What must I arrange in my first 90 days?
Confirm your residence and work rights before travel. If you will stay at least four months in six months, register with your municipality within five days of arrival. After registration, arrange your government login and banking. Find a local general practitioner and care services as you settle. Check your health-insurance duty as soon as residence or work starts. If Dutch basic insurance is compulsory, arrange it within four months of that duty starting.
This checklist is for newcomers settling in the Netherlands. If you lack valid residence status while awaiting a required permit, or cannot prove your identity, ask the municipality when to register.
Before arrival: residence, work and documents
Check your residence and work rights before you travel or start a job. Citizens of the EU (European Union), EEA (European Economic Area) and Switzerland need no residence permit. Third-country nationals are people without one of those nationalities.
If you need a permit, follow your IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst, Immigration and Naturalisation Service) (External site, opens in a new tab) decision. Your gemeente (municipality) sets the appointment and document requirements. These are the three checks to make before departure:
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| Action | Applies to | Deadline or condition | Reason and next link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm residence and work rights | Everyone; especially third-country nationals | Before travel and before starting work | Your route decides whether you need a permit or sponsor and which work conditions apply. Use the Dutch residence-permits overview and work-rights guide. |
| Book the gemeente appointment | Anyone staying at least four months in six months | Book before travel. Registration is normally due within five days of arrival; residence-status and identity exceptions are explained above and below. | Appointments can have long waits. Use the BSN (burgerservicenummer, citizen service number) and municipality-registration guide. |
| Collect registration documents | Everyone registering, including partner and children | Before leaving the country that issued them | The municipality may ask for birth, marriage and address documents. Check translations and legalisation in the documents-before-moving guide. |
Days 1–5: municipality registration
The five-day deadline has exceptions. If you have no valid residence status and are waiting for a required residence permit, you may register later. If you cannot prove your identity, you may wait for the investigation outcome. Ask the gemeente what applies to you. In asylum reception, follow the reception service’s registration instructions.
For other residents staying at least four months in six months, registration is due within five days of arrival. Register in person by following these steps:
- Book an appointment with the gemeente where you will live. Book before travel if possible.
- Collect all documents on your gemeente's list. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens use a valid passport or identity card. If you need a residence permit, the gemeente may also request your residence document or IND letter.
- Attend the registration appointment. Your partner and children who moved with you must also attend and bring valid identification.
Registration enters you in the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP, Personal Records Database) (External site, opens in a new tab). You receive a burgerservicenummer if you do not already have one. An existing BSN stays the same. The municipality decides how long processing takes.
If you will stay under four months and need a BSN for work or study, use the Registratie Niet-Ingezetenen (RNI, Non-residents Records Database) (External site, opens in a new tab). Dutch, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can choose from 19 RNI desks. Other nationals can register only in Breda or Venlo.
After registration: government login, banking and local care
If you are registered as a resident with a Dutch municipality, apply for DigiD (digital government login) (External site, opens in a new tab). You need a BSN and a mobile phone. The activation letter goes to your registered address.
If you registered in the RNI, follow DigiD’s application route for nonresidents (External site, opens in a new tab).
These tasks can run at the same time. Start the insurance check as soon as residence or paid work begins, even if your BSN is delayed.
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| Action | Applies to | Deadline or condition | Reason and next link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apply for and activate DigiD | Residents registered with a Dutch municipality who have a BSN and mobile phone | Apply after resident registration; activate before the 21-day code expires | Use the DigiD setup guide. |
| Decide whether Dutch health insurance is compulsory | Anyone living, working or studying in the Netherlands | Check as soon as residence or paid work begins; if required, arrange it within four months | The obligation and start date depend on your situation. Use the health-insurance guide. |
| Open a bank account | Anyone who needs salary payments or Dutch direct debits | The official moving checklist (External site, opens in a new tab) gives no arrival deadline for opening an account. Check the bank's own document requirements and deadlines. | Some banks allow you to provide the BSN later. Check the conditions in the Dutch bank-account guide. |
| Register with a huisarts (general practitioner, GP) | Everyone settling locally | Registration is recommended, rather than compulsory; arrange it before you need care | A huisarts provides primary care and referrals. Use the huisarts guide. |
| Give your BSN and address to the organisation that needs them | Employees, students and parents | Use the employer, institution or school deadline | Employers and schools use the BSN for their records. Check the work, study and family table below. |
Health insurance for your situation
Your residence, work and study situation determine whether you must take out Dutch basic health insurance. The SVB (Sociale Verzekeringsbank, Social Insurance Bank) (External site, opens in a new tab) checks whether you are insured under Wlz (Wet langdurige zorg, Long-term Care Act). If the SVB confirms your Wlz coverage, you must take out Dutch health insurance.
