Your BSN, DigiD and gemeente registration in Amsterdam
By Jannú Frutos
You've just landed in Amsterdam, or you're about to. Before you can be paid properly, take out health insurance or open a bank account, one stop comes first: registering with the gemeente, the municipality. That gets you a BSN, the personal number the whole country runs on. A few days later, it gets you DigiD, the login for nearly everything official. Here's how all three work, in the order they actually happen.
An honest note before we start. This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Offices, opening hours and document rules change, and your passport, permit and housing decide the details. Check the City of Amsterdam's own pages before you go. Where something can vary, we say so. If you're still planning the move as a whole, our guide to moving to Amsterdam covers permits, housing and tax.
The short version
- Staying more than four months? Register at a City Office within five days of arriving. In Amsterdam you can walk in, except in Weesp.
- Staying less than four months? Register as a non-resident in the RNI, by appointment. Amsterdam's RNI desks only take European passports and ID cards.
- Bring proof of address. A rental contract that has already started, a purchase deed, or a consent form from the person who's lived there longest.
- Bring your certificates. Your original birth certificate and any marriage or divorce papers, translated and legalised where needed.
- Registration gets you a BSN. You need it to be paid at the normal tax rate, to get health insurance and to open a bank account.
- DigiD comes next. Apply online once you're registered. The activation letter comes by post.
- The address is the hard part. If a landlord won't let you register, everything else stalls.
The words you'll keep hearing
- Gemeente: the municipality. In Amsterdam you deal with it at a City Office (stadsloket).
- BRP (Basisregistratie Personen): the Personal Records Database, the national register of who lives where.
- BSN (burgerservicenummer): your citizen service number. It's yours for life, even if you leave and come back.
- RNI (Registratie Niet-Ingezetenen): the Registry for Non-Residents, for people living abroad or staying less than four months. It gives you a BSN too.
- DigiD: your digital identity, the login for government websites, your insurer and more.
- Toeslagen: allowances from the tax office's benefits service, for things like health insurance, rent and childcare.
- Huisarts: your family doctor, or GP.
Who has to register, and by when
If you're moving to Amsterdam from abroad for more than four months, you must register with the City. You do it in person, within five days of arriving. That includes EU, EEA and Swiss citizens. Your partner and children register too, and the City says they must come with you to the City Office. Nobody can register in your place.
The legal test is about what you reasonably expect. The Dutch government has explained that the law requires registration if you'll spend at least two thirds of the next six months here. That's four months out of six.
One condition people overlook: you have to be here legally and actually live at an address in the municipality. You register where you sleep, not at your office or a friend's flat.
Staying less than four months: the RNI route
On a short stay you can't register as a resident. You can still get a BSN by registering in the RNI as a non-resident, which you'll need to work, study or see a doctor. There are 19 municipalities with an RNI desk, and Amsterdam is one of them:
- Who can use the Amsterdam desks: people with a European passport or ID card. Nationally, that means Dutch, EU, Norwegian, Icelandic, Liechtenstein and Swiss citizens. Everyone else can only register at the RNI desks in Breda or Venlo.
- Where: RNI Desk Zuidoost (Anton de Komplein 150) or RNI Desk West (Bos en Lommerplein 176).
- How: book an appointment on the City's RNI page, and fill in the online RNI form first. You'll get a QR code to bring along.
- What to bring: the QR code and a valid passport or ID card, or all your passports if you have more than one nationality. A parent registering a child under 16 also brings the child's ID and birth certificate.
- Cost and timing: it's free, and the City says you get your BSN immediately.
If a short stay turns into a longer one, register as a resident at the address where you live. Your BSN stays the same.
What to bring when you register as a resident
This is where most return trips come from. Here's the City of Amsterdam's list for first-time registration.
Proof of identity
- EU, EEA or Swiss citizens: a valid passport or identity card.
- Everyone else: a valid passport and a valid residence permit for a longer stay. If your permit isn't issued yet, ask the City Office (or IN Amsterdam, below) what they'll accept before you go.
- More than one nationality: bring all your passports.
Proof of your address
- If you rent: a copy of your full, valid rental contract (huurcontract). The City's Dutch page adds that the contract must already have started. A lease that begins next month won't do yet.
- If you live with someone: an original consent form (toestemmingsverklaring), signed by whoever has been registered at the address longest, plus a copy of their ID. The form is on amsterdam.nl.
- If you bought your home: the original proof of purchase (koopcontract).
Your certificates
Bring your original birth certificate, plus any marriage, divorce or adoption certificates. Students follow a shorter list: ID, proof of address, and a student card or proof of enrolment from a Dutch university or college.
Certificates must be in Dutch, English, French or German. If not, you need a translation by a sworn translator (beëdigd vertaler). Some also need legalising, which proves to the Dutch authorities that the document is genuine.
