IND and registration in Rotterdam (2026): the International Center, City Hall, the RNI desk and your BSN
Your registration in Rotterdam happens at City Hall or, for some newcomers, at the Rotterdam International Center, and the IND is only there for those groups. This guide explains which route is yours, what to bring, what it costs, and when a lawyer helps.
FindLawyer gives practical initial guidance, prepares your case and matches you with a suitable independent lawyer. Legal advice comes from the partner lawyer.
Rules from the IND, the City of Rotterdam, the Rotterdam International Center and RvIG · Checked 28 September 2026
When you need an immigration lawyer in Rotterdam
You can usually register in Rotterdam and book IND appointments yourself. An independent lawyer helps when the IND decision is the problem:
- A refusal. Object (bezwaar) in writing within 4 weeks: how to object.
- A failed objection. The next step is an appeal to the court.
- A late decision. A notice of default (ingebrekestelling) gives the IND 2 more weeks, then you can go to court: what to do when the IND is late.
- Job loss. A highly skilled migrant has up to 3 months to find a new sponsor, or 6 months after 2 years on the permit.
Short answer
Rotterdam has no IND desk of its own. The nearest is the IND desk The Hague, Rijnstraat 8, 2515 XP Den Haag, by appointment only with no walk-in hours, booked online, according to ind.nl (checked 28 September 2026). There you give biometrics, collect your residence document if your IND letter names that desk, get a residence endorsement sticker or apply for a return visa. Highly skilled migrants and some other groups can have biometrics taken and collect their document at the Rotterdam International Center, Weena 725, for a fee. Registration means booking City Hall and registering within 5 days of arriving if you stay longer than 4 months; it is free, and your BSN usually arrives by post in about 4 weeks.
| IND location | Address | Opening hours | What you can do there |
|---|---|---|---|
| IND desk The Hague (nearest IND desk) | Rijnstraat 8, 2515 XP Den Haag | No walk-in hours: by appointment only; free time slots are in the IND appointment planner | Biometrics, collecting your residence document (if your IND letter names this desk), residence endorsement sticker, return visa |
| Rotterdam International Center (expat centre) | Groothandelsgebouw, Weena 725, 3013 AM Rotterdam; +31 (0)10 790 01 90 | By appointment, Monday to Thursday 09:00 to 17:00 (City of Rotterdam) | Biometrics, residence document, residence endorsement sticker, for eligible newcomers; the centre may charge a fee |
Source: IND desks and locations, checked 28 September 2026. Expat centres help highly skilled migrants and each decides whether you pay. At an IND desk or Service Point, biometrics, a residence endorsement sticker and collecting your document are free; a return visa costs €197 in 2026.
How to book. Wait until the IND asks you to come: a letter for biometrics, and a letter, a message in My IND or a text message once your document is ready. Then book online on the IND’s Make an appointment page and bring your passport and the appointment code from the confirmation email. You cannot reschedule: cancel through the link in that email and book again. Step by step: how to book an IND appointment.
Key facts for 2026
- Weena 725 is the address of the Rotterdam International Center, open by appointment Monday to Thursday.
- €155.00 excluding VAT buys its combined registration and IND appointment for the main applicant.
- 5 days after arriving is the deadline to register your presence with the municipality.
- 4 weeks is the usual wait for a BSN after registering at Rotterdam City Hall.
- €325 is the most the municipality can fine you for not registering.
- 2 municipalities, Breda and Venlo, register non-Europeans in the RNI; Rotterdam’s desk does not.
This is general information about Dutch law, not legal advice for your situation. Rules change; figures are for 2026. No rights can be derived from this text.
IND in Rotterdam
The Rotterdam International Center or an IND desk: which one you need
Rotterdam has one place where the IND serves people in person, the Rotterdam International Center, and it is only open to certain groups, for a fee.
- Where and when. The Groot Handelsgebouw, Weena 725; Monday to Thursday from 09:00 to 17:00 by appointment, and on Fridays by phone and email only (City of Rotterdam). Formerly the Rotterdam Expat Centre, it is a service of Rotterdam Partners (Rotterdam International Center). The IND takes biometrics and issues residence documents and endorsement stickers there (IND).
