Upon Arrival in the Netherlands

Upon arrival, there are a few more steps you need to take before you get completely settled and start studying. Below you find all the information you need.
Upon your arrival, the Royal Conservatoire will provide practical guidelines regarding collecting your residence permit (for non-EU/EEA students), registration with the municipality and opening a bank account.

For more information, please visit the Study in NL website: Study in NL: To do after arrival.

In principle, within five days upon their arrival in the Netherlands, all students planning to stay longer than 4 months must register in the Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen/BRP) of the city in which they will be living. As a result of their registration with the municipality, students will receive a Citizen Service Number (burgerservicenummer/BSN).

Please note that non-EU/EEA students can only register with the municipality after the Royal Conservatoire has applied to the IND for their Dutch residence permit (VVR) for study purpose.
For more details, please see ‘Dutch residence permit for study purpose: application procedure’.

For municipal registration purpose, newly arrived international citizens in The Hague should contact the municipality The Hague for an appointment at one of the available city district offices.

Visit the website of the city The Hague for all information about moving and immigration.

For addresses and opening hours of the city district offices in The Hague: City district offices The Hague.

Please note that international students who will be living in The Hague should register at the city district office Segbroek. For scheduling an appointment, there is a special online appointment system.
For more information, please visit The Hague: Make an appointment for registration as a student

On the day of their appointment, students are required to bring the following documents:

· A valid passport (or national identity card of an EU/EEA country).

· An original birth certificate (plus official translation, preferably to Dutch). In many cases, it must be legalised. However, international students who intend to study and live in the Netherlands for a limited period of time are usually exempted from presenting an original birth certificate.

· Proof of occupancy (some proof of where the student lives): for instance, a sale or tenancy contract, or a written statement from the main resident confirming that they allow the student to live there. In this case, a photocopy of a valid passport or national identity card of that resident is also required as a check on the signature.

· For non-EU/EEA students: valid Dutch residence permit (VVR), or (photocopy of an) IND letter, confirming that the application for a Dutch residence permit is in process.

Please note: international visitors who will only stay in the Netherlands for a period up to four months (for instance, for temporary study or employment) can also register with the municipality as a non-resident (niet-ingezetene) in the Register Niet-Ingezetenen (RNI) and receive a BSN.

As soon as students move to another address in the Netherlands, they must report their new address to one of the city district offices within 5 days after moving.

As soon as students will stay outside the Netherlands for a longer period (longer than 8 months in one year), for example, upon completion of their studies, they must report this fact to one of the city district offices within 5 days before their departure.

The Citizen Service Number (burgerservicenummer/BSN) is a unique personal number allocated to everyone registered in the Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen/BRP). Everyone who registers with the BRP is automatically given a BSN.
Students usually need a BSN to open a student bank account, take out health insurance, get a job or internship position in the Netherlands, etc.

For more information on the BSN, visit Government: Citizen Service Number (BSN).

After students receive their BSN, they can apply for a DigiD. This digital ID allows students to take care of government-related issues online. Students can use DigiD to log in to government websites like DUO (Student Finance), Belastingdienst (Tax and Customs Administration), municipality services or healthcare.

For more information on the DigiD, visit DigiD.

As a general rule, all banks in the Netherlands are required to register the BSN of their customers. However, some banks might make an exception to the BSN requirement for newly arrived international students, on the condition that international students can present some proof of their enrolment in the Netherlands.

Special student accounts are usually also available to international students in the Netherlands.

Some banks nearby the Royal Conservatoire:

ABN AMRO: Koningskade 30, 2596 AA Den Haag

ASN Bank: Bezuidenhoutseweg 153, 2594 Den Haag (Dutch website only)

ING: Theresiastraat 93, 2594 AG Den Haag

Rabobank: Bezuidenhoutseweg 5, 2594 AB Den Haag (Dutch website only)