Nobody checks your passport at the door when you move to the Netherlands from another EU country, and that is exactly why people get confused. There is no permit to apply for, yet there is a firm deadline at the town hall. This is how residence in the Netherlands works for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens.
Do you need a residence permit for residence in the Netherlands?
No. Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland do not need a permit; your passport or national ID card proves your right to stay. Switzerland's citizens are given the same rights as EU citizens by the IND, the immigration and naturalisation service.
What you do need is to register as a resident with your municipality. Think of the gemeente as the real gatekeeper: it holds the population register, issues your BSN and sends your details to the other agencies.
When can you stay, and for how long?
For the first three months you can stay with only a valid passport or ID card, and no other conditions. After three months, your right to stay depends on what you do here. The IND lists these situations.
- Employee or entrepreneur. Your work must be genuine and effective. The IND considers that is the case if you earn at least 50% of the applicable social assistance benefit, or you work at least 40% of a normal full working week. Below that, the IND looks at other factors, such as paid holiday or sick leave.
- Job seeker. You must show that you were registered with the UWV (the employee insurance agency) in the first six months. After that, you must show that you have a good chance of finding a job in the Netherlands.
- Economically inactive (retired, living on savings, supported by a partner). You need sufficient means to live on. The IND's benchmark is the Dutch minimum wage with holiday pay, and lower income may suffice if your costs are also low. It does not matter where the money comes from.
- Student. You must be enrolled at a Dutch school or university, have Dutch health insurance and have enough funds without relying on general benefits.
Once you pass three months, your stay is no longer "temporary" in the IND's terms, even though there is no card to prove it.
How do you register with the municipality?
If you will live in the Netherlands for more than four months, register in the Personal Records Database (BRP) within five days of arriving. Do it at the gemeente where you live, at your permanent address, or at a correspondence address if you do not have one yet. Your partner and children must come with you. Registration is free.
Municipalities decide their own procedure. Some work only by appointment; Amsterdam's pages, for example, tell newcomers to bring valid ID and proof of address, and its international desk, IN Amsterdam, offers combined appointments for people whose employer is a recognised sponsor. Check your own municipality's website for the exact documents, and ask whether your foreign civil-status papers need an apostille or translation.
You may be told that extra checks on your identity can delay the registration. This does not happen to everyone, but it is why you should book early and arrive with complete documents.
If your situation does not fit neatly (a partner who is not an EU citizen, a job that is part-time, no income yet, a stay of around four months), Moovy can help you work out which row of the IND's rules applies to you and what to ask at the counter.
What if you stay less than four months?
You do not register in the BRP. Instead, you can register in the Non-residents Records Database (RNI) with your address abroad, which also gives you a BSN. See BSN number in the Netherlands for what the number unlocks.
Do you ever register with the IND?
Rarely. For most EU citizens there is nothing to register. The IND says registration is compulsory only if it ended a previous stay of yours, which appears as code 41 in the BRP. The registration is free. If you are unsure, your municipality can tell you whether such a code is on your record.
What changes after five years?
After five years of residence, you can apply to the IND for permanent residence. Your health insurance, your tax situation and your BSN do not depend on it. Many EU citizens never apply, since their right to stay does not expire, but a document can be useful if you ever need to prove your status.
Which rules differ for British citizens?
A lot. Since Brexit, British citizens are third-country nationals. Those who lived in the Netherlands legally before 1 January 2021 hold a Withdrawal Agreement residence document. Everyone else needs a residence permit based on their reason for coming, and registration in the BRP may wait until your stay is lawful. See moving to the Netherlands from the UK.
How does residence in the Netherlands work for a couple with different nationalities?
Your partner's situation can differ from yours even if you move together. If your partner is also an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, the same rules apply to them and they come with you to the municipality. If they are from outside the EU, ask the IND what status they can claim as a family member of an EU citizen before you leave, since the answer affects when they can register and work. Children who come with you are registered at the same appointment.
If a child is born in the Netherlands, the municipality registers the birth automatically, but only if both parents were registered in the BRP on the birth date. That is another reason not to delay your own registration.
What proof can you show of your right to stay?
For an EU citizen there is no residence card, so your passport or national ID card and your registration extract from the municipality are what you show. Employers and landlords may ask for your BSN and an extract. If you ever need a document to confirm your status, ask the IND what it can provide in your case. Keep your employment contract, payslips or proof of income, because they are the evidence the IND would look at if your right were questioned.
What happens if your situation changes?
Your right to stay can change with your life. If you lose your job, register as a job seeker with the UWV during your first six months, which keeps you within the rules. If you stop working and have no income, you fall in the economically inactive category and need sufficient means, with the Dutch minimum wage including holiday pay as the benchmark. If you retire, you fall in the economically inactive category above. If you start a business, you move to the employee or entrepreneur category, where your work must be genuine and effective.
What do you do if the municipality refuses or delays your registration?
Ask in writing why. The municipality may need to confirm your identity, which can take extra time, or it may be waiting for your residence to be lawful. Check which of the two it is. If you are an EU citizen, you do not need a permit, so the delay is likely about identity or an address problem. Keep a record of every request and reply, and ask the IND if the question is about your right to stay.
What should you do right after registering?
Get your DigiD, take out health insurance (within four months), and, if you are going to work, give your BSN to your employer. If you are bringing a car, remember that you can no longer drive on foreign plates once you are registered or should have been. Our moving to the Netherlands guide puts these steps in order, and DigiD in the Netherlands shows how to get your digital key.