If you are moving to the Netherlands, the first question is not “How do I get a BSN?” but which BRP registration route applies to me? People who will live in the Netherlands for more than four months normally register as residents with the municipality where they actually live. People who live abroad or stay in the Netherlands for less than four months use the RNI non-resident route. In either route, registration gives or confirms your BSN.
Resident BRP, RNI or an existing BSN?
| Your situation | Normal route | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| You will live in the Netherlands for more than 4 months | Resident registration in the BRP through your municipality | Government.nl says to register within 5 days of arrival. |
| You live abroad or will stay in the Netherlands for less than 4 months | RNI, the non-resident section of the BRP | Use an eligible RNI desk or, in some cases, a Dutch public authority can register you. |
| You previously lived, worked or studied in the Netherlands | First check whether you already have a BSN | A BSN is issued once and remains valid and unchanged, including after moving abroad and returning. |
Resident registration: the 5-day rule
If you will live in the Netherlands for more than four months, register as a resident with the municipality where you live. Government.nl states that you should do this within 5 days after arriving in the Netherlands. If your partner and/or children moved with you, they must also come to the municipality for the first registration.
Registration is about your population record. It is separate from immigration permission. Non-EU nationals may need a residence permit or other proof of lawful residence, and a municipality can need extra time if identity or residence details require investigation.
What to bring
Exact appointment rules vary by municipality, so always check your municipality’s current first-registration page. Common items include:
- A valid passport or accepted identity document.
- Proof that you live at the address, such as a tenancy agreement, purchase contract or—where the municipality accepts it—a declaration from the main occupant.
- Your residence document or IND-related evidence where relevant to your immigration status.
- Original foreign civil-status documents that help the municipality record your birth, marriage/partnership, divorce, parentage or children correctly.
Do not assume every foreign certificate needs an apostille. Legalisation and translation requirements depend on the issuing country and document. Check the country-specific NetherlandsWorldwide legalisation guidance before spending money. Public documents from other EU countries benefit from EU rules that remove legalisation requirements for many document types; a multilingual standard form can sometimes avoid a separate translation.
Birth and marriage certificates: needed for the BSN?
Municipal practice distinguishes between being registered as a resident and having all civil-status details fully recorded. For example, The Hague tells first-time registrants to bring birth, marriage, divorce, adoption and related certificates if applicable, while also explaining that those certificates are not themselves required merely to start the registration. The municipality reviews acceptable documents and adds the verified civil-status information to the BRP.
If you do not have a normal home address
If you have no fixed residential address, the BRP has a separate briefadres (correspondence-address) route. This is not a P.O. box and is not a way to pretend you live somewhere else. The municipality assesses whether you qualify. See our dedicated briefadres guide.
If a landlord says “registration is not allowed”
Your BRP record is supposed to reflect where you actually live. A landlord’s rental conditions, occupancy rules and municipal housing rules are separate questions. Do not solve a housing problem by deliberately registering at a false address: incorrect address registration can trigger an address investigation and can affect taxes, benefits and official correspondence. If you cannot prove occupancy or the municipality questions the address, ask Burgerzaken what evidence they require and resolve the housing issue separately.
How long does a BSN take?
There is no single national processing time for every first resident registration. The municipality may be able to complete a straightforward registration quickly, while cases involving foreign documents, residence checks or identity questions can take longer. Do not book critical deadlines around an assumed same-day BSN unless your municipality explicitly confirms that for your case.
Your BSN is not a permit
A BSN is a unique administrative number used by government and authorised organisations. It does not prove a right to live or work in the Netherlands. Those rights come from Dutch/EU immigration and employment law.
Check your record after registration
- Check your name, date/place of birth, nationality and address.
- Check that partner/child/civil-status data has been recorded correctly once your documents are processed.
- If something is wrong, ask your municipality to correct the BRP and bring documentary evidence.
- Keep the same BSN if you later move abroad or return to the Netherlands.
- After the BRP/BSN foundation is correct, arrange DigiD and MijnOverheid.