City Hall/Municipality
On this page you can find information about registering at City Hall Rotterdam. For a concise explanation of the registration process, please check the following video: Arriving in Rotterdam: How to Register at City Hall?
(This information is not applicable to International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) students, since ISS is located in The Hague instead of Rotterdam. Upon acceptance to your programme, you will be informed by ISS how to register at the City Hall in The Hague.)
If you will be living in the Netherlands for more than 4 months, you are obliged to register at the City Hall in the town in which you are living. Check if the following two points apply to you:
- Check if your room is a sublet - If your room is a sublet, there is a considerable chance that you may not use the address to register at City Hall. A formal declaration from the main occupant and a tenancy agreement signed by the landlord, to prove that you are allowed to register at the address, are required!
- Check if you need to pick up your Dutch residence permit - Non-EU/EEA students must ensure to pick up their Dutch residence permit at the IND front office in the Conradstraat prior to the appointment! It is only possible to collect your residence permit after you receive a message from International Office EUR that your permit is ready. We advise you to wait with scheduling an appointment for registration at City Hall until you receive the residence permit pick-up notification.
To schedule an appointment at City Hall, please see the website of the municipality.
Registration on campus at One Stop Shop
At the start of every semester, we provide our international students the opportunity to register at the City Hall during the One Stop Shops on campus. That way, you can arrange all practical matters in one go and don't have to visit the City Hall in the city centre. This applies only for students that want to register at the City Hall of Rotterdam.
Note that there are two situations in which you have to visit City Hall and can’t be registered on campus. This is when:
- You live in Rotterdam, but within a postal zone that requires a permit of residence, also known as HVV. If you want to know whether your live in a street or neighbourhood the requires additional documents for registration, do the postal code check. Moreover, note that since March 2019 a municipal law authorizes the municipality to request a police clearance if you wish to rent in certain streets. To receive clearance, you don’t need anything in advance. The police will conduct a screening when you register with HVV at the City Hall. However check the additional requirements for registering with HVV.
- You live in a municipality other than Rotterdam, for example Schiedam or Capelle. This is what you should know about registering in Capelle and Schiedam.
BSN-number & Studielink
After registration, you will receive a letter from City Hall with your BSN-number within four weeks. This letter will be sent to your Dutch address by postal mail. After registration, you must also change your postal address in Studielink. Your home address in Studielink will automatically be updated after your registration at City Hall. Exchange students should notify their contact person at the faculty about their change in address.
The following documents are required to complete your registration.
IMPORTANT: most of the documents need to be collected before arrival in the Netherlands.
Keep in mind that you will receive a Dutch citizen number (BSN) a few weeks after registering at the City Hall.
| Documents needed for City Hall registration | Applicable to whom? |
|---|---|
| All students |
| Non-EU/EEA students only |
| Students from the Netherlands Antilles or Aruba only |
| Married students (who will be staying in the Netherlands for more than 6 months) only |
| Documents needed for City Hall registration with HVV | Specific postal zones |
|---|---|
If you have to register with HVV, you do need to bring a filled out application for residence permit and the second part of this form signed by your landlord. Also: bring a statement of admission provided by your faculty. |
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When moving in Rotterdam, you need to report your new address within 5 days at City Hall. You can find the procedure on this page. If you will be moving to another place than Rotterdam, you should contact your local City Hall for information about arranging the change of your Dutch address.
When you leave the Netherlands, you have to deregister at City Hall. It is recommended to deregister yourself a month before leaving the Netherlands. If you will be leaving another place than Rotterdam, you should contact your local City Hall for information about arranging your deregistration.
The municipality of Rotterdam can impose a fine if you deliberately provide incorrect information for the Persons Database (BRP).
Note: If you stay in the Student Hotel, remember to ask for a confirmation of residence. Without registration as a Student Hotel resident, you are obliged to pay tourist taxes. The Student Hotel is familiar with issuing rental statements.
The City Hall of Capelle and Schiedam are not coming to the One Stop Shops. Different rules apply for registration at those municipalities.
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