Practical information

City hall registration

If you are staying in the Netherlands for more than four months you will need to go to the city council and register as a new resident of the town where you are living. Registration regulations may vary from one council to another.

When registering with your local council, you are automatically issued a BSN. BSN is short for Burger Service Nummer, which translates as ‘citizen service number’. The BSN is equivalent to a social security number: a unique registration number for every citizen, used in contacts with any government service. Various people may ask for your BSN. If you have a job, your employer will need to know your BSN. When you open a bank account the bank will also ask for your BSN.

Some study departments arrange the appointment for international students. Please check with your study department if you need to make the appointment yourself or if they will arrange it for you.

Bring the following documents to the appointment

A valid passport
Original birth certificate or original legalised true copy of the birth certificate (not older than six months). If your birth certificate was not issued in the Dutch, English, French or German language, you will also need to submit a sworn translation. Additional stamps, from the government of the country which issued the birth certificate, might be required. In order to confirm which legalisation you are required to have, you must contact the Dutch Embassy or Consulate in your own country. Please check https://www.netherlandsandyou.nl to find details of your local Embassy or Consulate
Proof of civil status only in case you are married, divorced or a widow(er). In Venlo it’s always necessary to bring a proof of civil status
Rental agreement for your room in the Netherlands
Declaration of acceptance by Fontys University of Applied Sciences
Print of the approval letter of the Dutch Immigration Service (IND) if applicable

If you are going to change your address or move to another city do not forget to inform the municipality. If your study period ends and you want to leave the Netherlands, you have to deregister.

Note: The landlord of your room can ask you for proof of deregistration at the municipality as a condition to get your deposit back.

Extra information for students from China

Chinese students are required to bring the following documents in addition:

Legalized notarized declaration* which includes family name, given names, date of birth, place of birth, name of father and name of mother and a notarized certified true copy of the document or documents on which the notary has based his statement regarding the birth and the data of the parents.

Documents that will be accepted:

Hukou of the parents in which the birth of the child is registered and a declaration of the hospital which explicitly states that this statement can be used for the registration of the birth in the Hukou registry;
A statement from the Public Security Bureau where the requested data prove out;
Notarized certified copy of the updated and complete Hukou of the child itself.

This should be done as soon as possible, as the legalisation process can take a number of months.

Information about legalisation of foreign documents for use in the Netherlands.