As a guideline: 10 to 25 euros for colleagues and acquaintances, 20 to 40 euros for friends, 40 to 75 euros for close family or a group gift. Give something practical or lasting, message ahead to ask when a visit suits, keep the visit short and consider bringing a little something for the parents too.
What to remember
- Guide amounts: colleague 10 to 25 euros, friend 20 to 40 euros, family 40 euros or more.
- Always message first: the first weeks are for recovery, not a packed visiting schedule.
- Keep the visit to about an hour, and help out rather than expecting to be hosted.
- Cannot make it? Sending a gift or visiting later is completely normal.
How much do you spend, per relationship?
There is no rule, but there is a familiar pattern. These amounts are customary in the Netherlands and keep you comfortably in range, neither too high nor too low:
- Colleague or acquaintance: 10 to 25 euros, often pooled into a group gift.
- Good friend: 20 to 40 euros, and here a personal touch makes the difference.
- Sibling or grandparents: 40 to 75 euros or one bigger lasting gift.
- Group gift with a team or friend group: 5 to 10 euros per person works fine.
What do you give within each budget?
Under 20 euros you are safe with daily-use items with a premium touch: a dummy case for on the go, beautiful muslin cloths or a bath thermometer. Things parents reach for every day but rarely pick out nicely themselves.
Between 20 and 40 euros it gets fun: a grooming set, a soft blanket or a head-protection cushion for the months when sitting practice starts. Above that, choose one lasting piece, such as a night light that serves for years, or bundle several small items into one themed gift.
What are the unwritten rules of the Dutch maternity visit?
In the Netherlands the first weeks at home, the kraamtijd, are treated as a protected time of recovery and settling in. Visits are expected to announce themselves, leave on time and bring more than they take. So message first, offer to bring something and ask if you can help with anything.
Wash your hands before holding the baby and stay home if you have a cold or feel ill; a newborn has little resistance yet. And the classic advice remains gold: admire the baby, but also ask how the mother is doing.
- Announce your visit and be flexible if the timing suddenly does not suit.
- Stay around an hour, shorter if the baby or mother needs rest.
- Bring something for the parents: in the Netherlands, rusk with aniseed sprinkles (beschuit met muisjes) is the classic treat.
- Make your own coffee instead of waiting to be served.
What do you give from the workplace, and to whom?
For a birth in the team, a joint gift from colleagues is the most common route. Remember: the partner returning to work after paternity leave deserves the congratulations too, not just the parent on maternity leave.
A card signed by the whole team has surprising impact. Add a group gift picked from the family's own wish list and you cannot go wrong.
What do you do if you cannot visit?
Distance, illness or simply a very full first week: there are plenty of reasons a visit does not happen. A parcel with a handwritten card works beautifully instead. Feel free to send it a few weeks later; the first rush is over by then and your gift gets extra attention.
Digital warmth is welcome too: reply properly to the birth announcement, send a voice message instead of a thumbs-up, and plan a visit for later, when the family is ready for it.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do you give for a birth?
Giving cash is less common for a birth than for a wedding. If you do, the gift amounts are a good guide: 10 to 25 euros as an acquaintance, more the closer you are. A gift card with a small tangible present feels more personal.
Should you bring something to a maternity visit?
It is not required, but arriving empty-handed feels awkward to most visitors. A small gift for the baby or a treat for the parents is enough. The bigger gift can follow later.
How long do you stay at a maternity visit?
About an hour is a good guideline. Watch for signals: a feed, a crying baby or a tired mother are natural moments to head out.
What is beschuit met muisjes exactly?
It is the Dutch birth treat: rusk topped with sugared aniseed sprinkles, pink and white for a girl, blue and white for a boy. The family treats visitors, and at work the new parent usually brings it in for colleagues.
Do you give the same amount for a second child?
The amount can stay the same, but the type shifts. The gear is usually there already, so choose something personalised with the name, something for the parents, or a little gift that pleases the older sibling as well.
When do you send a newborn gift if you live far away?
Within the first six weeks is customary, but later is fine too. Many parents especially appreciate a surprise after two months, once the stream of cards and gifts has dried up.
Sources and review
This guide uses the Dutch first-weeks and maternity visit guidance from Stichting Opvoeden and the leave rules published by the Dutch government. Guide amounts reflect common practice, not rules. Last content review: 16 July 2026.
