Everyone living in the Netherlands must have a citizen service number, often referred to as a BSN (burgerservicenummer). You’ll need one to work, receive your salary, open a bank account, arrange health insurance, visit a doctor or hospital, or apply for benefits.
In addition, if you leave the Netherlands and later return, you’ll keep the same citizen service number when you re-register with the municipality. International newcomers need to apply for a BSN when they arrive in the Netherlands.
<aside> 💡 Keep in mind that the appointment date can be later than your arrival in the Netherlands due to overload work at the municipality and the IN Amsterdam.
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You can still receive your salary through an anonymous rate scheme (het anoniementarief) while waiting for your BSN. Under this tax arrangement, your salary might be lower than expected until you receive your BSN, but you can receive back the difference a year after when submitting your tax return.
If you move to the Netherlands for no more than 4 months, you can register as a non-resident in the Non-residents Record Database (RNI) in 19 RNI-municipalities and receive your BSN. Therefore, the BSN you will receive under the RNI will be for a short staying in the Netherlands.
<aside> 💡 Non-resident BSN is a limited version of BSN and while it allows you to open a bank account or receive a salary, you won't be able to get the insurance with it for example.
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We will schedule a BSN appointment for you as soon as we start your relocation process. We partner with IN Amsterdam - the city of Amsterdam's initiative for newcomers, so we can directly book BSN appointments for you in their system. Once we have your appointment, we will send you the confirmation email, including the list of necessary documents you will have to bring.
IN Amsterdam is an expat center that allows you to receive both your residence permit card and your BSN. If you want to schedule your BSN appointment on your own, feel free to do so. In that case, you need to call the municipality in the city you will live in.
<aside> 💡 Keep in mind that if you schedule your BSN appointment at the municipality, you will have to pick up your residence permit card at IND.
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It is not possible to make an appointment online, so you need to call with the municipality. Monday to Friday from 08.00 to 18.00, you can call the following numbers:
Amsterdam Municipality: 14 020 or +31 20 624 1111 if you are calling from abroad
Utrecht Municipality: 14 030 or +31 30 286 00 00 if you are calling from abroad
Den Haag Municipality: 14 070 or +31 70 353 30 00 if you are calling from abroad
Rotterdam Municipality: 14 010 or +31 10 267 16 25 if you call from abroad
Once your appointment is scheduled, the municipality will send you a confirmation email, including the list of the documents you need to bring.