes, freeNot statedDutch, English
Nationaal ArchiefMilitary records, colonial records, parish registers, notarial records, estate records, emigration records
VOC crew 1699 to 1794, military service records to about 1950, South Holland parish registers before 1811 and notarial records 1811 to 1935. Online scans are free to download; scanning other items costs 16.75 euros.		Not statedFree, some paidNot statedBy name and browseDutch, English
Archieven.nlName index across archives, photos, newspapers
Shared search site of more than 90 institutions. Consulting is free; reproductions are paid.		Not statedFree, some paidNot statedBy name and browseDutch, English
FamilySearch, Dutch collectionsCivil records, parish registers, population registers, notarial recordsNot statedFreeYes, freeBy name and browseNot stated
OorlogsgravenstichtingMilitary records
180,000 registered Dutch war victims, with grave locations.		Not statedNot statedNot statedBy nameDutch

Last checked: 3 October 2026.

Groningen

SourceWhat is onlinePeriodCostAccountSearchSite language
AlleGroningers (Groninger Archieven)Civil records, parish registers, population registers, estate records, emigration records
Births to 1919, marriages to 1945, deaths to 1969; population register scans 1850 to 1900 for most municipalities.		Parish registers to 1811; civil records 1811 to 1969Not statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch

Last checked: 3 October 2026.

Friesland

SourceWhat is onlinePeriodCostAccountSearchSite language
AlleFriezen (Tresoar and Frisian archives)Civil records, population registers, parish registers, notarial records, emigration records
No login needed and downloading a record is free. Parish register scans are on FamilySearch, linked from the site.		16th century to the early 1960sFreeNoBy nameDutch, Frisian, English

Last checked: 3 October 2026.

Drenthe

SourceWhat is onlinePeriodCostAccountSearchSite language
Drents ArchiefCivil records, parish registers, population registers, notarial records, estate records, tax and land records
Also the registers of the Veenhuizen colonies (Maatschappij van Weldadigheid), 1822 to 1865. All public notarial deeds are digital, not all indexed.		Civil records from 1811; estate records 1806 to 1928Not statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch

Last checked: 3 October 2026.

Overijssel

SourceWhat is onlinePeriodCostAccountSearchSite language
Collectie OverijsselCivil records, population registers, parish registers, notarial records, estate records, military records
Most parish registers are not yet searchable by name, except Zwolle. Population registers 1920 to 1940 only in the reading rooms.		Civil records from 1811; population registers to 1920 onlineNot statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch

Last checked: 3 October 2026.

Flevoland

SourceWhat is onlinePeriodCostAccountSearchSite language
Het Flevolands ArchiefCivil records, parish registers
For Urk, Schokland and the polders. Flevoland has been a province only since 1 January 1986, so older ancestors are usually in the archives of the old Zuiderzee towns.		1688 to 1964FreeNot statedBy nameDutch

Last checked: 3 October 2026.

Gelderland

SourceWhat is onlinePeriodCostAccountSearchSite language
Gelders ArchiefCivil records, parish registers, population registers, notarial records, estate records, court records
Public civil records that are not yet online are scanned for you free of charge.		Parish registers about 1500 to 1811; civil records from 1811FreeNot statedBy name and browseDutch, English
Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en LiemersCivil records, parish registers, population registers, memorial cards, newspapers
Civil and parish registers as scans to browse; population registers searchable by name.		Civil records from 1811; population registers from 1850FreeNoBy name and browseDutch
Regionaal Archief NijmegenParish registers, population registers, notarial records, military records, court recordsParish registers 1592 to 1833; population registers 1820 to 1910Not statedNot statedBy nameDutch, English
Erfgoedcentrum ZutphenPopulation registers, notarial records, military recordsNot statedNot statedNot statedBy nameDutch, English

Last checked: 3 October 2026.

Utrecht

SourceWhat is onlinePeriodCostAccountSearchSite language
Het Utrechts ArchiefCivil records, parish registers, population registers, notarial records, military records, estate records
Most digitised items can be downloaded and reused for free. City of Utrecht notarial deeds with scans from the 16th century to 1811.		1579 to 1960FreeNot statedBy name and browseDutch
Archief Eemland (Amersfoort)Civil records, population registers
Many of its records are also on WieWasWie, as the archive itself states.		Civil records from 1811; population registers from 1850Not statedNot statedBy nameDutch

Last checked: 3 October 2026.

North Holland

SourceWhat is onlinePeriodCostAccountSearchSite language
Noord-Hollands ArchiefCivil records, population registers
Many of its records are also on WieWasWie, as the archive itself states.		Births 1811 to 1922, marriages to 1942, deaths to 1970Not statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch, English
Stadsarchief AmsterdamParish registers, population registers, notarial records, military records, estate records
Name indexes such as marriage banns 1565 to 1811, population registers 1851 to 1893, family cards 1893 to 1939 and notarial records 1578 to 1915.		1531 to 1989Not statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch
Westfries Archief (Hoorn)Parish registers, population registers, civil records, notarial recordsNot statedNot statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch
Regionaal Archief AlkmaarPopulation registers, civil records, parish registers, notarial records, court recordsNot statedFree, some paidNot statedBy name and browseDutch

Last checked: 3 October 2026.

