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Municipality of Helmond: registering with the municipality

If you come to live in the Netherlands, you must register with a municipality. This also applies if you are going to stay in the Netherlands for at least 4 months in a 6-month period. Have you not lived in the Netherlands before? In that case, you will have to do a 'first registration'. If you have lived in the Netherlands before, but emigrated before October 1994, you will also have to do a 'first registration'.

Do you live in the Netherlands for less than 4 months or not at all? Then you can register as a non-resident in the BRP (also known as RNI, the registration of non-residents). You will then be assigned a BSN. In most cases, you will need this number to contact the government.

If you were deregistered after 1 October 1994, you will have to register again. You can read more about this in the related product 'New registration in the Netherlands' at the bottom of this page.

The conditions for a first registration in the Netherlands are:

you have:

  • Dutch nationality, or
  • a passport from an EU/EEA country, or
  • a temporary or permanent residence permit
  • You will be living in the Netherlands for more than 4 months

This also applies to children born in the Netherlands who meet the residence criteria, but both parents are not registered with the municipality.

You do the registration in person at the municipality. All persons (including children) being registered must be present in person. To do this, you can only make an appointment at the Stadswinkel by telephone on 14 0492 (do not place an area code in front of the number).  

To register for the first time, the municipality needs from you:

  • a valid identity document, showing your nationality
  • proof that you have accommodation, such as a rental contract, proof of ownership or a statement from the main occupant of the property
  • a birth certificate, if you were born abroadin case of a foreign nationality from outside the European Union: a proof of lawful residence. You can request this from the IND
  • if you come from Aruba, Curaçao, Sint-Maarten, Bonaire, Sint-Eustatius and Saba: a removal notification

possibly the following documents:

  • a marriage or divorce certificate
  • a death certificate (as proof that the marriage was dissolved by death)
  • birth certificates of the children

Do you have proof of deregistration from the previous country? If so, bring that along as well.

Deeds from abroad often need to be legalised. This depends on your country of birth. More information can be found on the Rijksoverheid website.

Do you not have EU/EEA or Swiss nationality? Then you need a residence permit. This also applies to family members of people with EU/EEA or Swiss nationality who do not have this nationality themselves. During registration, you must show proof of your residence permit. You show a pass from the aliens office or a TEV declaration and an MVV sticker.

For more information about lawful residence and applying for a residence permit, please contact the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).

Registration is free of charge. You must pay the costs of translating or legalising official documents that you may need to take with you.

You must go to the municipality within 5 working days of your arrival in the Netherlands. If you do not comply with the declaration deadline, the municipality may impose a fine on you.

The municipality will process your registration within 4 weeks.

Questions about this topic?

Contact the Municipality of Helmond

Last updated on 19 November 2024