A BSN (Burgerservicenummer) or, alternatively, a Sofi number is the citizen service number; a unique registration number for everyone who lives in the Netherlands.

The BSN will facilitate any interaction with the Dutch authorities; deducting your taxes and social security contributions, registering with the pubic health insurance, opening a bank account, getting paid, being entitled to benefits etc. In a nutshell, the Burgerservicenummer is the first bureaucratic issue that expats in the Netherlands have to deal with.

BSN (Burgerservicenummer)

To apply for a BSN you need to arrange an
appointment with either your local office of Tax
Administration (Belastingdienst) or City Hall
within 4 months of your arrival. EU citizens need
to provide a valid proof of identity (not a driving
license) and their registered address, while for
non-EU expats other documents (residence
permit, registration, employment contract etc.)
have to be presented too. A confirmation of your
town hall registration will be sent a couple of
weeks later.

To arrange an appointment with your local tax
office (Belastingdienst), call 08000543, and then
press 3 and then 2 (prerecorded message in
Dutch) or visit BSN for more information.

Note that a BSN does not automatically allow an
expat to work in the Netherlands. Depending on
their country of origin, expatriates may need to
apply for a work permit.

Sofi number (social security number)
In case your stay in the Netherlands is not
(going to be) longer than four months or you do
not have to stay at all (but you work for a Dutch-
based firm), you have to apply for a Sofi number
(social-fiscal nummer).

Again, you have to contact your local office of
Tax Administration (Belastingdienst) and arrange
an appointment. The procedure as well as the
necessary documentation is exactly the same
as for the BSN.

Note that as from November 2007, Sofi number
has been automatically converted into a BSN for
those who already had a Sofi number.