- Who may book. Highly skilled migrants, European Blue Card holders, intra-corporate transferees, researchers, orientation year graduates, entrepreneurs, EU citizens eligible for the 30% ruling, and their family; registration there needs a Rotterdam address and a stay of 4 months or longer (Rotterdam International Center). Your postcode must start with 3011 to 3089, 3151, 3181 or 3190 to 3199, and appointments are booked on the website only (Rotterdam International Center).
| Appointment (fees excluding VAT) | Main applicant | Partner | Child |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal registration / BSN | €77.50 | €38.75 | €19.38 |
| IND appointment (permit, sticker, biometrics) | €77.50 | €38.75 | €19.38 |
| Both in one appointment | €155.00 | €77.50 | €38.75 |
Rotterdam International Center fees; the 4th and 5th child are free, and bank appointments cost nothing.
- Fees since 2023. The center started charging on 1 August 2023 and names the free alternatives: registering with the municipality, and IND services outside the Rotterdam region (Rotterdam International Center). For an orientation year graduate the IND appointment is free, and follow-up IND appointments in the same case are not charged (Rotterdam International Center), but a permit extension counts as a new case (Rotterdam International Center).
- Everyone else books an IND desk. ind.nl lists desks in Amsterdam, Den Bosch, The Hague (Rijnstraat 8) and Zwolle, and choosing a desk on your application form means collecting the permit costs nothing (IND). Our guide to IND appointments covers booking.
- Check the form. Once the International Center is chosen as pick-up location on the application, it cannot be changed (Rotterdam International Center).
Registration
Registration in Rotterdam: City Hall, your documents and the RNI
If you move to Rotterdam for longer than 4 months, you register in person at City Hall, by appointment.
- Booking. Answer the questions on the city’s page, then book online (City of Rotterdam), or call +31 (0)10-2671625 and ask for an appointment for registration from abroad. You register in the Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen) within 5 days of arriving, and it is free (Rotterdam International Center). A City Hall appointment can take 1 or 2 weeks to get, and not registering can cost a fine of up to €325 (Rotterdam International Center).
- From outside the EU you first apply to the IND for a residence permit, and you can only register once you have it (City of Rotterdam).
- What to bring. A passport (an EU national may use an ID card), the application form, your rental contract or a signed statement from the main occupant, and your birth certificate. Rental contracts dated in the future or older than 3 months are refused, and some streets need a housing permit (Rotterdam International Center). A document not in English or Dutch must be translated (City of Rotterdam); see our renting in Rotterdam guide for the housing permit streets.
- Staying less than 4 months? Register in the RNI. Rotterdam’s desk, at Coolsingel 40 (RvIG), only takes a European passport or identity card; others book in Breda or Venlo. It is free and you get your BSN at the desk (City of Rotterdam). A stay longer than 4 months cannot go through the RNI (Netherlands Worldwide).
First weeks
Your first weeks in Rotterdam: BSN, DigiD, bank, insurance
Almost everything after arrival waits for your BSN, so register before anything else.
- Register and get your BSN At City Hall it usually takes about 4 weeks; highly skilled migrants who book through the International Center get it at the appointment (Rotterdam International Center).
- Request your DigiD You can request it once you are in the Personal Records Database (Netherlands Worldwide).
- Open a bank account Without a BSN your employer cannot pay your salary, and the bank will ask for it too (Rotterdam International Center).
- Take out Dutch health insurance Do it no later than 4 months after arriving (Government.nl).
Routes
Studying and working in Rotterdam: sponsors and routes
Rotterdam’s university, its medical centre, its university of applied sciences, the port authority and Coolblue all appear by name on the IND register of recognised sponsors for work.
The register lists Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, Erasmus Medisch Centrum, Stichting Hogeschool Rotterdam, Havenbedrijf Rotterdam N.V. and Coolblue B.V., each with its Chamber of Commerce number (IND register). Our sponsorship jobs guide explains how to search it. Pick your route:
- Work: the work visa guide, the highly skilled migrant guide and the 30% ruling.
- Study: the student visa guide, then the orientation year after graduating.
- Family and visits: bringing your partner or family and the Schengen visa guide.
- The long term: residence permits compared and Dutch citizenship. Jobs and contracts in the city are in our working in Rotterdam guide.
Legal help
When you need an immigration lawyer in Rotterdam
Registering and collecting a permit rarely needs a lawyer; a refusal, a decision that is overdue, or a lost job on a sponsored permit does.
- A refusal: the objection deadline is short, so read our IND refusal guide as soon as the letter arrives.
- No decision yet: our IND processing times guide sets out the legal decision periods.
- Your sponsor let you go: see what happens to a highly skilled migrant permit when the job ends.
- The cost: FindLawyer is free to start, and subsidised legal aid can help on a low income.
A refusal, a delay or a permit at risk? Speak to an immigration lawyer
Need help with this? We match you with an English-speaking Dutch immigration lawyer. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day. Lawyer fees are paid to the firm and explained before you proceed.
