Staying longer than 4 months?
You are an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen
People staying longer than 4 months in the Netherlands who are an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen are required to register in the Municipal Records Database a.k.a. ‘Basisregistratie Personen – BRP’ within 5 days upon arrival to the Netherlands. Registration has to be completed at the municipality (called gemeente in Dutch) in the city, which you will reside in – find the office nearest you through the official municipality website.
You are not an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen
If you are planning on staying for a longer period than 4 months within the Netherlands and are not a EU/EEA/Swiss citizen, then you are required to apply for a residence permit from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service – IND and a BSN.
What is a BSN or a Sofi number?
The Burger service number is a citizen service number issued by the Dutch Tax Office (de Belastingdienst – it is an equivalent to a social-fiscal number, social security number and sofi number. Everyone who resides in the Netherlands has to apply for a BSN number, as this number aids in the communication between you and the Dutch authorities such as:
- Opening a bank account
- Starting a new job
- Using the Dutch healthcare system (e.g. dentist)
- Deducting taxes
- Social security contributions
- Changing personal information (e.g. changing addresses)
But most importantly, the BSN is used to resist identity fraud and misspelling in names.
