BSN & BRP

Personal Records Database (BRP)

The Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen - BRP) is a government database which contains the personal data of every resident in the Netherlands. Residents are required to notify the BRP of changes of address, births, marriages, deaths and other events that may affect their legal status or the government services which they are entitled to. The BRP is maintained by the Civil Registration Office. 

You can check your BRP record online with your Digital Identification (DigiD) at MijnOverheid or you can make an appointment with your municipality to view your data. If you find that your data in the BRP is wrong or incomplete, you should ask your municipality for it to be changed. The municipality will make changes in your BRP record based on official documents that are provided by specified authorities and, in some cases, these documents will need to be apostille/certified. 

Citizen Service Number (BSN)

If you are coming to the Netherlands to work or to study, you will need a Citizen Service Number (Burgerservicenummer - BSN). The BSN is a unique personal number which you will receive when you register with the municipality. It makes the contact between different government organisations and individuals that much smoother. You will need a BSN to start a job, open a Dutch bank account, apply for Dutch health insurance, register your child at a school or apply for government benefits for housing, healthcare or childcare. You will receive a BSN only once in your life and it will always remain yours, even if you relocate abroad. 

Make sure to keep your BSN confidential and only give it to official organisations such as those listed above. This will prevent others from having access to your personal data and using it for fraud or identity theft purposes.