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Ruta NL

How to get your BSN

Sources checked on · Launch candidate pending human review · Translated from the Spanish original

The BSN (burgerservicenummer, citizen service number) is your personal number for the Dutch authorities. You get it when you register in the population register (BRP) or, if you will stay less than four months, in the non-residents register (RNI). You need it to be paid, take out health insurance, open a bank account and apply for DigiD.

Who this is for

Anyone coming to the Netherlands to work or live, for a short or a long time.

What you need

  • A valid identity document (passport or national identity card).
  • If you stay more than four months: an address in the municipality where you will live. The municipality will tell you which documents to bring, such as your tenancy agreement.
  • If you stay less than four months: the RvIG online form, which gives you a QR code for your appointment at an RNI desk.
  • A right of residence. Non-EU citizens may need a permit before they can register.

Steps

  1. Work out how long you will live there: more than four months, municipality; less than four, RNI desk.
  2. More than four months: make an appointment with your municipality, usually on its website. You must register within five days of arriving.
  3. Less than four months: fill in the RvIG form, keep your QR code and book an appointment at one of the 19 RNI desks.
  4. Go to the appointment with your identity document (and the QR code for the RNI). If your partner or children came with you, they must come too.
  5. You are given your BSN when you register. Keep the document that shows it.
  6. Give it to your employer or agency, your insurer and your bank when they ask, through a secure channel.

Relevant exceptions

  • If you are not an EU national, you may first need a residence permit (Government of the Netherlands).
  • If your identity has to be confirmed, registration may need further investigation or documents (Government of the Netherlands).
  • Stays of less than four months: register in the RNI with your address abroad, not with the municipality.

Common mistakes

  • Waiting until you have a job to register: the five-day deadline starts when you arrive.
  • Renting somewhere that does not let you register: without registration there is no resident BSN.
  • Sending a photo of your document with your BSN to people you do not know.
  • Paying someone to “get” you a BSN: you deal directly with the municipality or the RNI desk.

Rules can change. Before the appointment, check your municipality's website and the official source.

Official sources

Deadlines, amounts and requirements change. Always check them with the source.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to register with the RNI if I stay less than four months?

It is not compulsory, but you need it if you want a BSN.

Can I start working without a BSN?

Your employer needs it for your pay and taxes. Ask the company or agency how to proceed while you apply. We have not found a general official rule we can summarise here.

Does it cost money?

We could not confirm this in the sources we checked. Ask when you book the appointment.

Who can ask for my BSN?

The authorities, your employer, your insurer and your bank, among others. Ruta NL will never ask for it.

Related

How to register with your municipality

Registering in the Dutch population register (BRP): who must do it, the deadline, what to bring and what happens when you move.

DigiD: what it is and how to apply

What you need to apply for DigiD, how long the activation letter takes and how to authorise someone without giving them your login.

Your first 30 days in the Netherlands

A step-by-step plan for your first month in the Netherlands: registration, BSN, bank account, health insurance, DigiD and first payslip, with official deadlines.

Does your case not fit? Read about personal guidance. This is general information, not legal, employment or tax advice.