Register with the municipality
Everyone living in the Netherlands for more than four months must register at the municipality (in Dutch: gemeente). This is a simple process without any additional costs, which takes place at your local municipality office of the town where you are going to live. It is only possible to register in person and only on or after the start date of your rental contract, not before this date.
Residence permit for study purposes (non EU) and Registration at the municipality
(EU and non-EU):
Registering with the municipality (for both EU and non-EU students) and obtaining your residence permit (for non-EU students) are different and separate procedures, but both are mandatory.
Non-EU students: Failing to register with the municipality may result in the loss of your residence permit.
Amsterdam
To register at the municipality of Amsterdam, the AUAS organises specific registration days at the start of each semester for our international students for easy and fast registration. This way, students will receive their BSN (citizen service number) immediately. Do not make a regular appointment with the municipality, as this process will be slow and inefficient and you will receive your BSN many weeks later.
Spring 2025 PRE-REGISTRATION and REGISTRATION DAYS
You must pre-register online as a student before registering with the municipality of Amsterdam. This is possible from 16 December 2024 until 10 February 2025 18:00 CET. More information on the requirements and procedure can be found on the pre-registration website:
Once your pre-registration has been approved by the municipality of Amsterdam, you must complete the registration in person. You will receive an email to book a time slot for the special student registration days from 3 February to 12 February 2025. After registering in person, you will immediately receive your Dutch Citizen Service Number (BSN).
Please note:
- No confirmation of your pre-registration or appointment received? Check your spam folder!
- without online pre-registration and without a confirmed time slot for one of the registration days between 3 February to 12 February 2025, it will not be possible to register.
- Only register in Amsterdam if your new address is in this municipality.
Please prepare the following printed documents carefully before your appointment. Without printed documents, you cannot be registered:
- Valid proof of identity. A passport or, if you are a citizen of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, an identity card. A driving licence is not accepted as proof of identity.
- Proof of an Amsterdam address. For example a copy of an active rental contract or an address registration permission form signed by the main occupant/landlord and including a copy of their proof of identity.
- Your student card or proof of enrolment (proof of registration at the AUAS).
Visiting address registration days (only with confirmed time slot)
Bos en Lommerplein 176(opens in new window)
Amsterdam
Public transport: Bus 15 or tram 7. Bus/tramstop ‘Bos en Lommerplein’
Diemen
If your future address is within the municipality of Diemen, a neighbouring town of Amsterdam, you will have to register there instead of Amsterdam. In AUAS Housing this is the case at Rode Kruislaan (housing provider Lieven De Key) or at Dalsteindreef (housing provider OurCampus).
Spring 2025 REGISTRATION DAYS
in order to register, you will have to make an appointment with the municipality of Diemen and visit them in person.
Please bring a valid proof of ID and a printed copy of your rental contract to this appointment.
- Valid proof of identity. A passport or, if you are a citizen of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, an identity card. A driving licence is not accepted as proof of identity.
- A printed copy of your rental contract
- Non-EU students who require visa: your residence permit. If you did not collect your permit yet, you can bring your IND decision letter ('Kennisgevingsbrief' in Dutch). Our immigration team will provide this letter before 29 January 2025.
- If you are from Aruba, Curaçao, Sint-Maarten, Bonaire, Sint-Eustatius or Saba: change of address
- NOTE: You do NOT need to bring your birth certificate, despite the fact that this is mentioned on the official website. Our students are exempted from this.
- More information about the process can be found on the website of Municipality Diemen.(opens in new window)
Visiting address
D.J. Den Hartoglaan 1
1111 ZB Diemen
Check location in Google Maps(opens in new window).
Other municipalities
If you are not going to live in Amsterdam or Diemen but at a different municipality or town, you cannot register in Amsterdam or Diemen! You have to register at the municipality where you are going to live. Check the website of the specific municipality on how to register and what documents you need to bring. You might be required to bring a birth certificate as well. Examples of surrounding towns are Amstelveen, Duivendrecht, Haarlem, Haarlemmermeer, Zaandam, Purmerend, Almere.
Citizen Service Number (BSN)
Once registered, you will receive a citizen service number(opens in new window) (burgerservicenummer/BSN). You will need this number for example for opening a Dutch bank account, visiting a doctor, receiving hospital treatment or to start work.
Don't have a place to stay yet?
Officially, you must register as soon as possible after your arrival in the Netherlands. If you do not have a place to live yet, you cannot register anywhere unfortunately.
No rental contract?
If you do not have a rental contract, because you stay in the house of a friend or relative, the landlord/primary occupant/home owner needs to fill out and sign a permission to register at address form(opens in new window) (pdf download), including a copy of their proof of identity. You need to bring this document as well to your appointment. This is for the municipality of Amsterdam only. For other municipalities, please check their procedure yourself.
Couple's Room
If you rent a couple's room through the AUAS, only one of you is mentioned on the rental contract. In order to get you both registered at the municipality of Amsterdam, you need to fill out the permission to register at address form(opens in new window) as well. It also helps if you go to register together at the municipality. For other municipalities, please check their procedure yourself.
Changing address within Amsterdam?
Notify the municipality on time if you change address(opens in new window).