Keep reading
Related guides
More of our guides for arriving in Rotterdam.
IND appointments and desks
Booking the IND, desk by desk.
AdminBSN number
How the BSN works, BRP or RNI.
HousingRenting in Rotterdam
Rents, the housing permit and your deposit.
WorkWorking in Rotterdam
Jobs, contracts and dismissal help.
EntryMVV entry visa
Who needs one before travelling.
VisasNetherlands visa guide
All the routes in one place.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
When can I visit the IND desk nearest to Rotterdam?
The nearest IND desk is in The Hague at Rijnstraat 8, 2515 XP Den Haag. It has no walk-in opening hours: you visit by appointment only, booked online in the IND appointment planner once the IND asks you to come. If you are eligible, the Rotterdam International Center at Weena 725 also takes biometrics and issues residence documents and endorsement stickers, by appointment and for a fee.
How do I register in Rotterdam?
Book an appointment with Rotterdam City Hall online or on +31 (0)10-2671625, and go in person. You must register within 5 days of arriving if you stay longer than 4 months. Bring your passport, the application form, your rental contract or a signed statement from the main occupant, and your birth certificate. Registration is free, and the BSN follows by post.
Can I use the Rotterdam International Center, and what does it cost?
Only if you are a highly skilled migrant, Blue Card holder, intra-corporate transferee, researcher, orientation year graduate, entrepreneur, an EU citizen with the 30% ruling, or family of one, and you register at a Rotterdam address. Registration or an IND appointment costs €77.50 excluding VAT, both together €155.00.
Is there an IND desk in Rotterdam?
No. The Rotterdam International Center describes itself as the exclusive IND presence in Rotterdam, and it serves only its eligible groups. Everyone else books an IND desk; ind.nl lists desks in Amsterdam, Den Bosch, The Hague at Rijnstraat 8 and Zwolle, and collecting your residence permit there is free of charge.
I am staying less than 4 months. Where do I register in Rotterdam?
In the Non-residents Records Database (RNI), which gives you a BSN at the desk straight away and costs nothing. Rotterdam’s RNI desk only registers people with a European passport or identity card. Without one, book an appointment in Breda or Venlo. Staying longer than 4 months, you register at City Hall instead.
How long does it take to get a BSN in Rotterdam?
At City Hall, registration usually takes about 4 weeks once all your documents are in, and the BSN is sent to your home address. Highly skilled migrants who book through the Rotterdam International Center receive their BSN straight after the appointment. You need it for your salary, a bank account and health insurance.
Is there a free immigration lawyer consultation in Rotterdam?
FindLawyer is free to start: you tell us what happened, and we can then match you with an English-speaking Dutch immigration lawyer, and the lawyer’s fees are explained before any work starts. If your income is low, subsidised legal aid may cover most of the cost. Registration questions often need no lawyer at all.
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Official sources, checked 28 September 2026
- IND: make an appointment with the IND (checked 28 September 2026)
- IND: call the IND (checked 28 September 2026)
- City of Rotterdam: Rotterdam International Center
- Rotterdam International Center: contact and opening hours
- IND: IND desks and locations
- Rotterdam International Center: booking an appointment
- Rotterdam International Center: frequently asked questions and fees
- Rotterdam International Center: rates and free alternatives
- Rotterdam International Center: IND appointments
- City of Rotterdam: first registration in the Netherlands (in Dutch)
- Rotterdam International Center: long-term municipal registration
- Rotterdam International Center: short-term municipal registration
- City of Rotterdam: registering foreign documents (in Dutch)
- RvIG: addresses of the RNI municipalities (in Dutch)
- City of Rotterdam: registering as a non-resident (RNI) (in Dutch)
- Netherlands Worldwide: registering in the Non-residents Records Database (RNI)
- Rotterdam International Center: your BSN
- Netherlands Worldwide: checklist for moving to the Netherlands
- Government.nl: when to take out health insurance if you come to live in the Netherlands
- IND: public register of recognised sponsors, work
Final notes and legal disclaimer
- This article provides general information and is not tailored to your personal circumstances.
- It does not cover all situations, exceptions, or recent legal changes.
- Reading this article does not create a lawyer-client relationship with findlawyer.nl or any associated entity.
- No guarantee is given that this information is complete, accurate, or up to date.
- No rights can be derived from this article.
- For decisions about registering and the IND in Rotterdam, or your specific situation, always consult a qualified professional.
FindLawyer is a lawyer-matching and case-preparation service, not a law firm. Legal advice comes from the partner lawyer.