The Registration Compass
Anyone staying, or planning to stay, in the Netherlands for more than four months needs to register at the town hall in the municipality where they will be residing. Anyone who wants to register must contact the municipal authorities within 3-5 days of arrival to schedule an appointment.
The BRP (Municipal Personal Records Database)
The BRP is the Dutch government database which is shared by various government agencies and contains personal information for all residents in the Netherlands. The database is updated whenever there is a change of address, birth, marriage, death or other event that may effect the resident’s legal status or the government services they are entitled to. A residence permit request is one of the first entries recorded in a newly arriving expat’s data file. The BRP is maintained by the Registration Office (Dienst Burgerzaken) at the local town hall (‘stadhuis’).
Municipal registration applies to anyone planning to stay longer than 4r months in the Netherlands, regardless if they are an EU national or from outside the European Union.
Under the following conditions an appointment can be arranged for registration;
- You must come to the appointment in person.
- You must be in the Netherlands legally.
- You must have a residential address in city of registration.
Registering: what you need to bring
- A valid proof of identity (a passport, or only if you are a citizen from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein an ID card)
- An original birth certificate (not a copy).
- If you are married: an original marriage certificate (not a copy).
- For children under 16 years of age: a valid proof of identity for the parent, guardian or care provider accompanying.
- Rental contract (huurcontract), or in some cities an
Address registration permission form (PDF, 160 KB) signed by the main occupant and a copy of his or her proof of identity, such as a passport or an ID card.
Please note that the certificate generally needs to be authenticated (‘legalised’) first.
Additional certificates from other countries
Depending on your situation, you may also need to show other certificates issued in foreign countries. During your appointment, you will hear which additional documents you need. You will have 3 months to arrange these documents. You will also need to make a new appointment when you have the additional certificates.