South Holland

The Nationaal Archief in The Hague (see the national table) also keeps South Holland's parish registers before 1811 and its notarial records.

SourceWhat is onlinePeriodCostAccountSearchSite language
Haags GemeentearchiefCivil records, parish registers, population registers, notarial records1538 to 1939FreeNot statedBy name and browseDutch
Stadsarchief RotterdamParish registers, civil records, population registers, military records, emigration recordsParish registers 1573 to 1811; population register 1850 to 1940FreeNoBy name and browseDutch, English
Erfgoed Leiden en OmstrekenParish registers, civil records, population registers, military records, notarial recordsNot statedNot statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch
Regionaal Archief DordrechtCivil records, parish registers, notarial records, population registers, court recordsParish registers to 1811; notarial from 1600Not statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch
Streekarchief Midden-Holland (Gouda)Civil records, population registers, parish registersNot statedNot statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch

Last checked: 3 October 2026.

Zeeland

SourceWhat is onlinePeriodCostAccountSearchSite language
Zeeuws Archief, Zeeuwen GezochtCivil records, parish registers, population registers, notarial records
11,201,197 person records on 1 January 2024, with scans of all public Zeeland civil records.		Parish registers 1574 to 1810; civil records from 1796 in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, 1811 elsewhereNot statedNot statedBy nameDutch, English

Last checked: 3 October 2026.

North Brabant

SourceWhat is onlinePeriodCostAccountSearchSite language
BHIC (Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum)Civil records, population registers, parish registers, military records, notarial records, court records
Also militia registers of northeast Brabant 1814 to 1942. The archive says most of its records are also on WieWasWie and Open Archieven, which have English interfaces.		Not statedFreeNot statedBy name and browseDutch
Regionaal Archief TilburgParish registers, civil records, population registers, notarial records, court recordsParish registers about 1600 to 1811; civil records 1811 to 1974Not statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch
Erfgoed 's-HertogenboschCivil records, parish registersNot statedNot statedNot statedBy nameDutch
West-Brabants ArchiefCivil records, population registers, parish registers, notarial recordsNot statedNot statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch
Regionaal Historisch Centrum EindhovenCivil records, population registers, parish registers, notarial records, court recordsNot statedNot statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch
Stadsarchief BredaCivil records, population registers, parish registers, notarial recordsCivil records from 1811; population registers 1850 to 1920Not statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch

Last checked: 3 October 2026.

Limburg

SourceWhat is onlinePeriodCostAccountSearchSite language
Historisch Centrum Limburg (formerly RHCL)Civil records, population registers, notarial records, memorial cards, court records, parish registers
Branches in Maastricht and Heerlen. All Limburg marriage records are on WieWasWie, the archive states.		Civil records from 1796 in the south, 1802 in the northNot statedNot statedBy name and browseDutch
Gemeentearchief VenloCivil records, population registers, memorial cards, newspapersCivil records from 1796Not statedNot statedBy nameDutch

Last checked: 3 October 2026.

Help with your search

The CBG (the Dutch Centre for Family History) and the regional archives help beginners get started, and most archives have a reading room with staff who can help. For a step-by-step guide, read starting a family tree in the Netherlands. If you are also searching in Belgium, see the overview of Belgian archives by province.

If your tree is already in a GEDCOM file, The Memory Palace's free viewer shows you in your browser how many generations it holds and where the gaps are, so you know which archive to search next.

Sources

Questions people ask

Where can I search for Dutch ancestors for free?

In WieWasWie, run by the CBG, with more than 252 million persons from over forty institutions, and in Open Archieven, with 367,727,267 person mentions from 200 archives. Searching both is free and registration is not required. If you cannot find someone, look on the regional archive's own site.

Do I have to pay for Dutch genealogy research?

Mostly not. The search sites and regional archives are largely free. Paid options include extra search features on WieWasWie (23.55 euros a year), the Open Archieven Plus subscription (18 euros a year), a day pass to CBG Verzamelingen (7.65 euros) and a personal record card from the CBG (4.65 euros per search).

Which records are public in the Netherlands?

Birth records after 100 years, marriage records after 75 years and death records after 50 years. After that the registers go to the archive and anyone may consult them.

When does Dutch civil registration begin?

In most of the country in 1811. In Zeeuws-Vlaanderen (Zeelandic Flanders) and South Limburg in 1796, and in North Limburg in 1802. Before that you search the churches' baptism, marriage and burial registers (DTB).

Where can I find Dutch population registers online?

At the regional archives. They are online at, among others, AlleGroningers, AlleFriezen, Collectie Overijssel (to 1920), Gelders Archief, Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (1851 to 1893) and Stadsarchief Rotterdam (1850 to 1940).

How do I get my grandfather's persoonskaart?

From the CBG. A persoonskaart (personal record card) covers people who died between 1939 and 1994, a persoonslijst (personal record) those who died from October 1994. A search costs 4.65 euros, even if nothing is found. If the death was less than twenty years ago, the addresses are left out.

Where do I find ancestors who served with the VOC or in the army?

At the Nationaal Archief: the index of VOC crew from 1699 to 1794 with scans, and military service records up to about 1950. Online scans are free to download. WieWasWie also has military sources such as militia registers.

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