As an international student, it is mandatory to register as a resident in the town where you are going to live if you plan to stay in the Netherlands for longer than four months.
Important for Non-EU students in possession of a residence permit on the basis of study:
If you do not register with the municipality, you risk losing your residence permit (see step 8: Collect your residence permit).
Citizen service number (BSN)
Once you've registered, you'll be given a citizen service number (burgerservicenummer, BSN). A BSN is required for many things in the Netherlands, including opening a bank account, visiting a doctor or getting hospital treatment.
Registration arriving students - September 2024
Municipality of Amsterdam
To register at the municipality of Amsterdam, we have organised specific registration days for our international students for easy and fast registration. This way, students will receive their BSN (citizen service number) immediately. Do not make a regular appointment with the municipality, as this process will be slow and inefficient and you will receive your BSN many weeks later.
Summer 2024 pre-registration and registration days
You must pre-register online before registering with the municipality of Amsterdam. The registration process consists of the following steps:
- Step 1: Create pre-registration account via www.amsterdam.nl/students.
- Step 2: Verify identity and upload the following documents to complete your pre-registration:
- Valid proof of identity. A passport or, if you are a citizen of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, an identity card. A driving licence is not accepted as proof of identity.
- Proof of an Amsterdam address. For example a copy of an active rental contract or an address registration permission form signed by the main occupant/landlord and including a copy of their proof of identity.
- Your student card or proof of enrolment.
- Step 3: Pre-registration assessment by the municipality
- Step 4: The municipality will invite you by email for a time slot to identify yourself in person on one of the registration days between Monday, 19 August and Friday, 20 September 2024.
- Step 5: Visit to the municipality on your booked time slot to finalise your registration. You will immediately receive the Dutch citizen service number (BSN).
No confirmation received? Check your spam folder!
Please note:
- Pre-registration is possible until Friday, 13 September 2024.
- Without online pre-registration and without a confirmed time slot for one of the registration days, it will not be possible to register.
- Only register in Amsterdam if your address is in this municipality.
Location Registration days (only with confirmed time slot):
Bos en Lommerplein 176
1055 RW Amsterdam
Check location in Google Maps
Public transport: Bus 15 or tram 7, get off at bus/tram stop ‘Bos en Lommerplein’.
In addition, you can consult ourroute description and map in pdf.
Arriving after the summer 2024 registration days?
Registration on the specific registration days is strongly recommended, as the process is much easier and faster. If for some reason, you are still arriving late in September, schedule a regular appointment by calling +31 20 624 1111. Find more information on the website of the municipality. Please note that it can take up to several weeks before you will have a regular appointment and another few weeks before you will receive your BSN.
Municipality of Diemen
If you are going to live in the municipality of Diemen, a neighbouring town of Amsterdam, you will have to register there instead of Amsterdam. In UvA Housing this is the case at Rode Kruislaan (housing provider Lieven De Key) or at Dalsteindreef (housing provider OurCampus).
Summer 2024 registration days
You can already make an appointment for a date on or after 16 August 2024 at the municipality of Diemen.
Please prepare the following printed documents carefully before your appointment. Without printed documents, you cannot be registered:
- Valid proof of identity. A passport or, if you are a citizen of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, an identity card. A driving licence is not accepted as proof of identity.
- A printed copy of your rental contract
- Aprintedcopy of the completedregistration form of the Municipality of Diemen
- Students who require visa: your residence permit. If you did not collect your permit yet, you can bring your IND decision letter. VVR students will receive this letter after their application has been approved. MVV students will receive this letter just before 16August 2024.
- If you are from Aruba, Curaçao, Sint-Maarten, Bonaire, Sint-Eustatius or Saba: change of address
- NOTE: You do NOT need to bring your birth certificate, despite the fact that this is mentioned on the official website. Our students are exempted from this.
Visiting address (only with confirmed appointment):
D.J. Den Hartoglaan 1
1111 ZB Diemen
Check location in Google Maps
Other municipalities
If you are not going to live in Amsterdam or Diemen but at a different municipality or town, you cannot register in Amsterdam or Diemen! You have to register at the municipality where you are going to live. Examples of surrounding towns are Amstelveen, Duivendrecht, Haarlem, Haarlemmermeer, Zaandam, Purmerend, Almere.
Check the website of the specific municipality on how to register and what documents you need to bring. You might be required to bring a birth certificate as well.
