All students staying in the Netherlands for four months or longer must register as a citizen of Groningen with City Hall. You will be registered in their database, the ‘Gemeentelijke Basis Administratie’. As stated in your letter of acceptance, Hanze University Groningen requires you to do this before 1 October for September intake and before 1 March for February intake.
You can make an appointment upon arrival. Go to www.gemeente.groningen.nl, click on ‘English’, choose ‘Living’ and select ‘Appointment Immigration’ and click on ‘Next’.
You need to bring the following documents for your registration:
- Your passport or ID
- Your rental agreement
- Your residence permit (non-EU/EEA nationals)
- Your legalized birth certificate
- Your legalized marriage certificate (if applicable)
More information on legalization of documents for use in the Netherlands can be found on the site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Representatives of City Hall will be present on our Welcoming Day.
BSN (Citizen Service Number)
Once you have registered as a citizen of Groningen you will receive your personal citizen service number. This is an important number for your stay in The Netherlands. With the BSN you can apply for a DigiD-code. A DigiD-code can be used for a large number of administrative matters in The Netherlands. Especially if you will be staying here for several years, the DigiD-code may come in very handy. How to apply for a DigiD-code.
Changing address or leaving Groningen?
If you move to another address within Groningen you always need to change your registration at City Hall. Please note that when you leave Groningen permanently you need to deregister with City Hall. You can do this digitally at www.gemeente.groningen.nl (you will need a DigiD for this) or by sending this an e-mail to buz.verhuizingen@dia.groningen.nl with the following details.
City Hall Groningen
Kreupelstraat 1
9712 HW Groningen
tel. + 31 50 3677070
fax + 31 50 3677075
email: info@groningen.nl
www.gemeente.groningen.nl