Getting your documents ready before you fly
Start this at home. It's slow, and it usually has to happen in the country that issued the document:
- From another EU country: under the EU's rules on public documents, it doesn't need legalising. It may still need a sworn translation.
- From a country in the Apostille Convention: an authority there adds an apostille, a stamp or sticker that does the whole job. The United States is one. A US birth certificate needs an apostille, but because it's in English, no translation.
- From anywhere else: it's usually two steps. Your country's foreign ministry checks the document, then the Dutch embassy or consulate there legalises it.
The government's legalisation page on netherlandsworldwide.nl shows the exact steps for your country. Allow weeks, not days.
Missed something? You can hand in foreign documents at a City Office later, by appointment, and registering them is free. IN Amsterdam says it will register you without a missing birth or marriage certificate, as long as you bring it afterwards. Just don't let it slide.
How registration works in Amsterdam
The City's own registration page is clear: you visit a City Office in person, and you don't need an appointment. Weesp is the exception, where you book one. When we checked, registration ran on weekday daytimes, with a late opening on Thursdays. Check the current hours and addresses on amsterdam.nl before you set off.
A heads-up: pages written for the whole country, and I amsterdam's registration page, say you need an appointment. The City's own registration page says you don't, so that's what we go by. If in doubt, call the City on 14 020, or +31 20 624 1111 from abroad.
The IN Amsterdam option
IN Amsterdam is the City's office for international newcomers. It can combine your registration with your residence permit procedure. It's open to highly skilled migrants (including researchers), people on a startup, orientation year or intra-corporate transferee permit, and EU citizens working for a company the IND, the immigration service, recognises as a sponsor.
You or your employer need an address in Amsterdam or a partner municipality: Amstelveen, Almere, Diemen, Haarlem, Haarlemmermeer, Hilversum or Velsen. You fill in the online form on iamsterdam.com, then call to fix a date. Relocation agents, immigration lawyers and employers can book for their clients. Service fees may apply, and you can't pay in cash.
Your BSN: what it is and when you get it
Your BSN is the personal number you're registered under in the BRP. You get it once you're registered, and it never changes, even if you leave for years and come back.
At the RNI desk you get it on the spot. For resident registration, ask at the desk when your number will be ready and how it will reach you. Then write it down somewhere safe, because you'll be typing it into forms for weeks.
- Your foreign passport won't show it. Dutch passports and ID cards have the BSN printed on them. Yours won't, so banks and others may ask for proof.
- A BRP extract is that proof. It's an official statement that you're registered in Amsterdam. At a City Office you get one on the spot, without an appointment. Online, it takes about a week. When we checked, it cost €25.40.
- Treat it like your passport number. Give it to your employer, bank, insurer, doctor and government bodies. Be wary of anyone else who asks.
The address problem, and what to do about it
Here's the honest part. In Amsterdam, the paperwork is rarely what goes wrong. The address is. Some landlords rent rooms or flats on condition that you don't register there. Sometimes the person renting it out isn't allowed to sublet. Sometimes it's about money, since the City uses the register to work out some charges, like waste and water. Either way, no registration means no BSN, and without a BSN almost nothing else works.
What the rules say
Registering where you live is a legal duty, and it sits with you. When parliament asked about this, the government answered that registration doesn't depend on the consent of whoever is already registered at the address. What decides it is where you actually live. The City can also correct the register to match the facts, even without anyone's cooperation.
That doesn't make it easy in practice. The City still asks for proof of address: a rental contract, a purchase deed or the consent form. If your landlord refuses all three, you're stuck explaining your situation at the desk.
What to do
- Ask before you pay. Before you send any deposit, ask in writing: "Can I register at this address?" A vague answer is an answer.
- Treat a no-registration clause as a red flag. It can cost you your BSN, your insurance and your allowances.
- Line up the paperwork. A written contract that starts on or before your arrival, or a signed consent form plus a copy of the main resident's ID.
- Already stuck? Call 14 020 or go to a City Office, explain where you actually live, and ask what proof they'll accept.
- Get free advice. On its page about problems with landlords, the City points tenants to a free tenant advice service that gives practical help.
Don't fix it the wrong way. Registering at a friend's address where you don't live is an incorrect registration. The City checks: it sends letters, asks for documents and sometimes visits. When we checked, an incorrect registration could bring a fine of €325. It can also cost you allowances, and block you from getting a passport, ID card or driving licence.
A postal address (briefadres) exists for specific situations, such as bridging a short gap between two homes, and the City decides who qualifies. It isn't a general workaround for a landlord who says no.
Still flat-hunting? Rent is likely to be your biggest monthly cost, and our guide to what it really costs to live in Amsterdam helps you budget for it.
