Registration

© Edwin van Wanrooij

You need to register with the relevant municipality (gemeente) if you plan to live or work in the Netherlands. Municipalities record the personal data of their residents, including marriage status, the birth of a child, or change of address in the Personal Records Database (BRP). When relocating from abroad and registering for the first time, you will receive your citizen service number (burgerservicenummer – BSN). Please note that there are two types of possible municipal registration, depending on the length of your stay. We are here to guide you through the process.

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Staying for longer than four months

Everyone who lives in the Netherlands for longer than four months needs to register with the relevant municipality. If you want to stay in the Netherlands for more than four months in the next half year, you need to make an appointment for your registration with the municipality within five days of your arrival. If you have a partner and/or child(ren) who also need to be registered, they must come with you to the appointment.

How to register
If you plan to live in Utrecht, you can register through the International Welcome Centre. Click the link below to obtain information about registering with the Municipality of Utrecht.

Register in Utrecht

If you are moving to another city or town in Utrecht Region, contact your local municipality to make an appointment.

Staying for four months or less

If you are staying in the Netherlands for less than four months, you are not required to officially register as a resident. However, if you plan to work, study or access services like healthcare, you require a citizen service number (BSN). You receive your BSN when you register for a short stay in the Netherlands and are entered in the Registry for Non-Residents (Registratie Niet Ingezetenen, RNI).

How to register
You can register for short stay in 19 municipalities in the Netherlands and can choose with which municipality you want to register. If you want to register with the Municipality of Utrecht, you need to make an appointment. At the time of registration, you will be provided with a BSN.

Register in Utrecht

© Lotte Stierhout

Deregistration

When leaving the Netherlands, you must deregister with your municipality. This is important as the municipality needs to remove your personal details from the Personal Records Database (BRP) and inform other government authorities of your departure. If your partner and/or child(ren) leave the Netherlands, they also have to deregister. When moving abroad after living in Utrecht, you must inform the Municipality of Utrecht. If you live in another city or town, inform your local municipality of your departure.

Deregister