BRP Registration Netherlands: What to Do in Your First Week After Arrival

You have your MVV, you have landed in the Netherlands, and the visa process is behind you. Now the clock starts on a different deadline: within five days of arrival, you must register at your local gemeente (municipality) in the BRP — the Basisregistratie Personen (Personal Records Database). This is not a formality you can delay. Failing to register promptly affects your BSN (Citizen Service Number), which in turn blocks your ability to open a bank account, take out health insurance, and start work. Here is exactly what to do and in what order.

What BRP Registration Is

The BRP is the Dutch government's population register. Every resident in the Netherlands — Dutch citizen or foreign national — is recorded in it. Your BRP registration is what makes you officially "in the system" in the Netherlands. Almost everything that follows — your BSN, your ability to use public services, your integration timeline — flows from your BRP record.

Your sponsor (your Dutch partner) is likely already registered in the BRP at your shared address. When you register, you are added to the same address record.

How to Register

Go in person to your local municipality's civil affairs desk (burgerzaken). Bring:

• Your valid passport (with the MVV sticker)
• Your IND decision letter (if you have it) or residence permit documentation
• Proof of your address in the Netherlands (a rental contract, or a declaration from your partner confirming you live at their address)
• Your partner's details if registering at a shared address

Many municipalities require an appointment booked in advance. Check your gemeente's website before showing up. In larger cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague), appointments can be booked online and waiting times are manageable. Smaller municipalities often have shorter queues.

The registration process itself is usually completed in 20–30 minutes. A civil servant records your details, verifies your documents, and creates your BRP entry.

Your BSN: What It Is and What You Need It For

Within a few days of your BRP registration (sometimes on the same day in smaller municipalities), you will receive your BSN — Burgerservicenummer (Citizen Service Number). This is a unique nine-digit number tied to your BRP record.

The BSN is the Dutch equivalent of a national insurance number or social security number. You need it for:

• Opening a Dutch bank account
• Registering with health insurance (zorgverzekering)
• Starting employment (your employer reports your wages to the Belastingdienst using your BSN)
• Receiving your DigiD (digital identity for accessing government services online)
• Filing tax returns
• Your integration process with DUO

Keep your BSN safe. You will use it constantly.

Still planning your move to the Netherlands? The Netherlands Partner/Family Visa Guide includes a Day 1 arrival checklist covering BRP registration, BSN, health insurance, and the TB test in the right sequence.

Health Insurance: Mandatory Within 4 Months

The Netherlands operates a private health insurance system in which every resident is required to have basic coverage (basisverzekering). Once you are registered in the BRP, you have four months to select a health insurer and take out a policy. Coverage is backdated to your BRP registration date, so gaps are not possible — but choosing a provider promptly matters because you want to be covered from day one.

Average monthly premiums for basic coverage in 2026:

The mandatory deductible (eigen risico) for 2026 is €385 per year — you pay this amount directly for non-GP healthcare before insurance kicks in. Budget plans with a higher voluntary deductible (up to €885) have lower monthly premiums. If you have low household income, apply for "zorgtoeslag" (healthcare allowance) through the Belastingdienst to offset costs.

Choosing an insurer: comparison sites like independer.nl allow you to compare premiums and coverage types. The differences between insurers in basic coverage are modest — it is mainly a premium versus deductible trade-off.

TB Screening: Required from High-Risk Countries

If you come from a country with a high rate of tuberculosis (TB), you are required to undergo a chest X-ray at the local GGD (Gemeentelijke Gezondheidsdienst — Municipal Health Service) within three months of arrival.

Countries exempt from TB screening include all EU/EEA member states, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and several others. If your country of origin is not on the exempt list, the GGD will contact you to schedule a chest X-ray appointment. You do not need to arrange this yourself — the GGD sends a letter to your registered BRP address.

Failure to attend the TB screening can be grounds for the IND to review your residence permit. Comply promptly.

Collecting Your Residence Permit Card

Your MVV authorised your entry, but it is not your long-term residence document. Within a few weeks of BRP registration, the IND sends a letter to your registered address directing you to collect your verblijfspas (residence permit card) at an IND desk.

The appointment to collect the verblijfspas is a biometric appointment — you provide fingerprints and a photo, and the IND produces a chip-embedded ID card. This card is your proof of the right to remain in the Netherlands. Keep it with you or readily accessible, particularly when travelling internationally or starting work.

The permit card will show "Arbeid vrij toegestaan" (employment freely permitted), confirming you have full labor market access.

Starting Your Integration Process

Within weeks of BRP registration, DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs) will send you a letter confirming your integration obligation and the start of your three-year deadline. Contact your municipality promptly to schedule the Broad Intake interview that begins your integration trajectory under the Wet Inburgering 2021. Do not wait — the three-year clock starts from the DUO letter date, not from when you contact the municipality.

The First Month: A Summary Timeline

• Day 1–5: BRP registration at your gemeente
• Day 1–5 (or shortly after): Receive BSN
• Within 4 weeks: Open a Dutch bank account (requires BSN and BRP registration)
• Within 4 months: Register with a health insurer
• Within 3 months: Attend TB screening if required (wait for GGD letter)
• Within 4–6 weeks: IND letter directing you to collect your verblijfspas
• Within 1–2 months: Contact municipality to schedule Broad Intake for integration

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