OtterFillHow to fill in the Dutch BRP registration form
The first registration (eerste inschrijving) puts you in the Personal Records Database (BRP) of the Dutch municipality where you live, and gives you a citizen service number (BSN). You register in person within 5 days of arriving if you expect to live in the Netherlands for more than 4 months.
Last checked against the official form:
- Form
- BRP
- Edition
- Aangifte eerste inschrijving, art. 2.38 Wet BRP
- Issued by
- Gemeente (Burgerzaken)
- Form language
- Nederlands
- Where it goes
- The municipality (gemeente) where you live, usually its civil affairs desk (Burgerzaken), by appointment
- Deadline
- Within 5 days of arriving in the Netherlands (art. 2.38 of the Personal Records Database Act, Wet BRP)
- What to bring
- A valid passport or ID card, your residence permit or proof of lawful stay if you need one, proof of address, and original foreign certificates such as your birth certificate
- Cost
- Free of charge
- Fine
- An administrative fine of up to €325 if you do not meet your registration duties
- What you receive
- A BSN, usually sent by letter; several large municipalities say processing takes up to 4 weeks
What this form is
Everyone who expects to live in the Netherlands for at least two thirds of the next six months must register with the municipality where they live, under article 2.38 of the Personal Records Database Act (Wet basisregistratie personen, Wet BRP). The national government puts it simply: more than 4 months means you register. Your details go into the Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen, BRP), and you get a citizen service number (burgerservicenummer, BSN) that you need for work, a bank account, health insurance and taxes.
There is no single national form. Each municipality runs its own procedure: some, such as Rotterdam, give you a form to fill in and bring to your appointment; others ask the same questions at the desk or online. The questions follow the law, so they are much the same everywhere: who you are, your civil status, when you arrived, where you live, and your children, parents and marriages.
This guide follows the wording and order of Rotterdam’s form “Aangifte eerste inschrijving in de Basisregistratie Personen (BRP) vanuit het buitenland”, which neighbouring municipalities also use. If your municipality’s form is laid out differently, look for the same question. Check your municipality’s website for the documents it wants.
Who has to fill it in
You register for the first time if:
- You are moving to the Netherlands from abroad and expect to live here for more than 4 months, whatever your nationality.
- You have never been registered in the BRP as a resident before.
- You are a parent or guardian of a child under 16 who moves with you: you register the child, and the child comes along.
You do not use this form if:
- You stay less than 4 months: you can register as a non-resident in the RNI instead.
- You were registered as a resident before and are moving back: most municipalities have a separate re-registration route.
- You already live in the Netherlands and move house: that is a change of address, reported from 4 weeks before until 5 days after the move.
Field-by-field instructions
Personal details
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Achternaam | Your last name. | Write your surname as it appears in your passport and on your birth certificate, with every part of it. The municipality checks it against your documents. |
| Heeft u eerder een andere achternaam gehad? | Whether you ever had a different last name, and why. | Tick Nee (no) if your surname never changed. Otherwise tick Ja, door erkenning (because a parent recognised you), Ja, door huwelijk/geregistreerd partnerschap (through marriage or registered partnership), or Ja, andere reden (another reason) and write the reason. |
| Voornamen | All your first names. | Write every first name in full, in the order of your birth certificate or passport. Do not shorten or leave out middle names. |
| Man / Vrouw | Your sex. | Tick Man (male) or Vrouw (female) as recorded in your passport. |
| Geboortedatum | Your date of birth. | Write day, month and year as in your passport, for example 03-07-1990 for 3 July 1990. |
| Geboorteplaats | The town or city where you were born. | Write the place as on your birth certificate or passport. |
| Geboorteland | The country where you were born. | Write the country as on your birth certificate or passport. |
| Nationaliteit | Your citizenship. | Write every nationality you have. The municipality records them from your passport or other proof, so bring the passport of each country. |
| Burgerlijke staat | Your civil status today. | Tick one: Geen huwelijk/geregistreerd partnerschap/ongehuwd (never married and no registered partnership), Gehuwd (married), Geregistreerd partner (registered partnership), Gescheiden (divorced), Gescheiden geregistreerd partner (registered partnership ended) or Weduwstaat (widowed). Bring the certificate that proves it. |
