Registration of Non-Residents
You can register with the Registration of Non-Residents (RNI) if you are living in the Netherlands for less than four months. You can also register if you live abroad but study, work, or need to handle official matters with the Dutch government. You will receive a Citizen Service Number (burgerservicenummer or BSN). Book an appointment for this. You can schedule an appointment up to 1 month in advance.
Please note: your RNI-appointment is at the Tweede Walstraat 14 in Nijmegen
From 1 January 2026: European passport required for the Nijmegen RNI-desk
As of January 1, 2026, only people with a European passport can be helped at the RNI office in Nijmegen. Do you not have a European passport? Then you can go to 2 RNI offices: Breda and Venlo.
What you need to know
- Register in Nijmegen or at one of the other RNI-counters in the Netherlands
- As soon as you are registered you'll receive a Citizen Service Number. You'll need this number when you interact with the Dutch government, educational institutions, healthcare and taxes
- Registration is free
- You can only get one BSN and that is valid for life. If you lose the number, you can get an extract. For that you have to pay
What you should bring with you
- Your passport or identity card
- Filled out form (rvig.nl)
Registration for children under 16
A child under the age of 16 must be registered by one of the parents. The child must also be present at the appointment. Please bring the following items to the appointment:
- The child’s passport or identity card
- Your own passport or identity card
- A completed application form (rvig.nl)
- The original Dutch or international birth certificate of the child. The document can be in Dutch, English, French, or German. Check the Netherlands Worldwide website to see if legalisation is required for the document or the translation.
Please note that the birth certificate cannot always be checked and processed immediately. Sometimes extra inspection is needed, and you may need to return at a later time.