International student registration

Are you moving to Maastricht from abroad to study here for more than 4 months? At Maastricht University, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Vista College, or a master studies like the Jan van Eyck Academy? Then you need a BSN number, for your health insurance, opening a bank account and accessing all kinds of government services. For this, you need to register with the municipality.  Do so on time, as it can take up to five weeks before you can collect your BSN number.

Please note that if you come from outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you must first apply for a residence permit.

Have you lived in the Netherlands before? Then of course you do not need to apply for a BSN number, because you already have one. However, you will have to re-register with the municipality.

Registering with the gemeente 

Registering with the gemeente (municipality) works as follows.

  1. Fill in the online registration form. Note! When filling in the form, turn off Google Translate.
  2. If your application has reached the municipality, you will receive a confirmation of receipt in your mailbox. 
  3. After receiving your registration form, we will send you an e-mail within a few weeks with information about when you can collect your BSN number, how to schedule an appointment at the municipality and what you need to bring with you.
  4. After that, you must come and collect your BSN number within 2 months. So you have to make an appointment at the municipality for that.
  5. You need to bring your passport and your birth certificate (if you happen to have it) for that appointment. For more information on legalising foreign documents for use in the Netherlands, go to Netherlands Worldwide.

We kindly ask you not to call or visit the gemeente to ask about the status of your settlement. Processing your registration request may take several weeks. Sending in a form again will only delay the process.
 

BSN

You will receive information on how to collect your Dutch citizen service number (BSN) as soon as possible (within a few weeks) once we have received your registration request. Your BSN gives you access to all kinds of government services. Registering with the gemeente is compulsory if you are going to live in the Netherlands for at least 4 months.

Moving home within the Netherlands

You can tell us you are moving home online if you are already registered in another gemeente in the Netherlands and if you are coming to Maastricht to study.