| Heeft u een burgerservicenummer (BSN)? Namelijk (8 of 9 cijfers) | Whether you already have a Dutch citizen service number. | Most newcomers tick Nee (no). If you were registered as a non-resident (RNI) before, you already have a BSN: tick Ja and write its 8 or 9 digits. |
| Telefoonnummer (10 cijfers) | A phone number where the municipality can reach you. | Write a number you answer during the day. The form has room for a Dutch number of 10 digits. |
| E-mail (uwnaam@voorbeeld.nl) | Your email address. | Write an address you read often; the municipality may use it about your registration. |
Your stay and address
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Datum van aankomst in Nederland | The day you arrived in the Netherlands to live here. | Write the date you actually arrived to stay. The 5-day deadline counts from this day. |
| Heeft u eerder in Nederland ingeschreven gestaan? (vanaf het jaar) | Whether you were ever registered in a Dutch municipality. | Tick Nee (no) if this is your first time. If you lived in the Netherlands before, tick Ja and write the year your registration started; the municipality may then treat it as a re-registration. |
| In welk land woonde u hiervoor? | The country you lived in just before you came. | Write the country where you last lived, which is not always your country of birth or nationality. |
| Op welk adres verblijft u in Rotterdam? / Postcode | The address in the municipality where you now live. Each municipality prints its own name here. | Write street, house number with any letter or addition, and the postcode, exactly as in your rental or purchase contract. You register where you actually live. |
| Woont u bij iemand in? (Ja, met / Nee) | Whether you live in someone else’s home. | Tick Ja and write the name of the main occupant (hoofdbewoner) if you live with someone who is already registered there, such as a family member or a room landlord. Tick Nee if the home is your own or you rent it yourself. |
| Hoe lang denkt u in Nederland te blijven? | How long you expect to live in the Netherlands. | Write your honest expectation, for example the length of your contract, study or permit. It shows whether you must register as a resident (more than 4 months). |
Children, parents and marriages
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Wonen uw kinderen in deze gemeente? | Whether you have children who live in this municipality. | Tick Nee (no) or Ja (yes). If yes, fill in the children’s part below. |
| Kind(eren): Achternaam, Voornamen, Geboortedatum, Geboorteplaats, Geboorteland, Inwonend | Details of each of your children, and whether the child lives with you. | For each child, write surname, first names, date of birth, place and country of birth, and tick Inwonend Ja if the child lives at your address. Children who move with you also come to the appointment, with their passport and birth certificate. |
| Gegevens van uw ouders (Moeder - Meisjesnaam / Vader) | Details of your mother and father. | Write each parent’s surname (your mother’s maiden name, meisjesnaam), first names, date of birth, place and country of birth, and where they live. Copy them from your birth certificate. |
| Huwelijksgegevens: Bent u getrouwd? | Whether you are married now. | Tick Nee (no) or Ja, met onderstaande persoon (yes, to the person below) and fill in your spouse’s details. |
| Achternaam van uw echtgenoot/echtgenote, Woonplaats, Huwelijksdatum, Huwelijksplaats, Huwelijksland | Details of your husband or wife and of the marriage. | Write your spouse’s surname, first names, place of residence, date, place and country of birth, and the date, place and country of the marriage. Copy them from your marriage certificate and bring it. |
| Eerdere huwelijken: Bent u eerder getrouwd geweest? | Whether you were married before. | Tick Nee (no) or Ja (yes). If yes, fill in a column for each earlier marriage: the former spouse’s details and the date, place and country of the marriage. |
| Huwelijk ontbonden door (Echtscheiding / Overlijden), datum, plaats en land huwelijksontbinding | How and when an earlier marriage ended. | Tick Echtscheiding (divorce) or Overlijden (death of your spouse), then write the date, place and country. Bring the divorce decree or death certificate. |
Signature and documents
| On the form | What it means | How to fill it in |
|---|---|---|
| Ondertekening: Datum / Handtekening | Your declaration that everything is true, with date and signature. | Check every answer, then write the date and sign. By signing you declare the information is true; giving false information on purpose can lead to a fine. |
| Huurcontract, koopcontract of toestemming hoofdbewoner (apart document) | Proof that you live at the address, handed in with the form. | Bring your rental or purchase contract. If you live in someone else’s home, bring a consent statement signed by the main occupant or owner with a copy of their ID; many municipalities have their own form for it. |
Key terms
| Term on the form | What it means |
|---|---|
