Your first week in the Netherlands
A practical checklist for registration, healthcare, work and everyday paperwork.
The short answer
A BSN is your personal citizen service number. BRP and RNI are registration routes, not competing kinds of BSN. If you already have a BSN, keep using that number; moving or returning does not create a new one.
For a planned stay of more than four months, register as a resident with the municipality where you live, within five days of arrival. Contact it early because appointments may be limited. People living abroad or staying under four months can use the RNI route. Bring valid identification and check the municipality’s document requirements.
Prepare for the actual length of your stay
Decide whether your planned stay requires resident registration or the non-resident route, and check the municipality’s appointment instructions. A BSN is a personal administrative number; it is not a work permit, insurance policy or proof that a housing arrangement is lawful. If you already have a number, keep using it.
Keep registration useful after arrival
Give accurate contact information and report relevant moves. If your housing becomes unstable, ask the municipality about the correct registration route rather than purchasing an unrelated address. Keep access to official correspondence, because missing letters can complicate benefits, insurance and tax even while employment continues.
What to do next
- Decide the expected length of stay and check the official municipality or RNI appointment route.
- Bring a passport or identity card and the documents specifically requested; civil-status documents vary by situation.
- Keep the registration confirmation safely and update your registration if your stay or address changes.
For a six-month job with residence in Rotterdam, ask Rotterdam about BRP registration. For a genuine two-month stay while living abroad, investigate RNI. A job agency booking an appointment does not replace your own responsibility to check the route.
Explore this topic
- Registration without a fixed address: briefadres
Ask the municipality about a correspondence address if you genuinely have no residential address.
- Leaving the Netherlands: registration, tax and final wages
Prepare the administrative handover so you can still receive official letters and resolve payments after departure.
- Documents to prepare before moving for work
Build a practical arrival folder for registration, employment, housing and healthcare without handing over control of your identity.
Questions people ask
Is this checklist an official registration application?
No. It helps organise tasks. Complete applications through the municipality, insurer and other official services linked in the guides.
Should I choose RNI or BRP?
Choose according to your actual planned residence and circumstances. Starting a job alone does not decide the correct registration route.
Do I need a new BSN for a new employer?
No. Keep your existing personal number and confirm the correct registration details.
Should someone covered by RMO buy ordinary insurance immediately?
Do not switch solely because work begins. First check temporary-protection status and the applicable RMO healthcare route.
Where is my checklist progress stored?
The site keeps progress locally in your browser. It is not an official submission or proof that an authority has completed a task.
Sources
Last verified: 4 October 2026. Sources are in Dutch or English.
- NederlandWereldwijd — Wanneer inschrijven bij een gemeente?
- NederlandWereldwijd — Inschrijven in de RNI
- Rijksoverheid — Zorgverzekering bij werken in Nederland
- DigiD — Activeren
- IND — Richtlijn Tijdelijke Bescherming Oekraïne
- RMO — Regeling Medische zorg Oekraïne
- Rijksoverheid — Inschrijven op een briefadres
- NederlandWereldwijd — Uitschrijven bij vertrek
- Belastingdienst — Aangifte in het jaar van immigratie of emigratie
- SVB — Onderzoek Wlz aanvragen