Initial registration in the Netherlands

Is this the first time you will be living in the Netherlands? The you must register personally with the municipality. Make an appointment at the local authorities in the town where you will be living.

Description

When you relocate to the Netherlands, you must register with a municipality. Did you not live in the Netherlands before? Then you must perform an 'initial registration’. Did you live in the Netherlands before, but emigrated before October 1994, then you must also perform an 'initial registration’.

Conditions

The conditions for initial registration in the Netherlands are:

  • You will live in the Netherlands for a period longer than 4 months

OR 

  • You have the Dutch nationality, or a passport from a European country, or a temporary or permanent residence permit

Are the requested documents not drawn up in Dutch, English, German or French language? Or don't you have a multilingual model form? Then you must have them translated. Has the translator been certified in the Netherlands? Then you don't need to have the translation legalised. Is the translator certified in a foreign country? Then you must have the legalised original document legalised again in the Netherlands. You can read more about this on Nederlandwereldwijd.nl from the Central government.

Specifics

Laws

Request

For the initial registration in the Netherlands, you must bring a valid travel document.

Time span

After your arrival in the Netherlands you must register within 5 working days.

Procedure

This is how you initially register in the Netherlands:

Visit the municipality personally and bring:

  • your valid proof of identity (stating your nationality)
  • proof that you have a living area, such as a lease or a property deed
  • if you were not born in the Netherlands: your birth certificate
  • if you do not have a European nationality: proof that the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) has approved your stay
  • if you are from Aruba, Curaçao, Sint-Maarten, Bonaire, Sint-Eustatius or Saba: a change of address

If you have it, also bring:

  • a marriage or divorce certificate
  • a death certificate of your partner (as proof that the marriage was dissolved through death)
  • the birth certificates of your children
  • Do you have a proof of deregistration from your previous home country? Bring that too.

All persons moving together with you, must also visit in person.