What your BSN opens up
The City sums it up: you need a BSN to work, open a bank account, take out health insurance and apply for benefits.
Being paid at the normal tax rate
Your employer needs your BSN to run payroll. Without it, the tax office's rules say they may have to withhold tax at the anonymous rate (anoniementarief), which is 52%. There's an exception if the missing BSN is outside your control and theirs, like a delay at the municipality, and the employer can prove it. Don't count on it. Send HR your number the day you get it.
Health insurance
Dutch basic health insurance is compulsory once you live or work here, and you have four months to take it out. Insurers ask for your BSN. Waiting doesn't save you money, because a policy taken out within the four months normally runs back to when the obligation started, premium included. Our guide to choosing a Dutch zorgverzekering explains the options.
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A bank account
The government says that if you pay tax in the Netherlands, you need a BSN to open a bank account, because banks report account details to the tax office. Since your foreign passport won't show it, the bank may ask for a BRP extract.
A huisarts
Registering with a GP isn't compulsory, but the government recommends it so you can get care when you need it. Care providers are required to record your BSN, so have it ready when you sign up.
Toeslagen
Depending on your income, you might qualify for healthcare allowance, rent allowance, childcare allowance or the child budget. You apply through Mijn toeslagen, which needs a DigiD and is only in Dutch. An incorrect registration can stop these payments.
DigiD, the login for everything official
DigiD is how you prove who you are online, for the tax office, your allowances, your insurer, your pension and the gemeente. Even reporting a move to a new flat is easiest with it.
According to DigiD, you need three things to apply: your BSN, an address you're registered at with a Dutch municipality, and a mobile phone. You apply on digid.nl or in the DigiD app, and choose a username and password. Keep both, because you'll need them to activate.
The activation letter
DigiD then posts an activation code to your address in the BRP. It says the letter arrives within five working days at most, and often sooner. You then have 21 days to activate, or you start again. Two traps:
- You just moved. If you were still registered at your old address when you applied, the letter goes there.
- The letter doesn't arrive. Post gets delayed. Wait the five working days, then request a new code. You can only do that once.
The DigiD app
The app is the easiest way to log in, with a PIN instead of a password. One catch for newcomers: its ID check only works with a Dutch passport, ID card or driving licence, not a foreign passport or residence permit card. You can still activate the app with an SMS code. Some organisations want the ID check before you can see sensitive data, such as health records.
Your DigiD is personal, so you can't apply for your partner, though there's a separate authorisation system for helping someone else. And nobody legitimate will ask for your DigiD password by phone, post or email. If someone does, it's a scam.
Your first week, in order
- Before you fly. Get your certificates legalised and translated where needed. Line up a rental contract that starts on or before your arrival, or a signed consent form.
- Before you fly, if your employer is a recognised sponsor. Ask HR whether they'll book you into IN Amsterdam alongside your permit.
- Days one to five. Register at a City Office, with everyone in your family. Staying less than four months? Book the RNI instead.
- As soon as you have your BSN. Send it to your employer.
- The same day. Apply for DigiD. The letter takes a few days, so start the clock early.
- Week one or two. Open a bank account. Pick up a BRP extract if your bank wants proof of your BSN.
- Weeks one to four. Take out Dutch basic health insurance. The deadline is four months, but there's no reason to wait.
- Once you're insured. Register with a huisarts near your home.
- Once your DigiD works. Check whether you qualify for toeslagen. If you were recruited from abroad, ask your employer about the 30% ruling, which has its own deadline.
When you move flats later, report the new address any time from a month before to five working days after the move, online with your DigiD.
Mistakes that cost newcomers weeks
- Signing a lease that bans registration.
- Bringing a contract that hasn't started yet.
- Leaving the apostille on your birth certificate until after the move.
- Registering at a friend's address where you don't live.
- Starting work without giving HR your BSN, and having tax withheld at the anonymous rate.
- Booking an RNI appointment in Amsterdam with a non-European passport. Those desks are in Breda and Venlo.
How Locallista helps
None of this is impossible on your own. But it lands in the same week as a new job, a flat hunt and a city you don't know yet. Many letters arrive in Dutch, and a missing apostille or a dodgy lease can cost you weeks.
We're a directory of English-speaking local service providers. Every business is screened before it's listed, reviews are phone-verified, and the ranking reflects real expat experience, not who paid the most. It's free to browse and free to get in touch.
Our English-speaking relocation companies in Amsterdam can take on the first weeks with you, from appointments and documents to the flat search. If your case involves a residence permit or family members, talk to one of our English-speaking immigration lawyers in Amsterdam. And if you still need a home where you can actually register, our English-speaking real estate agents in Amsterdam can help.
Frequently asked questions
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