IND and registration in Maastricht (2026): the IND Service Point, the Expat Centre and your BSN
Your registration in Maastricht and your IND formalities run through the city, the IND Service Point and, for some, the Expat Centre. This guide shows which one you need, what to bring, and what changes when you live across the border.
FindLawyer gives practical initial guidance, prepares your case and matches you with a suitable independent lawyer. Legal advice comes from the independent lawyer.
Rules from the IND, the City of Maastricht, RvIG and GrensInfoPunt · Checked 28 September 2026
When you need an immigration lawyer in Maastricht
You can usually register in Maastricht 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
The IND Service Point Maastricht is at Mosae Forum 10, 6211 DW Maastricht, in the Maastricht International Centre. It has no walk-in hours: you visit by appointment only, and appointments are available every weekday, according to ind.nl (checked 28 September 2026). If you live in Limburg you can give biometrics, get a residence endorsement sticker or apply for a return visa there, and you collect your residence document there when the IND letter says Maastricht. Registration starts online with the city, within 5 days of arriving if you stay longer than 4 months.
| IND location | Address | Opening hours | What you can do there |
|---|---|---|---|
| IND Service Point Maastricht | Mosae Forum 10, 6211 DW Maastricht (Maastricht International Centre) | No walk-in hours: by appointment only; appointments every weekday | Biometrics, residence endorsement sticker or return visa if you live in Limburg; collecting your residence document if the IND letter says Maastricht |
| IND desk ’s-Hertogenbosch (nearest full IND desk) | Leeghwaterlaan 14, 5223 BA ’s-Hertogenbosch | No walk-in hours: by appointment only; free time slots are in the IND appointment planner | Every IND desk appointment, for people outside Limburg or other services |
Source: IND desks and locations and IND Service Point Maastricht, checked 28 September 2026. 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, then book through the Maastricht International Centre appointment planner, which the IND links from its Maastricht Service Point page. Bring your passport and the appointment code from the confirmation email; you cannot reschedule, only cancel and book again. Step by step, and for the IND desks elsewhere: how to book an IND appointment.
Key facts for 2026
- 5 days after arriving is the deadline to register in Maastricht, free of charge.
- 5 working days is how fast EU employees of a recognised sponsor get their BSN by post through the Fast Track.
- 5 weeks is the wait for the city’s e-mail after an international student registers online.
- 2 RNI desks, Breda and Venlo, register people without a European passport in 2026.
- 61% of Maastricht University’s students are international.
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 Maastricht
The IND Service Point and the Expat Centre in Maastricht
Maastricht does have an IND Service Point, and it shares the Maastricht International Centre with the Expat Centre Maastricht Region.
| Where | Address | What happens there | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| IND Service Point Maastricht | Mosae Forum 10, 6211 DW Maastricht (Maastricht International Centre) | Biometrics, residence documents, endorsement stickers, return visas; by appointment | IND |
| Expat Centre Maastricht Region | Same building | Consultations on living and working in South Limburg; Fast Track with sponsors | ECMR |
- Who can book. Expats and non-expats alike, on any weekday (IND). If you live in the province of Limburg, this is where you give your biometrics (IND).
- South Limburg and not yet registered? Highly skilled migrants, researchers and some other permit holders can book one combined appointment that includes registering in the BRP and receiving a BSN. If you live outside Limburg, or need another IND service, you book an IND desk elsewhere (IND); our IND appointments guide lists them all.
- What the Expat Centre does not do. It cannot help with IND services, nor with municipal registration, a change of address or submitting documents (ECMR).
- The Fast Track. Employers that are recognised sponsors arrange it for their staff; EU employees registered in a participating municipality get their BSN by post within 5 working days (ECMR).
Registration
Registration in Maastricht: expats, students and everyone else
Everyone moving to Maastricht from abroad for more than 4 months registers free of charge within 5 days, through the route that fits them.
- Expats. The expat route is for people whose employer is a recognised sponsor or who hold a permit such as highly skilled migrant, researcher, orientation year, startup, self-employed or intra-corporate transferee; your partner and children can register with you (City of Maastricht).
- International students. Fill in the student form once; within 5 weeks the city e-mails you how to book an appointment, which you make within 2 months (City of Maastricht).
- Everyone else. After the online form you get an appointment at the municipal service desk. Bring a valid ID, a rental or purchase contract printed and signed by both parties, your birth certificate if you were born abroad and, from outside the EU, proof of lawful stay. Documents not in Dutch, English, German or French need a sworn translation (City of Maastricht).
- Short stays (RNI). There are 19 RNI desks for holders of a European passport, the nearest in Heerlen at Geleenstraat 25-27; without one you can only go to Breda or Venlo (RvIG). For a stay longer than 4 months the RNI is not an option (Netherlands Worldwide).
- Still looking for a room? Our renting in Maastricht guide explains the room rules and your deposit, and our BSN guide the number itself.
Cross-border
Living in Belgium or Germany and working in Maastricht
Crossing the border every day changes where you pay tax, which social security covers you and which health insurance you need.
- From Belgium. You pay Dutch wage tax and fall under the Dutch social insurance system. You must take out Dutch health insurance, but can stay registered with your Belgian health fund, and if you become fully unemployed you claim benefit in Belgium (GrensInfoPunt).
- From Germany. Tax and social security contributions are generally paid in the Netherlands, with exceptions; you keep your own health insurance and claim unemployment benefit in Germany (GrensInfoPunt). Our moving from Germany guide goes further.
- Check before you sign. If you live on one side of the border and work on the other, you may not be covered by Dutch social security at all; GrensInfoPunt can tell you what to arrange (Rijksoverheid).
