3.1    General information

Upon arrival
Diplomatic missions should register all staff members and family members forming part of their household, with the exception of Dutch family members, (see Note Verbale DPG-Min-BuZa.2023.15632-39) with the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within 10 working days of the commencement of their employment in the Netherlands so that identity cards can be issued. It can take two to six weeks to complete registration.

Upon final departure
Within 10 working days after the termination of a staff member’s employment at a diplomatic mission or consular post, the staff member’s and family members’ identity cards must be returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the staff member and family members forming part of their household must be deregistered. On leaving the Netherlands after handing in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs identity card, privileged persons who are not EU nationals are strongly advised to carry with them a copy of that identity card and a declaration by their diplomatic mission or consular post that their employment at the mission or post was the basis of their legal residence in the Netherlands (see Annexe A for an example of such a declaration). Please note that a transit visa may be required for transit through another country, even a Schengen country.

3.2    Notifying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains a personal records database (PROBAS ePortal) of staff members of diplomatic missions and consular posts and their families. Diplomatic missions and consular posts must notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the following:

1)     The arrival of new members of staff and family members forming part of their household, including those engaged locally (except Dutch family members, see Note Verbale DPG-Min-BuZa.2023.15632.39). They must be registered with the Ministry within 10 days of taking up employment in the Netherlands. 
2)     The end of a posting with the diplomatic mission or consular post.
3)     A staff member’s final departure from the Netherlands.
4)     A change in a staff member’s position or rank at the diplomatic mission or consular post, within 10 working days. If there is a change in a staff member’s position that affects their status, the diplomatic mission must apply for a new identity card through the ePortal. 
5)     Changes in civil status, within 10 working days.
6)     The birth of a child, within 10 working days.
7)     The death of a registered member of the family.
8)     Changes of address of staff members, members of their household and their private servant(s), within 10 working days.
9)    A change of nationality (only one nationality can be registered; if the person concerned holds Dutch nationality, Dutch must be the registered nationality).
10)    A change of residence status.
11)     The expiry of an identity card.

Diplomatic missions and consular posts are responsible for ensuring that the obligation to notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is complied with. 

Notification of births, changes in civil status and deaths

When a child is born in the Netherlands to a staff member of a diplomatic mission or consular post who is neither a Dutch national nor permanently resident in the Netherlands, two steps must be taken:
a)    The birth must be registered within three working days with the Registrar of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Registered Partnerships (ambtenaar van de burgerlijke stand) at the municipal office (gemeentehuis) of the municipality where the child was born. If the birth is not registered in accordance with this procedure, this may have practical consequences for the child. 
b)    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must be notified of the birth through the ePortal via the ‘add a family member’ option. A copy of the passport should also be uploaded upon registration.

A child is a Dutch national by birth if either the father or the mother has Dutch nationality.

A similar notification procedure to that described above should be followed in the event of the death, marriage, divorce or registered partnership of a staff member or a family member forming part of the household. A copy of the relevant certificate must be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the ePortal as an attachment. 

Change of status

The PROBAS ePortal (see Note Verbale DPG-MIN-BuZa.2022-13556-28) must be used to give notice of any change in a staff member’s residence status, including the date of the change, or to request a new identity card. Where appropriate the Ministry will then issue a new identity card indicating the staff member’s new status and deactivate their old identity card. The Ministry stresses that, in cases where privileges have been enjoyed when the person concerned was not entitled to them, the Tax Administration may issue a tax assessment for any tax that is due as a result, even if the old identity card was not returned to the Ministry in a timely manner. 

3.3     ePortal and the Personal Records Database (BRP)

ePortal 

The ePortal is an online registration system used for registering and deregistering the staff of diplomatic missions and consular posts and members of their household, notifying the Ministry of any changes, and applying for identity cards for staff members and members of their household (see 3.2 Notifying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). 