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| Situation | Action | Deadline or condition | Next link |
|---|---|---|---|
| You live or work under Dutch social-insurance rules | Take out Dutch basic health insurance with cover from the date the obligation starts | As soon as possible; within four months of the duty starting. Ask which start date applies to your residence or work situation. | Check start dates and backdating in the health-insurance guide. |
| You came only to study and do not work | Keep suitable home-country or international cover. Dutch basic insurance is normally not required. If you are not insured under Wlz, you cannot take it out. | Recheck before any paid job, paid volunteering or internship | Work can change your Wlz status. Use the Dutch health-insurance guide. |
| You work for a foreign employer, are posted or work only for an EU institution | Confirm which country's insurance rules cover you | Before buying a Dutch policy | Ask the SVB for an assessment if you are unsure. Use the Dutch health-insurance guide. |
| You are waiting for a residence decision or are in asylum reception | Follow the temporary or reception cover that applies to you | Until you can and must enter Dutch basic insurance | Follow IND or reception instructions. If a residence decision is pending and you receive an uninsured letter, request an SVB assessment. |
Ask for an assessment if you are unsure which row applies.
Paid work or paid volunteering can create an insurance duty when study alone did not. Recheck before any internship too.
If your policy starts within four months of the duty starting, cover is backdated to that date. You also pay premiums for that earlier period.
For qualifying Dutch employment, the duty starts when work starts. For an asylum seeker entering Dutch insurance after a permit decision, the permit start date can apply. Ask your insurer or the SVB which date applies to you.
For example, your insurance duty starts on 1 October 2026. If your policy starts within four months, it covers you from 1 October. You also pay premiums from 1 October. Ask your insurer to confirm the start date for your case.
If you arrange insurance after four months, the earlier period is not covered.
If you receive an uninsured letter from the CAK (Centraal Administratie Kantoor, the office that checks health-insurance coverage) (External site, opens in a new tab), follow its instructions for your situation:
- If you have Regeling Medische zorg Asielzoekers (RMA, medical care scheme for asylum seekers) (External site, opens in a new tab) cover, notify the CAK.
- If you already have Dutch basic insurance, ask your insurer to check that your policy is registered.
- Otherwise, take out Dutch basic insurance if required. If you think the duty does not apply, request an SVB assessment.
Residence documents for your situation
Use the row for your nationality or permit, then check the final row for a required tuberculosis test. Follow the instructions in your IND decision.
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| Status | Action | Deadline or condition | Next link |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU, EEA or Swiss citizen | Keep proof of nationality and check the free-movement conditions for a stay over three months | No residence permit; usually no IND registration. Resident registration applies at least four months in six months. | Use the residence-permits overview. |
| Family member without EU, EEA or Swiss nationality joining a citizen who qualifies under EU law | Apply for toetsing aan het EU-recht (verification against EU law) (External site, opens in a new tab). | Apply from inside the Netherlands. For a Dutch citizen, this route applies only in specific free-movement situations. Check the IND family-member requirements (External site, opens in a new tab). | Start with the residence-permits overview. |
| Third-country residence-permit holder | Give biometrie (photo, fingerprints and signature) if requested. IND tells you when your card is ready. Collect it then. Check its dates and work wording. | Use the place and timing in the IND message | For work wording, use the work-rights guide. |
| Permit holder whose application said they would take a tuberculosis (TB) test | Book the test with the GGD (regional public-health service) (External site, opens in a new tab). Take the referral form. | Within three months after receiving the residence permit | Follow the condition in your IND decision; it does not apply to every nationality or permit. |
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens usually do not register with IND. An exception applies if IND previously ended your lawful EU residence. Check the IND instructions in that case.
Work, study, school and inburgering tasks
If you have a school-age child, contact a school while the child's BSN is pending. Check each row that applies to you.
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| Situation | Action | Deadline or condition | Next link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee | Check the work wording on your permit before starting, then give payroll your BSN | Check work rights before the first workday. Give payroll your BSN as soon as it is available. | Use the work-rights guide. |
| International student | Follow the institution's permit and enrolment instructions; recheck work rights and insurance before a job or paid internship | Follow the institution's deadlines. Recheck work rights and insurance before paid work starts. | Start with the residence-permits overview. |
| Parent with a school-age child | Contact a school and enrol the child; tell the school if the BSN is still pending | Attendance is compulsory from the month after the fifth birthday; contact the school while other paperwork is pending | Use the Dutch-school-system guide. |
| Person who may have to complete inburgering (civic integration) | Read the municipality and DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Dutch education service) (External site, opens in a new tab) letters. Act on their dates. | Nationality alone does not decide the duty. The formal notice tells you what applies. | Check who must integrate. |
By day 90: post, benefits, tax, driving and address changes
Use MijnOverheid (personal government portal) (External site, opens in a new tab) after activating DigiD. Its Berichtenbox (digital government mailbox) (External site, opens in a new tab) holds official letters. Check the tasks below by day 90; use the actual deadline shown, even when it falls earlier or later.
