How to Register or Change Your Address in Amsterdam

In Amsterdam you register your address — or report a move — with the gemeente (the city), which records it in the BRP, the Dutch population register. Which route you take depends on your situation: if you are arriving from abroad, you book an in-person appointment at a Stadsloket to register for the first time (this is also when you get your BSN). If you already live in the Netherlands and are moving house, you report the move online with your DigiD. Either way it is free, and the deadline is the same: from 4 weeks before your move to no later than 5 days after.

First registration vs. reporting a move — which applies to you

These are two different processes that people often confuse:

• First registration (inschrijving) — you are moving to the Netherlands from abroad and are not yet in the BRP. This is done in person, by appointment, and it is when your BSN is issued. See the full document list and steps in our guide to getting a BSN.
• Reporting a move (verhuizing) — you are already registered somewhere in the Netherlands and are changing address, whether within Amsterdam or moving to Amsterdam from another Dutch municipality. This can usually be done online with DigiD.

The rest of this page focuses on reporting a move, plus the two situations that bracket it: arriving, and leaving.

Reporting a move within (or to) Amsterdam

If you move within Amsterdam, or move to Amsterdam from another Dutch city, you must report your new address to the City of Amsterdam. You report it for yourself; one adult can report the move for the whole household — a partner and any minor children registered at the same address.

• Deadline: from 4 weeks before your moving date to no later than 5 days after. Report late and the date the city receives your report becomes your official move date.
• How: online at amsterdam.nl with your DigiD. It can also be done in writing or in person.
• What to bring: a copy of your tenancy agreement or purchase contract for the new home, including the page with the signatures. Moving into someone else's home? You also need a consent form signed by the longest-registered resident there, plus a copy of their ID.
• Cost: free. Processing: the city processes the change within 3 weeks of your moving date.

Once your new address is registered, the city automatically informs the organisations that rely on the BRP — the Belastingdienst (Tax Administration), pension funds, and health insurers. You do not notify those separately. You do still need to update your bank, employer, and subscriptions yourself.

First registration when you arrive from abroad

If you are new to the Netherlands and plan to stay longer than 4 months, registration in the BRP is required by law. Unlike a move, this is done in person at a Stadsloket by appointment — walk-ins are not accepted — because your identity documents have to be checked before you are entered into the register. You receive your BSN the same day. The full checklist (what to bring, EU vs. non-EU, registering at someone else's address) is in our BSN guide.

If you have a residence permit (non-EU)

Residence-permit holders have a legal obligation to report a change of address to the municipality within the same window (4 weeks before to 5 days after). If you report on time, the municipality notifies the IND for you — you do not need to contact the IND separately. If you report late, you must inform the IND yourself, and the IND may impose a fine for failing to report a change of address.

Deregistering when you leave the Netherlands

If you will live abroad for more than 8 months within a year — even if not in one continuous stretch — you must deregister from the BRP. You report your departure (emigratie) in person, from 5 days before you leave (not earlier). Residence-permit holders also return their residence document to the IND, at a service desk or by post. After you deregister, your data moves to the RNI, the non-residents part of the BRP. The official steps are on the City of Amsterdam's deregistering page.