Registering in a Dutch Municipality

You must be registered in the town hall of the municipality you reside in if you are staying in the Netherlands for more than 4 months. Your information must be registered in the Personal Records Database – BPR (Basisregistratie Personen). After that, you will obtain a Citizen Service Number – BSN (Burgerservicenummer).

Register within 5 days of arriving in the Netherlands

You are required to register within the first 5 days that you arrived to the Netherlands. If your partner or/ children are coming with you, they have to come to the town hall with you to register.

Exceptions to the five day ruling

  • You will only live in the Netherlands for less than 4 months. You can still get registered in the BPR as a non-resident. It is possible for you to use an address outside of the Netherlands. You will receive a BSN number.
  • If you do not have a valid residence status but you are waiting for your residence permit to arrive, you do not have to wait for five days.
  • You cannot prove your identity. While this is clarified by the Dutch government, you are not obliged to register. After the investigation is resolved, you must register.

Documents needed to register

Get in contact with your municipality to check which documents are necessary for you to register. The documents required vary from municipality to municipality.

In general, you need the following documents:

  • Your valid passport or ID card.
  • Your residence permit, if applicable (also valid: residence endorsement sticker or a letter from the IND).
  • Your rental contract, if applicable (if you are staying with the house owner, bring an authorization letter from them and a copy of their ID).
  • Certified copy of your birth certificate.
  • Your foreign marriage certificate, certificate of registered partnership or divorce (if applicable).

Town halls only accept official documents in Dutch, English, French or German. Are your documents in a different language? You may need to get an official translation for these.

Your municipality might require a proof of authenticity such as an apostille. You may need to obtain such proof before leaving your home country. In some cases, these legalisations can be made in your country’s embassy or consulate in the Netherlands.

Fees

There are no fees involved in registering with your municipality.