What a BSN is and why you need it fast
The BSN is a unique personal number that every person in the Dutch population register gets automatically. Government bodies use it to find your details, and some private organisations must use it by law. In your first weeks you need it for:
- Your salary. Until your employer has your BSN, it must withhold payroll tax at the anonymous rate of 52%, without the general tax credit. That applies even if you have applied for a BSN and are still waiting. The employer may skip it when the delay is the municipality's fault, and can correct earlier withholding within the same calendar year once the number arrives. Check your salary at the normal rate with the salary calculator.
- Health insurance. Insurers and care providers must use your BSN, and the deadline for a Dutch basic policy runs from your arrival; see what it costs and when.
- A bank account. Banks ask for it, although many let you open an account first and add the BSN later. Compare the terms in our bank account guide. Until then, an account with Wise can hold euros and pay a first rent or deposit.
- DigiD, the login for every government website, tax return and benefit.
Route 1: register at your gemeente (staying 4+ months)
If you expect to live here for at least two thirds of the next six months, the law requires you to report in person to the municipality where you live, no later than the fifth day after you arrive. You are then entered in the BRP (basisregistratie personen, personal records database) and given a BSN.
Book the appointment as soon as you have an address. Bring:
- a valid passport or ID card (a driving licence is not accepted);
- for non-EU citizens, proof of lawful residence: your residence permit, the residence sticker or MVV in your passport, or the IND letter inviting you to collect your permit;
- proof that you live at the address, such as your rental contract, or written consent from the main occupant if you rent a room or stay with someone;
- your birth certificate, and any marriage, divorce or adoption certificates, for everyone registering. Everyone in the family has to come in person.
Foreign certificates may need legalisation, which confirms the signature and stamp are genuine. Documents issued in another EU country do not need it. Countries in the Apostille Convention add an apostille, and other countries have their own legalisation process. Arrange this before you fly, because it is done in the country that issued the document. Ask your gemeente whether you also need a sworn translation.
After a BRP registration the BSN often comes by post. The Hague and Rotterdam say registration is normally processed within 4 weeks. Appointment availability varies, so do not panic about the 5-day rule: The Hague, for example, backdates your registration to the day you booked. More on the first weeks in moving to the Netherlands.
The faster route for highly skilled migrants
If you come as a highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) or researcher, or are their family member, use one of the 11 official expat centres. They handle your residence permit and municipal registration together, on a faster track. In The Hague this route is mandatory for these groups.
- IN Amsterdam
- Rotterdam International Center
- The Hague International Centre
- Utrecht International Center
- Holland Expat Center South (Eindhoven, Tilburg, Breda)
- Leiden International Centre
- International Welcome Center North (Groningen)
- Expat Centre Maastricht Region, Expat Center East Netherlands (Hengelo), Welcome Center Food Valley (Wageningen), Expat Center Zeeland (Terneuzen)
Often your employer books it. Private companies that call themselves an "Expatcenter" cannot register you or issue a BSN.
Route 2: RNI registration (staying under 4 months)
The RNI (registratie niet-ingezetenen, non-residents records database) is for people who live abroad or stay less than 4 months. You need only a valid passport or ID card, no Dutch address, and you get your BSN and a confirmation letter at the desk. Fill in the online form first to get a QR code that speeds things up.
There are 19 RNI desks:
Alkmaar, Almelo, Amsterdam, Breda, Den Haag, Doetinchem, Eindhoven, Goes, Groningen, Heerlen, Leeuwarden, Leiden, Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Terneuzen, Utrecht, Venlo, Westland and Zwolle.
Dutch, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can choose any desk. Everyone else can only register in Breda or Venlo. Since 1 January 2026, The Hague and Utrecht also accept only European passports.
If you later move here for longer, register at your gemeente as in route 1. Your RNI registration ends automatically and you keep the same BSN.
No address yet?
Many newcomers sit in a short-stay flat or with friends while they hunt for a home. You have two options:
- RNI first, if you are eligible, to get a BSN for work and insurance now. Then register in the BRP once you have a home.
- A briefadres (postal address). The gemeente can register you at someone else's address if the main occupant or owner gives written consent. It is meant as a temporary solution, and The Hague, for example, rechecks it after about 6 months.
Not every landlord allows registration, so ask before you sign. Our housing guide covers what to check.
Where to find your BSN
- the letter from your gemeente or RNI desk
- your payslip and annual salary statement
- your Dutch health insurance card and policy
- letters from the Belastingdienst (tax office)
- MijnOverheid, under Identiteit, after logging in with DigiD
- a Dutch passport, ID card or driving licence, if you have one
Keep your BSN safe
A passport copy with your BSN on it is exactly what identity fraudsters want. Only organisations with a legal basis may use it. When a landlord or agency asks for a copy of your ID, use the free KopieID app from the Dutch government: it crosses out the BSN and photo and adds a watermark saying who the copy is for, why and when.