Getting a BSN Without a Fixed Address: The RNI Route

This guide is for internationals who arrive in The Hague before they have a rental contract and need a citizen service number (BSN) to get started. After reading it, you will know whether you qualify for the RNI route, which desk you can use, what to bring, what the registration does and does not do for you, and how to approach full BRP registration once you have a home.

• What the RNI is and why it matters
• Who qualifies and which desk you can use
• How to register at the RNI desk in The Hague
• What RNI registration gives you, and what it does not
• Moving to full BRP registration later
• FAQ

What the RNI is and why it matters

The BSN is the number the Dutch government uses to process your personal data. According to Government.nl, you can use it for any government service in the Netherlands, and organisations can find your data through it, so you do not have to hand over the same details again and again. Recognised care providers, such as general practice doctors and health insurance companies, have to use the BSN. Schools use it too, under the name personal identification number (PGN) or education number. Childcare organisations must ask for your BSN and your child’s.

Everyone who registers in the Personal Records Database (BRP) automatically receives a BSN. The Non-residents Records Database (RNI) is a separate register for people who live outside the Netherlands or who will be in the country for less than 4 months. Registering in the RNI gives you a BSN straight away, which is why many newcomers look at it when they do not yet have an address to register in the BRP.

Who qualifies and which desk you can use

The municipality of The Hague sets out three conditions. You do not live in the Netherlands, or you will be staying for less than 4 months. You do not yet have a BSN. And you can only request a BSN for yourself or for your child younger than 16.

Check the first condition carefully. The RNI is designed for non-residents and short stays. The official pages do not cover someone who has moved here for the long term and is still looking for housing. Whether your situation fits is up to the municipality, and it decides case by case. Do not assume the desk will accept you just because you have no address yet.

Your nationality decides which desk you can use. According to NetherlandsWorldwide, there are 19 municipalities with an RNI desk. If you have Dutch nationality, or the nationality of another EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you can choose any of them. If you do not, you can only register in Breda or Venlo. The Hague has applied this rule since 1 January 2026: its desk only registers non-residents with a European passport, and it sends everyone else to Breda or Venlo.

How to register at the RNI desk in The Hague

The process has four steps.

1. Make an appointment online. You must book it yourself; someone else cannot book it for you. Enter your details completely and correctly, including your name, address and date of birth. If you do not, the municipality will cancel your appointment. The municipality does not say which address to enter if you have none in the Netherlands yet, so ask it before you book if you are unsure.
2. Fill in the RNI form. Complete the registration form on the website of the National Office for Identity Data (RvIG) before your visit.
3. Save the QR code. The form produces a QR code. Save it on your phone or print it.
4. Go to the RNI desk. Bring the QR code and a valid passport or identity card. Arrive on time. If you are late, the municipality may not be able to help you and you will have to book again.

The Hague lists its RNI opening hours as Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 8.30 to 16.30. Registration is free. The municipality registers you in the RNI during the appointment, and you get your BSN right away. NetherlandsWorldwide adds that you must register in person so a staff member can check your identity. If you do not speak Dutch or English, bring someone who can interpret for you.

If you are registering a child younger than 16, the child must come to the appointment. Bring a passport or identity card for yourself and for your child. You also need your child’s original birth certificate, plus the acknowledgement certificate if you have one, to prove you are the parent. Some foreign certificates must first be legalised with an apostille, and some may need a translation. The Hague refers you to the Government of the Netherlands website, where you pick the country that issued the document. NetherlandsWorldwide advises checking with the municipality which requirements your document has to meet.

What RNI registration gives you, and what it does not

At the desk you receive a letter with your BSN and an overview of the data held about you in the RNI. With your BSN you can apply for a DigiD, the login for Dutch government services. You can also request an extract of your RNI registration from the municipality later if an organisation asks for proof.

Know the limits as well. The RNI records you as a non-resident. The official pages do not say it counts as registering where you live, and they do not list which employers, banks, landlords or agencies will accept it for their own processes. Each organisation decides that for itself. Government.nl also points out that non-government organisations may only use your BSN when the law requires it. The RNI route covers only you and your children under 16. A partner or another adult has to register in person, as described in the conditions above.

Moving to full BRP registration later

Once you have a home, the next step is the BRP, the database for people who live in the Netherlands. Government.nl describes the BSN as a unique personal number for everyone registered in the BRP. The official pages used for this guide do not describe how to move from the RNI to the BRP. They give no documents, deadlines or proof of address requirements for that step. Those rules belong to the municipality where you will live, and it decides case by case, so check its own registration page before you book.

In practice, bring your BSN letter and, if you have one, an RNI extract to your BRP appointment, so the municipality can see you are already registered. The Hague notes that once you are registered in the RNI, you remain registered in the RNI. If your details change while you are still only in the RNI, the municipality has a separate page for changing your address or personal details there.

FAQ

Can I register in the RNI in The Hague with a non-European passport?

No. Since 1 January 2026, The Hague only registers non-residents with a European passport in the RNI. If you do not have Dutch nationality or the nationality of another EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you can only register at the RNI desks in Breda or Venlo.

How much does RNI registration cost, and how long does it take?

Registration is free. The municipality registers you in the RNI during your appointment, and you get your BSN right away, together with an overview of your RNI data.

Can someone else book or attend the appointment for me?

No. You must book the appointment yourself, and you must attend in person so staff can check your identity. You can only request a BSN for yourself or for your child under 16, and the child must attend as well. If you do not speak Dutch or English, you may bring an interpreter.

Does my RNI registration end when I find a home?

The Hague states that once you are registered in the RNI, you remain registered in the RNI. The official pages do not explain how your RNI record and a later BRP registration work together. Ask the municipality where you will live when you book your BRP appointment, and bring your BSN letter with you.

Official sources: denhaag.nl · netherlandsworldwide.nl · government.nl

Last verified: 25 September 2026 against the official pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the official page always wins. General information, not legal or tax advice.