The municipality and citizen services (gemeente)

The basic services at the citizen services department (burgerzaken) are registering residence and moves, extracts from the personal records (uittreksel BRP), birth and marriage certificates (extracts from the civil status register), passports, ID cards and driving licences for Dutch citizens, registering marriage, registered partnership and divorce, registering death, waste cards and municipal tax charges, and parking permits.

• There are social services such as allowances (bijstand) and support for low-income families, integration offices for migrants, and youth and support centres (wijkteam).
• Some municipalities offer services in English, especially the big cities.

Book an appointment on your municipality's website and choose the type of service precisely because each service has a duration.

• You may wait days or weeks in big cities, so check new slots in the morning.
• On the visit arrive on time with ID and the documents required, since without them the transaction will not be completed.
• You pay fees (leges) when needed, usually by bank card only, and cash is used less.
• You can do many things online without a visit, such as moving and requesting extracts.
• If you do not understand ask the clerk to explain slowly or in English, and bring an interpreter or friend if you need.
• Keep a receipt for every transaction.

A birth (geboorteaangifte) must be registered at the municipality of the place of birth within three working days of the birth, done by the father, partner or responsible person, and includes choosing the name and presenting the birth declaration from the hospital or midwife.

• The child will be registered and receive a BSN.
• For marriage notices are submitted beforehand to the municipality and witness conditions are set, and the civil marriage is held at the municipality, being the only one legally recognised, and a religious ceremony may follow.
• The municipality registers death after a doctor's declaration.
• Foreign documents need legalisation and a certified translation before registration.
• Check the conditions on the municipality's website.

The MijnOverheid portal via DigiD lets you see your data in the personal records, receive official messages from government bodies in the electronic message box (Berichtenbox), and see your entitlements and notices.

• Turn on notifications by email so that you do not miss an important message, since many bodies now send electronically only.
• And keep your digital extracts and present them to requesting bodies.
• Check regularly that your data in the BRP is correct, and if you find a mistake tell the municipality to correct it. Note that some bodies do not accept scans and need a recent official extract no more than three months old.

If you face financial, housing or psychological difficulties go to the social affairs department or your municipality's neighbourhood team (wijkteam), and you can ask for extraordinary financial help (bijzondere bijstand) or support in debt management (schuldhulpverlening) and help learning the language and integrating.

• Organisations such as refugee support (VluchtelingenWerk) and social centres provide free guidance.
• If you are dissatisfied with a decision you can lodge an objection (bezwaar) within six weeks, and if unresolved go to the court.
• To complain about the treatment by staff lodge a formal complaint via the municipality's website, and there is usually a local ombudsman.

Within how many working days is a birth registered?