First weeks
Your first weeks in Maastricht: BSN, DigiD, insurance
Your citizen service number (burgerservicenummer, BSN) comes first, because nearly every next step asks for it.
- Register and get your BSN Through the expat, student or general route, or the Fast Track if your employer arranges it (City of Maastricht).
- Request your DigiD As soon as you are in the Personal Records Database (Netherlands Worldwide).
- Take out Dutch health insurance Within 4 months of arriving, even if you are insured in another country (Government.nl).
- Collect your residence document Only once the IND has written that it is ready in Maastricht (IND).
Routes
Studying and working in Maastricht: sponsors and routes
Maastricht University is among the most international in the country: 61% of its students come from abroad.
Almost 8% of its students come from outside the EEA, from 134 countries in all (Maastricht University). The IND register of recognised sponsors lists the Universiteit Maastricht, the Academisch Ziekenhuis Maastricht and United World College Maastricht by name (IND register); our sponsorship jobs guide shows how to search it.
- Study: the student visa guide, then the orientation year after graduating.
- Work: the highly skilled migrant guide and the EU Blue Card guide; working here is covered in our working in Maastricht guide.
- Family and visits: the partner and family guide and the Schengen visa guide.
Legal help
When you need an immigration lawyer in Maastricht
A refusal, a decision that is late or a job loss on a sponsored permit are the moments to get legal advice fast.
- Refused: the objection deadline is short; see our IND refusal guide.
- Still waiting: our IND processing times guide explains the legal decision periods.
- Job ended: read what happens to your permit.
- Free to start: telling FindLawyer what happened costs nothing, and on a low income you may qualify for subsidised legal aid.
Refused, delayed or unsure about your permit? Talk 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 Maastricht.
IND appointments and desks
Every IND desk and expat centre.
AdminBSN number
BRP or RNI, and what to bring.
HousingRenting in Maastricht
Room rules and your deposit.
WorkWorking in Maastricht
Cross-border jobs and dismissal help.
EntryMVV entry visa
Who needs it before arriving.
VisasNetherlands visa guide
Every route side by side.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
When is the IND Service Point in Maastricht open?
Only by appointment: the IND says appointments are available every weekday, and you book them in the Maastricht International Centre appointment planner linked from ind.nl. The Service Point is at Mosae Forum 10, 6211 DW Maastricht. If you live in Limburg you can give biometrics, get a residence endorsement sticker or apply for a return visa there, and you collect your document there if the IND letter says Maastricht.
How do I register in Maastricht?
Register free of charge within 5 days of arriving if you will stay more than 4 months. The city has an online form for expats, one for international students and one for everyone else, followed by an identity check at the municipal service desk. Bring a valid ID and a rental contract printed and signed by both parties.
Is there an IND desk in Maastricht?
Not a full IND desk, but Maastricht does have an IND Service Point, in the Maastricht International Centre at Mosae Forum 10. By appointment it takes biometrics and issues residence documents, residence endorsement stickers and return visas. If you live in Limburg you can give biometrics, get a sticker or apply for a return visa there, and you collect your document there if the IND letter says Maastricht; for other services you book an IND desk elsewhere.
What does the Expat Centre Maastricht Region do?
It gives newcomers information and personal consultations about living and working in South Limburg, and runs the Fast Track with employers that are recognised sponsors. It does not handle IND services or municipal registration itself: for those you book the IND appointment planner or your municipality.
I am staying less than 4 months. Where do I register?
In the Non-residents Records Database (RNI), which gives you a BSN. Maastricht has no RNI desk; the nearest is in Heerlen at Geleenstraat 25-27. Without a European passport you can only register at the RNI desks in Breda and Venlo in 2026. For a stay longer than 4 months you cannot use an RNI desk.
I live in Belgium or Germany and work in Maastricht. What changes?
Living in Belgium, you pay Dutch wage tax and fall under Dutch social insurance, and you must take out Dutch health insurance while staying registered with your Belgian health fund. Living in Germany, you generally pay tax and social contributions in the Netherlands but keep your German health insurance. Ask a GrensInfoPunt about your case.
Is there a free immigration lawyer consultation in Maastricht?
FindLawyer is free to start: you tell us what happened, and we then match you with an English-speaking Dutch immigration lawyer; the lawyer’s fees are explained before you proceed. On a low income you may qualify for subsidised legal aid. The Expat Centre Maastricht Region also offers free consultations about settling in.
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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)
- IND: Expat Centre Maastricht Region / IND Service Point Maastricht (checked 28 September 2026)
- IND: IND desks and locations
- Expat Centre Maastricht Region: contact
- IND: Expat Centre Maastricht Region (ECMR) / IND Service Point Maastricht
- Expat Centre Maastricht Region: Fast Track process
- IND: biometrics appointment
- City of Maastricht: registering as an expat
- City of Maastricht: international student registration
- City of Maastricht: moving to Maastricht from abroad
- RvIG: addresses of the RNI municipalities (in Dutch)
- Netherlands Worldwide: registering in the Non-residents Records Database (RNI)
- GrensInfoPunt: living in Belgium, working in the Netherlands (in Dutch)
- GrensInfoPunt: living in Germany, working in the Netherlands
- Rijksoverheid: social security for cross-border workers (in Dutch)
- Netherlands Worldwide: checklist for moving to the Netherlands
- Government.nl: when to take out health insurance if you come to live in the Netherlands
- Maastricht University: student numbers stabilise
- 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 Maastricht, or your specific situation, always consult a qualified professional.
FindLawyer is a lawyer-matching and case-preparation service. Legal advice comes from the independent lawyer.