Dutch Genealogy Services

Testimonials

I’ve been very fortunate to avail myself of Yvette’s services, both genealogical and for a trip – and I can say, without reservation, it was truly the trip of a lifetime. Without Yvette, and without the proper prep work, it wouldn’t have been nearly as productive, or fun. We saw where my ancestors lived, worked, worshiped and were buried, even if the graves aren’t there now. I can’t recommend Yvette’s services highly enough.

Roberta Estes

I have read your report with great interest. You have not only answered all of my questions, but have provided additional information as well. Your research and documentation are very professional.

Jack Curtis

Yvette has done some research on my behalf and her work is superb. Her attention to detail and willingness to delve into facts is first-class. I was able to take a trip to Netherlands this year and photograph family residences going back many generations. A wonderful and clever young woman.

Rob Aalders

More testimonials

Certified Genealogist
APG member

Do you need help with finding your Dutch ancestors? Yvette Hoitink is a professional genealogist in the Netherlands who can help you with your research.

Yvette can provide the following services for you:

  • Online research in Dutch and international websites.
  • Ordering scans of records that are not online.
  • Transcribe, abstract or translate original documents
  • Analyze records for evidence and clues
  • Create research plans
  • Create research reports, including detailed source citations
  • Authoring or co-authoring of genealogical publications
  • Consultancy on how to break through those brick walls
  • Give virtual presentations in Dutch or English about topics such as Dutch genealogy, internet genealogy, emigration from the Netherlands in the 19th century or local history of the Achterhoek.

We do not provide the following services:

  • We do not do on-site research at archives for the time being.
  • We do not provide tour guide services for the time being.
  • We do not find your birth or marriage certificate.
  • We do not find living cousins.
  • We do not research living people.
  • We do not provide services for legal purposes, including citizenship applications.

Dutch privacy laws are strict. Researching living people requires a private investigator license, which Yvette Hoitink does not have. She specializes in tracing ancestors, not living people.

Three-step-plan to find your ancestors in the Netherlands

  1. Contact Yvette and describe what you know, how you know it and what you would like to know next.
  2. Yvette will then create a proposal, and will indicate what the first phase of the research could be. This proposal includes suggestions for the type of research that is needed to solve your problems and for the goals of the first phase. A quote will be given for the first phase, including a suggested authorization for the maximum number of hours to be spent on the first phase.
  3. Once you authorize to spend a maximum number of hours, you will be asked to pay a 25% retainer and Yvette will then schedule your project. At the end of the phase, you will receive a report with an explanation of the findings and scans and abstracts of any original records consulted during the research.

Example projects and budgets

Curious to see what a project could look like and what the budget would be? View five example projects.

Why hire a professional genealogist?

There are several reasons why you should consider hiring Yvette to help you with your Dutch roots:

  • Yvette holds the Certified Genealogist® credential, as the only one in the Netherlands, showing that the Board for Certification of Genealogists has judged that a portfolio of Yvette’s work meets standards.
  • Yvette has almost 30 years of experience in Dutch genealogy. She has done research in all the provinces, in all the major types of sources covering a time period from the late Middle ages until the present day.
  • Yvette has almost 30 years of experience in emigration research. She’s helped hundreds of people from all over the world find their immigrant ancestors and their families in the Netherlands.
  • Yvette knows how to use online sources very efficiently. She’s given lectures about internet genealogy since she was 18 years old and wrote a successful book on that topic.
    Using online information effectively will dramatically reduce  the hours needed to answer your questions. In some cases your question can be answered by online sources, otherwise online information can help to prepare a visit to the archives so those visits will be more productive.
  • Yvette is fluent in English and can help you to understand Dutch records and the stories found in them by providing translations and explanations.
  • Yvette is also fluent in Dutch (native speaker), German and French and knows basic Middle Dutch, Frisian, Low Saxon, Afrikaans, and Latin. Some or all of these languages may be necessary for your project, as records were created in different languages depending on the time and place.
  • Yvette is an experienced writer who has written two books about internet genealogy and online image banks, articles in Dutch and American magazines and journals including the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Association for Professional Genealogists Quarterly, and Gen, the quarterly magazine of the Central Bureau for Genealogy in the Netherlands.
  • Yvette is a Prince2-certified project manager who knows how to plan and organize her work and keep her clients informed about the progress.
  • Yvette is a member of several genealogical societies, including the Nederlandse Genealogische Vereniging (Dutch Genealogical Society) and the Central Bureau for Genealogy in the Netherlands, the Association for Professional Genealogists (APG) and the National Genealogical Society in the United States, and is a student member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists in the UK. This keeps her informed about advances in methodology and available records. She served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Professional Genealogists (2015-2016).
  • Yvette has high standards and works according to the Code of Ethics and Conduct of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, the code of ethics of the Association for Professional Genealogists, and the Professional Code of the Register of Qualified Genealogists.

Certified Genealogist is a registered trademark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, used under license by Board certificants who meet competency standards.