Registering with the municipality in the Netherlands
Do you intend to live in the Netherlands for more than 4 months? Then you must register in the Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen – BRP). You can do this at the municipality where you intend to live.
You must register in the BRP at the municipality where your intended address is located. There is no charge for this.
If you have no fixed address, you must register your postal address. For example, if you are a ship’s captain, or where the institution that you are in, such as a prison or psychiatric facility, is located.
Are you moving from one municipality to another municipality in the Netherlands? Then you must notify the new municipality of your change of address.
You must register with the municipality within 5 days of arriving in the Netherlands. You can do this at your municipality. Are your partner and/or children are coming with you to the Netherlands? They must come with you to the municipality.
Once you register in the BRP, you will receive a citizen service number (Burgerservicenummer – BSN). You will need this number for any contact with the Government of the Netherlands, such as when managing your taxes.
Exceptions
In some situations you can register later or in a different way:
- You are going to be living in the Netherlands for less than 4 months. Then you can register in the BRP as a non-resident. For this you can use an address outside the Netherlands. You will still receive a BSN.
- You do not have valid residence status, and to be allowed to stay in the Netherlands, you need a residence permit (verblijfsvergunning). If you are waiting for your residence permit to arrive, you do not have to register within 5 days.
- You are unable to prove your identity. This may require additional investigation. Registering with the municipality can then wait until the outcome of this investigation. After that, you will have to register.
This is how it works for you
Here is some information from your municipality.
Registering with the municipality in the Netherlands
If you come to live in the Netherlands, you must register with a municipality. This also applies if you are going to stay in the Netherlands for at least 4 months in a 6-month period. Have you not lived in the Netherlands before? In that case, you will have to do a 'first registration'. If you have lived in the Netherlands before, but emigrated before October 1994, you will also have to do a 'first registration'.
Do you live in the Netherlands for less than 4 months or not at all? Then you can register as a non-resident in the BRP (also known as RNI, the registration of non-residents). You will then be assigned a BSN. In most cases, you will need this number to contact the government.
If you were deregistered after 1 October 1994, you will have to register again. You can read more about this in the related product 'New registration in the Netherlands' at the bottom of this page.
The conditions for a first registration in the Netherlands are:
you have:
- Dutch nationality, or
- a passport from an EU/EEA country, or
- a temporary or permanent residence permit
- You will be living in the Netherlands for more than 4 months
This also applies to children born in the Netherlands who meet the residence criteria, but both parents are not registered with the municipality.
You do the registration in person at the municipality. All persons (including children) being registered must be present in person. To do this, you can only make an appointment at the Stadswinkel by telephone on 14 0492 (do not place an area code in front of the number).
To register for the first time, the municipality needs from you:
- a valid identity document, showing your nationality
- proof that you have accommodation, such as a rental contract, proof of ownership or a statement from the main occupant of the property
- a birth certificate, if you were born abroadin case of a foreign nationality from outside the European Union: a proof of lawful residence. You can request this from the IND
- if you come from Aruba, Curaçao, Sint-Maarten, Bonaire, Sint-Eustatius and Saba: a removal notification
possibly the following documents:
- a marriage or divorce certificate
- a death certificate (as proof that the marriage was dissolved by death)
- birth certificates of the children
Do you have proof of deregistration from the previous country? If so, bring that along as well.
Deeds from abroad often need to be legalised. This depends on your country of birth. More information can be found on the Rijksoverheid website.
Do you not have EU/EEA or Swiss nationality? Then you need a residence permit. This also applies to family members of people with EU/EEA or Swiss nationality who do not have this nationality themselves. During registration, you must show proof of your residence permit. You show a pass from the aliens office or a TEV declaration and an MVV sticker.
For more information about lawful residence and applying for a residence permit, please contact the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).
Registration is free of charge. You must pay the costs of translating or legalising official documents that you may need to take with you.
You must go to the municipality within 5 working days of your arrival in the Netherlands. If you do not comply with the declaration deadline, the municipality may impose a fine on you.
The municipality will process your registration within 4 weeks.
Questions about this topic?
Contact the Municipality of Helmond