The Registration of Non-Residents (Registratie Niet-Ingezetenen, RNI) is intended for people who do not live in the Netherlands but who have or have had contact with the Dutch government. This includes, for example, people who work temporarily in the Netherlands, have previously worked there, study there, or receive a Dutch pension.
Why is registration in the RNI important?
Registration in the RNI is important because it ensures that your personal details are recorded correctly. This enables Dutch government organisations, such as the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst) and the Social Insurance Bank (Sociale Verzekeringsbank, SVB), to contact you reliably and provide their services properly. When you first register as a non-resident in the RNI, you are also issued a Citizen Service Number (Burgerservicenummer, BSN). This number allows you to arrange various matters with the Dutch authorities, such as working, paying taxes or accessing certain government services.
Keeping your RNI registration correct and up to date also helps prevent problems caused by incorrect or outdated information. This can help avoid delays in benefit payments, allowances or other administrative procedures.
How can I prevent delays?
Registration problems often arise when a move to another address abroad is not automatically reported by your country of residence to the RNI in the Netherlands. As a result, mail from Dutch government organisations may no longer reach you, or you may no longer be able to log in to government websites using your DigiD.
In short, keeping your RNI registration up to date makes it easier to arrange matters with the Dutch government, even if you do not live in the Netherlands. It is therefore advisable to keep your details up to date and report any changes in good time.
What information about me is registered in the RNI and how can I keep it up to date?
This depends on how you were registered in the RNI. For example, registration may have taken place automatically when you emigrated from the Netherlands, through a Dutch government organization, or through your own registration in the RNI.
You can change some details yourself, while other details cannot be changed directly by you. Depending on the type of information, you may be able to make changes digitally via MyRNI, the online portal of the Dutch National Office for Identity Data (Rijksdienst voor Identiteitsgegevens). In other cases, you will need to visit an RNI desk (RNI-loket) in person. There are 19 municipalities in the Netherlands with an RNI desk. You will generally need to make an appointment in advance for a visit. Please note: Third-country nationals can only register in the RNI or have their details changed at the RNI desks in Breda and Venlo.
Information about which details are registered in the RNI and whether and how they can be changed can be found on the Dutch government website:
NederlandWereldwijd – RNI: https://www.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/rni
The website also provides information on how you can check which personal details are currently registered in the RNI.