Register at the municipality in the Netherlands: BRP, BSN, 5-day rule

Registering at your municipality is the first official task after you move to the Netherlands. Until it is done you have no BSN (citizen service number), and most of what follows depends on one: your bank account, health insurance, salary, DigiD and your GP registration.

It is also an easy place to stumble. There is a short deadline of five days after arrival, a booking system that differs from city to city, and rules about documents issued abroad. When you read the municipal pages side by side, they do not all say the same thing.

This guide is built on pages we checked on 1 November 2026: government.nl, Rijksoverheid, the IND, the RvIG (the national identity data agency) and the websites of Utrecht, The Hague, Rotterdam and IN Amsterdam. Anything we could not confirm on an official page is not stated as fact.

The main sources behind this guide

• government.nl, "When should I register with the Personal Records Database as a resident?" (five days, four months, exceptions, family)
• IND, "Living in the Netherlands" (legalised and translated birth certificate; health insurance within four months)
• Gemeente Utrecht, Gemeente Den Haag, Gemeente Rotterdam and IN Amsterdam registration pages
• RvIG, "Registratie Niet-Ingezetenen (RNI)", and Netherlands Worldwide on apostilles

1. What the BRP and the BSN are

The two terms are often mixed up. They are different things, but one visit gives you both.

The BRP

BRP stands for Basisregistratie Personen (the Personal Records Database). It is the national register in which municipalities record who lives where. government.nl says anyone who will live in the Netherlands for more than four months has to register in it as a resident.

The BSN

The BSN is the burgerservicenummer (citizen service number). government.nl says you are given it when you register, and that you need it for things like healthcare and taxes. The IN Amsterdam page adds that you need a BSN to work, open a bank account, take out health insurance or apply for benefits.

Your BSN does not change once it is issued, and you do not apply for it on its own.

In this guide, "registration" means the visit to the municipality, and "BSN" means the number it produces.

2. The four-month line: BRP or RNI

What you do depends on how long you will stay. government.nl says that if you will live here for more than four months you register as a resident. If you live abroad or stay for less than four months, you can register as a non-resident in the RNI.

The figure shows one boundary. Which side you are on depends on how long you plan to live here.

What the RNI does and does not give you

According to the RvIG, the RNI is mainly for people abroad who have a relationship with the Dutch government, and people staying less than four months can also register. If you need a BSN you do have to register, and you receive one afterwards. Registration in the RNI does not give you a right to reside or work.

The counters differ. The RvIG says people with a European passport can use 19 RNI counters, while people without one can, from January 2026, use two: Breda and Venlo.

If you plan to stay more than four months, go for the BRP from the start. The RNI is a short-stay tool, not a shortcut.

3. What the five days actually apply to

"Five days" is the best-known part, but municipalities word it differently.

government.nl says you register within five days of arriving. Utrecht tells people staying longer than four months to book within five days of arrival. The Hague's page does not mention the five days but says your registration can be backdated to the date you booked, if you booked after arriving.

Exceptions

government.nl says you cannot always register straight away. People waiting for a residence permit, or whose identity must be checked first, are not held to the five days.

The deadline bites at the second step, booking. The wait after the counter depends on the municipality.

After the counter you are waiting, and the four weeks assume your documents are complete.

4. How to book

Systems differ, but some things are common.

You book it yourself

The Hague says you must make the appointment yourself and someone else cannot do it for you. If your name, address or date of birth are incomplete or wrong, the appointment may be cancelled. You book online or by phone on 14070, or +31 70 353 30 00 from abroad. Utrecht takes bookings through an online tool or by phone.

Your family comes too

government.nl says a partner and children who move with you must come to the municipality. The Hague asks all family members who want to register to attend, including babies and young children. Utrecht asks you to say how many people are coming.

A booking made after arrival can set your registration date

According to The Hague, if you booked after you arrived to live in the Netherlands, your registration can be backdated to the booking date, even if the appointment is later. Bring a copy of the confirmation that clearly shows when you booked.

That is a cushion when the first free slot is far away. Book early and keep the confirmation.

Employees of recognised sponsors have another route

In The Hague, highly skilled migrants, recognised researchers and people with privileged status book through The Hague International Centre (THIC). THIC's page says it is for staff of IND-recognised sponsors and others living in The Hague, Delft, Rijswijk or Leidschendam-Voorburg, and that you must register within five days. You attend in person. Submitting certificates, biometrics and collecting a residence document are separate appointments.

The figure shows that who you are decides where you book. Your employer or your permit paperwork will tell you which applies.

5. Documents to bring

Requirements vary by city. This table lists what we could confirm on official pages.

The Hague says documents on birth, marriage, divorce or adoption are not required for registration, but the municipality will review them. The IND, however, says a legalised and translated birth certificate is necessary to register. Chapter 8 returns to that difference.

Bring originals

Utrecht asks for the original foreign documents of you and your children. You can skip this if officials have already seen them and nothing has changed. Ask whether copies are accepted before you rely on them.

Translations

Utrecht accepts only English, German and French documents without a translation by a certified translator. For other languages, plan for a certified translation. The Hague's page does not mention translations.

Proof of address

On the Amsterdam page you show a rental contract, proof of purchase or proof of permission to reside at the address. Because some cities ask for proof of address, it helps to have your housing settled before you book.

6. Apostilles and legalised documents

Documents issued abroad sometimes cannot be used as they are.

What an apostille is

Netherlands Worldwide describes an apostille as a stamp or sticker on a public document such as a birth certificate or diploma. For a foreign document, you ask the authorities in the country that issued it. In the Netherlands, an apostille is a sticker issued by a district court.

