If you are going to the Netherlands as a student, you must take care of some things before you can study there. One of them is registration in the Personal Records database (in Dutch: Basisregistratie Personen, hereinafter the BRP). If as a student you want to go study in the Netherlands for a period longer than four months, you must be registered as a resident in the municipality in the Netherlands where you are going to live.
Information for students from Aruba,
Curaçao, St. Maarten and the Caribbean
Netherlands for registration in the
Personal Records Database
If you are going to the Netherlands as a student, you must take
care of some things before you can study there. One of them is
registration in the Personal Records Database (in Dutch:
Basisregistratie Personen, hereinafter the BRP). If as a student you
want to go study in the Netherlands for a period longer than four
months, you must be registered as a resident in the municipality in
the Netherlands where you are going to live.
This fact sheet contains several guidelines to facilitate this
registration in the Netherlands.
Deregistration from the PIVA is required
Before you leave for the Netherlands, you must deregister from the
population register (PIVA) of the island where you are living. You
should do this within ten days before your departure at the Census
Office department. It is important that you state in which
municipality you will reside in the Netherlands when you give
notice of your departure, so that the Census Office can send your file
to that municipality. When taking up residence in the Netherlands,
you will subsequently register there. If you decide to register in
another municipality than the one specified at departure, this will
lead to several weeks of delay in registration in the BRP.
Deregistration from the PIVA database is required in order to
register in the BRP. One of the documents which you need to
submit in order to get registered in the BRP, is the proof of
deregistration, which you will receive when you deregister at the
Census Office department.
Registration in the BRP: how and what documents
As soon as you have arrived in the Netherlands you must register as
a resident in the municipality where you are going to live within five
days. It is recommended that you check with the municipality
concerned whether you must book an appointment for this and
what documents are required for registration before you leave for
the Netherlands. In most cases this information can be found on
the website of the municipality.
After registration with a municipality, it can take up to four weeks
before you receive your citizen service number (in Dutch:
burgerservicenummer, BSN). You need a BSN for, among others,
the application for student finance in the Netherlands, taking out
healthcare insurance and for opening a Dutch bank account.
You should bring at least the following documents at registration in
the BRP in the municipality:
• A valid passport (to establish your identity)
• Original proof of deregistration (received from the Census office
of the island where you have deregistered)
• Proof of address in the Netherlands (for instance a copy of the
tenancy agreement or a signed letter, with a copy of a relative’s ID,
which proves that you can live there for the time being)
Optional: copy of birth certificate (some municipalities ask for a
copy of your birth certificate).
Please check with the municipality beforehand whether a birth
certificate is required at registration. Please note: when leaving an
island where you were not born, you may be well advised to apply
for the (foreign) birth certificate in time and have it translated if
required and, if necessary, get an apostille or legalisation stamp.
Special registration days of municipalities
There are municipalities which have fixed days or special
appointments at the Population Affairs department (in Dutch:
afdeling Burgerzaken/Publiekszaken) for registration in the BRP
for students from the Caribbean region. Furthermore, some
educational institutions have made arrangements with
municipalities about special registration days. These facilities
differ per municipality but also per educational institution. Please
check with your educational institution whether the municipality
has these special registration days.
Student days at educational institutions
You must arrange enrolment in the educational institution where
you are going to study before you leave for the Netherlands. Please
check beforehand, for instance on the website of the educational
institution, whether they offer assistance in registration in the BRP
in the Netherlands. Educational institutions for instance organise
special student days where different agencies, like the Population
Affairs department, are present. Of course you can also obtain
information from the organisations and persons mentioned below.
Contact points in Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and the
Caribbean Netherlands:
Each island has a contact person at the Population Register
department, who can provide information to students about
registration in the BRP and which documents are required for this:
Aruba: info@censo.aw
Curaçao: info.bsbv@gobiernu.cw
St. Maarten: burgerzakensxm@sintmaartengov.org
Bonaire: burgerzaken@bonairegov.com
St. Eustatius: census.office@statiagov.com
Saba: censusmail@sabagov.nl
Useful information and links:
Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO; Education Executive Agency)
Information about student finance for students from the Caribbean
region. Website: duo.nl/antillen
Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland
Here you can find information about the start-up allowance. The
start-up allowance is intended to pay for the transfer, equipment
(everything which is required for the trip and residence in the
Netherlands), furnishing, financial bridging support and guidance
in the Netherlands. The start-up allowance consists partly of a
performance grant and partly of a loan.
Website: rijksdienstcn.com/studiefinanciering
E-mail address: studiefinanciering@RijksdienstCN.com
Arubahuis
The Education Directorate of the Arubahuis bears responsibility for
Aruban students with a student loan granted by the country Aruba.
This directorate takes care of the assistance and guidance of Aruban
students who come to study in the Netherlands. Each region in the
Netherlands has a mentor who supervises a certain number of
students.
Websites: arubahuis.nl/afdelingen/onderwijs
http://www.ea.aw/pages/studia-na-hulanda
E-mail: info@arubahuis.nl arubalening@ea.aw
Stichting Studiefinanciering Curaçao
Stichting Studiefinanciering Curaçao (SSC; Student Finance
Foundation) is a financing institution which is in charge of the
granting of student finance for those following training
programmes at MBO (senior secondary vocational education and
training), HBO (higher vocational education) or university level in
Curaçao and in the Netherlands.
The head office in Curaçao takes care of the intake, registration,
payment of the monthly student finance and collection of student
debts from students.
The department in the Netherlands takes care of the assistance,
guidance and accommodation for students in the Netherlands.
Each region in the Netherlands has one or more mentors who offer
guidance to a number of students.
Website: http://www.ssc.cw
E-Mail: info@ssc.cw
Division Study Financing (DSF)
Division Study Financing (in Dutch: Dienst Studiefinanciering
St.Maarten) is the implementing agency within the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Youth and Sports and is in charge of the granting
of supplementary student finance for those following training
programmes at MBO, HBO or university level in the Netherlands.
A team of mentors and buddies offers support and guidance to
students from St. Maarten who take up studies in the Netherlands
with student finance of the country St. Maarten.
Website: https://studyfinancing-sxm.com/
E-mail address: info@studyfinancing-sxm.com
Want to know more?
Should you have any questions about registration in the
Netherlands, then please contact our Front Office at info@rvig.nl
or by telephone at 088 900 1000
Colophon
Rijksdienst voor Identiteitsgegevens
Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties
Postbus 10451 | 2501 HL Den Haag
www.rvig.nl