Are you moving to the Netherlands? There are many bureaucratic issues expats need to know about and to deal with:
Dutch permits & visas
You may need a residence permit, depending on:
- Where you are from.
- Why you want to stay here.
- How long you want to stay here.
Whilst residence permits cover long-term stays, visas apply to short-term stays and transits. Besides a residence permit, some expats (or their family members) may require a work permit.
Dutch citizenship & passport
Applying for Dutch citizenship is possible by means of naturalisation, the option procedure and law. If you have Dutch citizenship, you can apply for a Dutch passport at the town hall of the municipality where you are registered.
Registration & Identification in the Netherlands
Are you planning to stay in the Netherlands for four months or more? You will need to register at the town hall in the municipality where you are living.
When you register with the municipality, you will receive a BSN (burgerservicenummer). This is a unique registration number that facilitates interaction with the Dutch authorities. You will need this number to start a job, open a bank account, do your taxes, apply for benefits etc.
For your online administration and to deal with certain agencies and bodies, such as the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax office) and the Dutch police, you will also need a DigiD (short for Digital Identification).
Note that when it comes to identification, your driving licence might not always be sufficient.