| Basisregistratie Personen (BRP) | The Personal Records Database: the national register of everyone who lives in the Netherlands, kept by the municipalities. |
| Eerste inschrijving | Your first registration in the BRP as a resident, when you move to the Netherlands from abroad. |
| Gemeente | The municipality: the local government where you live, which registers you. |
| Burgerservicenummer (BSN) | Citizen service number: your personal number of 8 or 9 digits for dealings with the government, employers, banks and health care. |
| Ingezetene | A resident: someone registered as living in the Netherlands. |
| Registratie Niet-Ingezetenen (RNI) | The register of non-residents: for people who stay less than 4 months but need a BSN. |
| Briefadres | A postal address used for registration when you have no home address; the municipality decides whether it is allowed. |
| Hoofdbewoner | The main occupant: the person who rents or owns the home you live in. |
| Legalisatie / apostille | Proof that a foreign certificate is genuine. An apostille is the simpler version used between countries of the Hague Apostille Convention. |
| Beëdigd vertaler | A sworn translator: a translator registered in the Netherlands whose translations the municipality accepts. |
| Erkenning | Recognition of a child by a parent, usually the father; it can change the child’s surname. |
| Bestuurlijke boete | An administrative fine the municipality can impose when you do not meet your registration duties. |
Common mistakes
- 1
Waiting for a long-term home before booking
The deadline is 5 days after you arrive and appointments in large cities can be weeks away. Book as soon as you know your address. If you stay with someone, register there with their consent.
- 2
Bringing copies instead of originals
Municipalities ask for original foreign certificates. Bring the originals of your birth and marriage certificates, not photos or copies.
- 3
Certificates without legalisation or translation
Depending on the country, a certificate needs an apostille or legalisation, made before you leave. Certificates not in Dutch, English, French or German may need a sworn translation.
- 4
Names that do not match your passport
Write every surname and first name as in your passport and birth certificate. Leaving out a middle name or a former surname causes delays and corrections later.
- 5
Registering at an address where you do not live
You register where you actually live. Some landlords forbid registration; renting there can block your BSN, and a false address can be fined.
- 6
Coming alone when your family moves too
Your partner and children who are registering must come to the appointment as well, each with their own documents.
- 7
Mixing up your country of birth and your previous country
Geboorteland is where you were born; In welk land woonde u hiervoor? is where you lived just before coming. They are often different.
Questions and answers
How soon must I register after arriving in the Netherlands?
Within 5 days of arriving, if you expect to live here for at least two thirds of the next six months (more than 4 months), under article 2.38 of the Wet BRP. If you are waiting for your residence permit, the national government says you do not have to register within those 5 days.
Do I get my BSN at the appointment?
It depends on the municipality. Several large municipalities, including The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht, say processing usually takes up to 4 weeks, after which you get a letter with your BSN.
What documents do I need to register?
A valid passport or ID card (a driving licence is not accepted), your residence permit or proof of lawful stay if you are not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, proof of address such as a rental contract, and original foreign certificates such as your birth and marriage certificates. Check your municipality’s list, as it can ask for more.
Does my birth certificate need an apostille?
It depends on the country that issued it. Some need an apostille, others full legalisation, and EU certificates are often accepted as they are. Check the page for your country on NetherlandsWorldwide before you travel, as this is done in the issuing country.
What if my rental contract is not in my name?
You can register at the address with the consent of the main occupant or owner, usually a signed statement and a copy of their ID. If you have no home address at all, you can ask about a postal address (briefadres).
Is there a fine for registering late?
The municipality can impose an administrative fine of up to €325 if you do not meet your duties under the Wet BRP. A municipality may first contact you to point out the duty.
Does registering cost anything?
No. A first registration in the BRP is free. Legalising or translating your certificates may cost money.
I stay less than 4 months. What do I do?
You do not register as a resident. If you need a BSN, for example to work, you can register as a non-resident in the RNI at one of the municipalities that offer it.
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