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| Action | Applies to | Deadline or condition | Reason and next link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activate MijnOverheid and turn on email notifications | Anyone with DigiD | After DigiD activation | Choose which organisations send digital post. Use the MijnOverheid and Berichtenbox guide. |
| Check which benefits you can claim after the relevant policy or household condition starts | People with Dutch insurance, eligible rent or children | A 2026 zorgtoeslag (healthcare benefit) claim is due by 31 December 2027. Kinderopvangtoeslag (childcare benefit) has a shorter window, explained below. | Check income, assets and household conditions in the toeslagen (benefits) overview. |
| Save tax records from both countries | Anyone with income, assets or a move during the tax year | Keep records now; your return must arrive before the date in your tax-return letter | The move-year return has separate questions. Use the income-tax guide for newcomers. |
| Check a foreign driving licence before driving | Anyone who plans to drive | Before driving; validity depends on where the licence was issued | Use the driving-licence exchange guide. |
| Report an address change | Anyone who moves after temporary housing | Report the move from four weeks before until five days after moving | Keep your BRP address current. Use the change-of-address guide. |
You apply for benefits through Dienst Toeslagen (Benefits Service) (External site, opens in a new tab). The normal deadline for 2026 zorgtoeslag is 31 December 2027. An income-tax filing extension can give you longer. For kinderopvangtoeslag, apply within three months after the month in which childcare starts to avoid losing earlier payments.
The Belastingdienst (Tax Administration) (External site, opens in a new tab) has a separate tax return for the year you move. Keep income and asset records from both countries for that return.
Common registration problems
A registration delay does not pause your other deadlines. Match your problem to the action below and keep appointment confirmations and official letters.
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| Blocker | Action | Reason and next link |
|---|---|---|
| No registrable home address | Ask the gemeente about a briefadres. Use your real living situation. | The gemeente checks whether you qualify. It must arrange a briefadres for eligible people without a host. Use the address-registration problems guide. |
| No appointment inside five days | Book the earliest appointment. Save the confirmation. Ask whether registration can start from the booking date. | The municipality decides whether an earlier registration date is possible. Use the BSN and municipality-registration guide. |
| BSN is delayed | Contact the gemeente. Continue tasks that need no BSN while keeping IND, TB-test and insurance deadlines. | A DigiD application needs a BSN. Keep the other dates in your calendar and use the relevant guide above. |
For a briefadres with a private host, bring your own identity document, the host's signed written permission and the host's identity document or a copy. Check the gemeente's document list. A briefadres cannot be a PO box.
Your registration booking and deadline list
Book municipal registration first if you have not done so. Mark the rows that apply to your nationality, permit, work, study and family situation. Put each deadline in your calendar. Use these guides for registration problems, income tax and Dutch social norms:
- Author
- By Inburgering.org team
- Reviewer
- Reviewed by Kirill Svavolia
Official Sources
- NetherlandsWorldwide: Checklist moving to the Netherlands (External site, opens in a new tab) - the official overview of tasks before arrival, immediately after arrival and later
- NetherlandsWorldwide: When to register with a municipality (External site, opens in a new tab) - registration within five days, family attendance, local document requirements and keeping an existing BSN
- NetherlandsWorldwide: Register in the RNI (External site, opens in a new tab) - RNI registration for stays under four months, 19 desks and the nationality rules for choosing a desk
- DigiD: Apply for a DigiD (External site, opens in a new tab) - BSN, registered-address and mobile-phone requirements; the activation letter goes to your registered address
- DigiD: Activate your DigiD (External site, opens in a new tab) - the 21-day activation-code deadline
- IND: Living in the Netherlands (External site, opens in a new tab) - arrival duties for permit holders, including BRP registration, tuberculosis tests and insurance
- IND: Collect a residence document (External site, opens in a new tab) - when and where a residence document can be collected after an IND notice
- IND: Staying as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen (External site, opens in a new tab) - no-permit free movement and the conditions for stays longer than three months
- Government.nl: Compulsory health insurance after moving (External site, opens in a new tab) - the four-month window, start of coverage and foreign-employer exceptions
- SVB: Studies or internship and Wlz insurance (External site, opens in a new tab) - why student-only stays usually differ and how paid work or an internship can change insurance
- Dienst Toeslagen: Apply for a benefit (External site, opens in a new tab) - BSN and DigiD requirements and the 31 December following-year application deadline
