A BSN for people who work or study here without settling
The Register of Non-Residents, known as the RNI, gives you a citizen service number (BSN) when you work, study or deal with Dutch authorities without living in the Netherlands for long. It is not a residence permit, and if you plan a longer stay you register as a resident at your municipality instead. With a BSN you can also apply for DigiD, the Dutch government login.
How it works
Get a personal identification number if you work or have dealings in the country without living there.
Some countries give a personal identification number to people who do not live there but need one, for example to work, pay tax, own property or receive benefits. Examples are the Dutch RNI registration with a BSN, the Belgian BIS number, the Spanish NIE for non-residents, the Polish PESEL without address registration and the Icelandic system ID. You usually apply in person with your passport and proof of why you need the number. If you live in the country, register as a resident instead.
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At a glance
Not every municipality has one
Registration happens in person, and several desks ask you to complete a form online and book a time before you come. Rules on nationality and accepted identity documents differ, so open a desk to check yours. Confirm opening times and booking rules before you travel.
Guides
Related services
For Dutch citizens renewing a passport and for residents without a passport from their own country: who can apply and what to prepare.
Get a hand with applying for or activating DigiD, and with the online forms, messages and allowances that depend on it.
See who can apply for income support, what a municipality takes into account and where to get advice if the application is difficult.
For Dutch citizens who need a new or replacement ID card: who can apply, what to bring and how collection works.
For holders of a Dutch licence: how renewal works online or at the counter, how to replace a lost licence and where to collect it.
For newcomers and returning residents: what registering at the town hall means, who it applies to and what to prepare before your appointment.
Other countries
Moving on, or comparing before you decide? See how this works elsewhere.
Most offices in Warsaw, Gdynia, and Rzeszów
Most offices in Barcelona, A Coruña, and Alicante
Most offices in Berlin, Augsburg, and Chemnitz
Most offices in Aalst, Antwerp, and Ghent
Where to next
Municipal desks that register non-residents differ on booking, forms and the identity documents they accept.
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