Expat Desks
Expat Desks for International Arrivals
Places with a relatively large international community often run an expat desk catering specifically to new international arrivals. These expat desks can help you in English and provide a number of services at once (one-stop shop), such as immigration, registration and tax identification (BSN). You can also receive information about a selected number of private business partners who can provide specialist services to you.
| Expat Service Desk | City Region |
|---|---|
| InAmsterdam | Amsterdam |
| Holland Expat Center South | Eindhoven |
| IWCUR | Utrecht |
| Rotterdam Expat Centre | Rotterdam |
| International Welcome Center North | Groningen |
| The Hague International Centre | Den Haag |
| Expat Centre Maastricht | Maastricht |
| Expat Center East Netherlands | Hengelo |
| Expat Desk Nijmegen | Nijmegen |
If you are renting a room, apartment or house you have to register the address as your new home address. Therefore, check that it is allowed to register at the address of your rented home. Your rent should cover for the local municipal taxes as these typically are paid for by your landlord. If registering at the new rental home is not allowed by the landlord, usually to avoid increases in local taxes, you may avoid the place to avoid complications in your residency status.
Living in the Netherlands Unregistered
Remaining unregistered or registering at the wrong address is not permitted. Municipalities, such as Amsterdam, introduced fines of up to 325 euros for failing to register at the correct address. If you are registered at the wrong address, notify the municipality timely.
Registering for a tax number (BSN)
For a stay in the Netherlands shorter than four months, you are not required to be registered. However, if you need a Dutch social security number (tax number or BSN) for work or study, you can and should also register.