- Rijksoverheid (Dutch central government): Registering at a briefadres (External site, opens in a new tab) - at least four months in six months; correspondence-address eligibility, documents and the municipality’s duty when no host is available
- Rijksoverheid: When to register in the BRP (External site, opens in a new tab) - five-day registration deadline and exceptions for pending residence permission or an identity investigation
- Overheid.nl (Dutch government portal): Wet basisregistratie personen, original publication (External site, opens in a new tab) - original legal basis for the resident-registration threshold and reporting a later address change, articles 2.38 and 2.39
- IND: Wonen in Nederland (Living in the Netherlands) (External site, opens in a new tab) - Dutch source confirming arrival duties and the three-month tuberculosis-test deadline
- IND: Verification against EU law for family members (External site, opens in a new tab) - the required EU-law family application, applying inside the Netherlands and the specific free-movement situations for Dutch citizens
- IND: Requirements that apply to everyone (External site, opens in a new tab) - exceptions to the tuberculosis-test requirement
- IND: Afspraak biometrie (biometrics appointment) (External site, opens in a new tab) - when an IND letter allows a biometrics appointment
- IND: After a positive decision (External site, opens in a new tab) - checking the residence document and work notation when collecting it
- Rijksoverheid: Health insurance when working in the Netherlands (External site, opens in a new tab) - compulsory insurance, the four-month window, residence-only assessments, foreign-employer and EU-institution exceptions
- Overheid.nl: Zorgverzekeringswet (Health Insurance Act), original publication (External site, opens in a new tab) - original legal basis for cover backdated to the insurance-duty date when the policy starts within four months, article 5(5)
- SVB: Working outside the Netherlands (External site, opens in a new tab) - cross-border work and posting can change which country provides social insurance
- Rijksoverheid: Health insurance for asylum seekers (External site, opens in a new tab) - reception cover, temporary alternatives and the permit-start example for backdated cover and premiums
- CAK: Received an uninsured letter (External site, opens in a new tab) - uninsured-letter actions for people with reception cover, existing Dutch insurance, pending residence decisions or an uncertain insurance duty
- Rijksoverheid: Choosing a huisarts (External site, opens in a new tab) - registration is recommended rather than compulsory; insurers can help find a practice
- Rijksoverheid: Primary care (External site, opens in a new tab) - the huisarts provides primary care
- Rijksoverheid: Referrals from a huisarts (External site, opens in a new tab) - a huisarts refers patients when specialist care is medically necessary
- ABN AMRO: Providing a BSN (External site, opens in a new tab) - an example of a bank allowing account opening before a BSN, with its own document deadline
- Rijksoverheid: When a child starts school (External site, opens in a new tab) - compulsory school attendance begins in the month after the fifth birthday
- DUO: Integration in the Netherlands (External site, opens in a new tab) - integration letters, municipal intake and route-specific duties
- MijnOverheid: Government post and personal records (External site, opens in a new tab) - DigiD login and the Berichtenbox for government letters
- NederlandWereldwijd (NetherlandsWorldwide): Using the Berichtenbox (External site, opens in a new tab) - choosing organisations and enabling email notifications for government post
- Dienst Toeslagen: Application deadlines (External site, opens in a new tab) - the following-year deadline, tax-return extensions and the shorter childcare-benefit window
- Belastingdienst: Migration-year tax return (External site, opens in a new tab) - the separate online return or paper aangifteformulier M (migration-year tax return form) for the year of immigration
- Belastingdienst: Tax-return deadline (External site, opens in a new tab) - the return must arrive before the date in the tax-return letter
- RDW (vehicle and driving-licence authority): Driving with a foreign licence (External site, opens in a new tab) - validity depends on issuing country, licence category and dates
- Rijksoverheid: Reporting a move (External site, opens in a new tab) - reporting a move from four weeks before until five days after moving
- GGD: Find your regional public-health service (External site, opens in a new tab) - the directory for finding the GGD responsible for your area
- SVB: Assessment of Wlz insurance (External site, opens in a new tab) - an SVB finding of Wlz insurance requires Dutch health insurance; how to request an assessment
- SVB: Frequently asked questions about Wlz (External site, opens in a new tab) - people without Wlz coverage cannot take out Dutch health insurance; the study-only student exception
- Dienst Toeslagen: Zorgtoeslag (External site, opens in a new tab) - the official name of the contribution toward health-insurance costs
- RMA: Regeling Medische zorg Asielzoekers (External site, opens in a new tab) - the medical care scheme for asylum seekers and its official website
- DigiD: Application route for nonresidents (External site, opens in a new tab) - the RNI application route, including activation-code collection at a service desk or through an eligible video appointment
- IND: Toetsing aan het EU-recht (verification against EU law) (External site, opens in a new tab) - the official Dutch application name and requirements for qualifying family members