RNI – Short stay registration

Citizen Service Number (burgerservicenummer, BSN)

If you live abroad and come to the Netherlands to work or study, you will need a citizen service number (burgerservicenummer (BSN)) for your dealings with the Dutch authorities. You will be issued this number when you register in the Netherlands.

If you will be staying in the Netherlands for less than 4 months, you should register with one of 19 municipalities in the Netherlands via the RNI (registratie niet-ingezetenen) procedure. This cannot be done at the IWCN.

If you will be staying in the Netherlands for more than 4 months, you should register with the municipality in which you live. If you qualify for the accelerated formalities services of the IWCN, the registration may be done at the IWCN.

RNI procedure

To register via the RNI procedure in the Northern Netherlands, you should make an appointment to go to one of the 19 different municipalities that perform this registration. In the Northern Netherlands, this is either in Groningen or Leeuwarden.

You must go in person to the appointment and present valid proof of identity (a passport or identity card) and will be asked to provide your address outside of the Netherlands.

You can make the appointment for Groningen online here.

The site is in English, so please follow the instructions to make the appointment online. You should receive a confirmation email. Print this out or save the information. You will need the appointment number (“afspraaknummer“) when you go to the appointment.

Also please print out and fill in the RNI registration form; it is available in different languages on the site.

Address Gemeente Groningen:
Kreupelstraat 1, 9712 HW Groningen

You can make the appointment for Leeuwarden online here.

This site is only in Dutch so please follow the instructions below to make the appointment online:

Fill in your first name (“Voornamen“), surname (“Achternaam“), birth date (“Geboortedatum“), street name of where you are staying (“Straatnaam“), number of the house/apartment (“Huisnummer“), postcode (four numbers and two letters), and city (“Woonplaats“), and email address.
Select the gray “Volgende” button.
Choose the location of the appointment (“Leeuwarden”).
Choose the service “Registratie niet-ingezetene” from the drop down menu
Select the gray “Volgende” button.
Choose the date, then the time, and click the gray “Volgende” button
Check to make sure the details are correct in the summary and check the box “Ik ga akkoord met de ingevulde gegevens.“
Select the “Verzenden” button
You should receive a confirmation email. Print this out or save the information. You will need the appointment number (“afspraaknummer“) when you go to the appointment.