Netherlands Worldwide lists many countries that are party to the Apostille Convention. A document with an apostille can be used in all the member countries.

If you come from Japan

Japan is listed as a party to the convention. Japanese documents are apostilled in Japan, not in the Netherlands. We could not open the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs pages during this check, so we give no processing times or fees. We also could not confirm which Japanese records a Dutch municipality accepts in place of a birth certificate, so ask your municipality when you book.

The point is that the document part is the one you control. Decide your questions for the municipality before you start.

7. How the cities differ

The same registration is described differently by each city. This table lists what we could read on 1 November 2026, and says so where we could not.

A note on Amsterdam

The IN Amsterdam page, updated on 20 November 2025, says you register in person at a City Office and need to make an appointment in advance. The municipality's own site, amsterdam.nl, would not open for us during this check. Reports that some counters take walk-ins could not be confirmed on an official page, so we do not state them. Check amsterdam.nl or phone 14 020 for how registration works today.

Utrecht

Utrecht warns it may take four weeks before it registers your application in the BRP, which is when your BSN is issued.

The Hague

The Hague is distinctive for backdating to the booking date and for requiring everyone to attend. It is free, and a confirmation with your BSN comes by post.

Rotterdam

Rotterdam asks you to book an appointment to register in person in the city where you will live. The documents depend on your nationality and appear after you click through.

8. When sources disagree

You will find conflicting information. This table shows how we handled it.

Official pages first

Expat media show what the counter is like, which is useful. For deadlines and documents, the government and municipal pages come first. Where they disagree, we say so.

Watch the date

Counter arrangements change, as the RNI counters did in January 2026. Look for an update date on the page you are reading.

9. Until your BSN arrives

Registration can take up to four weeks to confirm. This table shows what stalls and what you can do.

What you can still do

You can sign a rental contract, settle your address, collect documents and research healthcare. Not everything waits for the letter.

What has to wait

DigiD follows the BSN. We cover how to get DigiD in a separate guide. For banking, our bank account guide explains how long you can open an account without a BSN.

Tell your employer and landlord

Give your employer your appointment date. Your landlord may need to cooperate, because the registration requires proof of address.

10. Compared with moving within another country

If you are used to registering a move in another country, expect some differences. They are conditions rather than a ranking.

The table is general. We do not describe any one country's rules in detail here.

The biggest difference for newcomers is documents issued abroad. Moving within a country needs no legalisation, but the Dutch registration may, so preparing before you leave helps. For the immigration side, see our residence permit guide.

11. Situations at a glance

Your situation decides the kind of registration and where you book. These are the common ones.

12. Step by step

Follow your own municipality's instructions where they differ.

1. As soon as you arrive, open your municipality's booking page. Hague-area sponsor staff check THIC
2. Enter your name, address and date of birth exactly, and the number of people coming
3. Save the confirmation. Keep a copy showing the booking date
4. Gather ID, permit, proof of address and civil-status documents
5. Ask whether your foreign documents need an apostille or translation
6. Go to the appointment with your family and the originals
7. Wait for the confirmation, which usually takes up to four weeks. It carries your BSN
8. Once it arrives, move on to your bank, employer and DigiD
9. Take out health insurance within four months of arriving (IND)

13. What not to do

14. Checklist

• I know whether I stay more than four months
• I read my municipality's booking instructions
• I booked with my name, address and date of birth entered exactly
• I saved the booking confirmation
• My ID and permit are valid
• I have proof of address
• I asked whether my documents need an apostille
• I asked whether they need translation
• My family will attend
• My employer knows my appointment date

15. Summary

• Register within five days if you will stay more than four months, at the municipality where you will live. It is free
• You get your BSN at registration. There is no separate application
• Most municipalities use appointments. Book on arrival and keep the confirmation
• Foreign documents may need an apostille or translation
• Three cities say processing usually takes up to four weeks. Tell your employer and bank in the meantime
• For stays under four months there is the RNI, with no right to reside or work
• Each city words it differently. Check amsterdam.nl or your own city's page for the current rules

Your permit type and household can change the answer. Ask your municipality or the IND about your own case. For housing and healthcare after registration, our GP registration guide is a good next step.

Sources we used

Government and public bodies

• When should I register with the Personal Records Database as a resident? — government.nl: five days, four months, exceptions, family
• Registering with the municipality in the Netherlands — Single Digital Gateway: free, BSN, RNI
• What do I need to arrange when I move to the Netherlands? — Rijksoverheid: what to arrange on arrival (in Dutch)
• Living in the Netherlands — IND: birth certificate; health insurance within four months
• Registratie Niet-Ingezetenen — RvIG: who can use the RNI, counters, January 2026 change
• Do I need an apostille? — Netherlands Worldwide: when documents need legalising
• What is an apostille? — Netherlands Worldwide: what an apostille is
• In which countries are apostilles valid? — Netherlands Worldwide: Japan listed among members

Municipalities and international centres

• Registering from abroad — Gemeente Utrecht: appointment, four weeks, originals, translations
• 1st BRP registration when coming from abroad with residence permit — Gemeente Den Haag: booking, documents, backdating
• Registration — Gemeente Rotterdam: appointment, usually within four weeks
• Registration — IN Amsterdam: Amsterdam registration (updated 20 November 2025)
• Municipal registration — The Hague International Centre: sponsor staff registration
• Make an appointment for registration — The Hague International Centre: booking, documents, separate appointments

Expat media (supporting)

• Registration in the Netherlands — IamExpat: counter experience; reports on when the BSN arrives (updated 24 December 2025)
• Registering for a BSN — ACCESS Netherlands: the BSN process

All checked on 1 November 2026. Rules and counter arrangements change, so confirm on your municipality's official page before you book.