Moving from abroad to the Netherlands

Are you coming to the Netherlands from abroad and are you going to live in our country for at least four months in the next six months? Then you must register with the municipality where you live. If you are moving to Heerlen from abroad, you must come in person to give your new address.

Call 045-5605040

Note

The Netherlands wants to receive refugees from Ukraine generously. Therefore, different rules apply to them. Read the rules for these refugees on RvIG.nl.

Approach

This is how you register for the first time in the Netherlands:

Always make an appointment by phone before coming to the municipality in person.
Take away:
- Your valid ID (showing your nationality)
- proof that you have housing, such as a lease or proof of ownership
- if you were not born in the Netherlands: your birth certificate
- if you are not a European national: proof that the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) has approved your stay
- if you are from Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, St. Eustatius or Saba: a notice of change of address
- possibly the following deeds:
  - a marriage or divorce certificate
  - A death certificate of your partner (as proof that the marriage was dissolved by death)
  - your children's birth certificates
- Do you have proof of deregistration from the previous country? If so, bring that with you as well.
All persons moving with you will also come with you personally.

The documents are in Dutch, English, German or French? Or do you not have a multilingual model form? Then you must have them translated.

Is the translator sworn in in the Netherlands? Then you do not need to have the translation legalized.

Is the translator sworn in abroad? Then you must have the legalized original document legalized again in the Netherlands.

Learn more at Nederlandwereldwijd.nl.

Description

When you move to the Netherlands for the first time, you must register in the Basic Registration of Persons (BRP). You register with the municipality in which you are going to live. We call this a 'first registration'. This is how you get a citizen service number (BSN). You will need this BSN, for example, if you want to work in the Netherlands. Or if you want to open a bank account in the Netherlands.

Have you lived in the Netherlands before, but moved abroad before October 1994? Then you must also do a "first registration.

Terms

Previously registered in the BRP (resettlement).

You can register as:

you will be staying in the Netherlands for at least 4 months in the next six months
we can establish your identity
every person of 18 years and older must provide proof of marital status, issued by the authority (municipality of registration) of that country from which you depart for the Netherlands

Not previously registered in the BRP (first registration).

You can register as:

all persons moving with you personally attend the appointment (this is mandatory)
you have Dutch nationality, or if you are a foreign national and have a residence permit for a definite or indefinite period of time
there is a reasonable expectation that you will remain in the Netherlands for at least 4 months during six months
we can establish your identity

You bring:

A valid proof of identity (passport, Dutch identity card, residence permit)
A rental or purchase contract for your property
in the case of live-in: a written statement of consent from the primary resident and a copy of his or her identification card

You can show the following original documents later:

an international birth certificate
if applicable: a marriage certificate
if applicable: a divorce or death certificate from the spouse
If applicable: birth certificate(s) of your child(ren)
If applicable: (an) adoption or recognition certificate(s) of your child(ren)

The municipality must be able to read foreign deeds and establish authenticity. So you must show legalized documents. Of deeds that are not in Dutch, English, French or German, we ask for an official translation.

People settling in Heerlen from Curaçao, Bonaire, Sint Maarten, Saba, Sint Eustatius or Aruba must show a deregistration certificate.