🍼 Registering your baby
- Register the birth at the municipality where your baby was born within 3 days (the birth day itself doesn't count, and a weekend or holiday gives you an extra working day). Your baby is then added to the records and gets a BSN by post.
- Register your baby with a health insurer within 4 months — children are insured for free, but they still need their own sign-up.
Official sources
🪪 Your own basics (newcomers)
- Just arrived? Register at your gemeente within 5 days to get your BSN. In Amsterdam, book the appointment early — waits can be 6–8 weeks.
- Bring your passport/ID, proof of your Dutch address, and an employment contract if you have one. Then set up a DigiD online — your login for insurance, school, toeslag and more.
Official sources
⏳ Register early — the waiting-list game
- Midwife (verloskundige): book your first appointment as soon as your test is positive — usually around weeks 8–10.
- Kraamzorg: sign up early because of waiting lists — ideally within the first 12 weeks, and in big cities like Amsterdam before week 8.
- Daycare (KDV): around 70% have waiting lists, so many parents register during pregnancy.
- Primary school: in Amsterdam you apply around your child's 3rd birthday — popular schools fill up.
- Swimming lessons: spots fill up too, so put your child on the list in good time.
Good to know: this is friendly orientation, not official advice. Dutch rules and deadlines change, so always check the official source linked in each section before you act on it.
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