The ePortal is accessible to registration officers, who are responsible for keeping all the information up to date. A registration officer should already be registered with the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a staff member of the mission in question. Staff members not known to the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot be registered as registration officers (see Note Verbale DPG-Min-BuZa.2024.20694-54). 

If a staff member has been granted permanent residence (DV status) in the Netherlands or has Dutch nationality, they must be registered in the ePortal. A person’s residence status directly affects the privileges and immunities they are entitled to. 

If a staff member’s current status is not correctly recorded, they run the risk of having to pay or claim back tax.

BRP (formerly GBA)

The municipal Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen, BRP) contains information on the number and names of residents at each address in the municipality. The municipality needs this information to implement specific national and local legislation and for other administrative purposes. 

Two Notes Verbales providing further information on this subject were sent to embassies, consulates and international organisations in 2013 and 2014: DKP-2013/987 and DKP-2014/324.  

The Ministry would like to outline one specific national law regarding the BRP. 

Organ Donation Act (Wet op Orgaandonatie, WOD)

Under the Organ Donation Act, every resident of the Netherlands aged 18 and over whose details are recorded in the municipal Personal Records Database (BRP) is sent a letter and a registration form containing a request to register their wishes concerning organ donation in the Donor Register. Since 1 July 2020, newcomers who register in the BRP have also been sent a letter after three years requesting them to make their wishes known in the Donor Register. The general principle is that once a person has received two such letters and has not indicated whether or not they object to organ donation, that person will automatically be registered as having no objection. But the final decision regarding a deceased person’s wishes with respect to donating their organs and tissues is always taken in consultation with family members.

Specifically in relation to the employees of diplomatic missions, this means that if an individual’s particulars are registered in the BRP because for instance they have been issued with a digipass device/DigiD or a parking permit, they too will receive a letter asking them to register their wishes in the Donor Register. The application of the Organ Donation Act is linked to whether or not a person is registered in the BRP.

More information about the Organ Donation Act can be found in Note Verbale DPG Min-BuZa.2019.4599-21 with FAQs and online at: donorregister. 
More information on the donation procedure is provided in various languages (English, German, Polish, Chinese, Turkish, Arabic and Dutch) at: transplantatiestichting

It is emphasised that the above arrangements apply solely to diplomats and employees of international organisations who are registered in the BRP. For diplomats who are registered only in PROBAS, nothing will change and no action needs to be taken.

Protection of privacy

Rules on using or viewing data stored in the BRP are set out in the Personal Records Database Act. Protecting privacy and security are important features of this Act. The Personal Data Protection Act also protects your personal data in general. The Data Protection Authority makes sure that the Personal Records Database Act is properly observed.
Rules on using or viewing data stored in PROBAS are set out in the Probas Administrative Rules  (only available in Dutch) and, more generally, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the General Data Protection Regulation (Implementation) Act (Uitvoeringswet Algemene Verordening Gegevensbescherming; UAVG); unofficial translation).

3.4    Government identification codes

Citizen service numbers (BSNs)

A citizen service number (burgerservicenummer, BSN) is needed to obtain access to various services in the Netherlands, including: 
-    National tax authorities: a BSN is required to obtain recognition of fiscal privileges.
-    Healthcare: hospitals, dentists, doctors, health insurance companies, etc. are required to use BSNs in their administrative records. The BSN is also the single identifier used in communications between healthcare organisations.
-    Education: Dutch schools and after-school and daycare facilities are required to use BSNs in their administrative records.  
-    Banking: banks require new customers to have a BSN to open a Dutch bank account.

Privileged persons can obtain a BSN by registering with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once a privileged person has been registered, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations automatically issues a BSN. 
For information on registering for a BSN, please consult:
1: How to register in the BRP of The Hague
2: BRP registration for privileged persons
3: Registration when moving to The Hague from abroad

DigiD

The DigiD is a digital personal identity code consisting of a digital key which gives individuals secure online access to various government websites. Unfortunately it is not possible to obtain a DigiD only by registration through the ePortal, but a privileged person can apply for a DigiD after registering in the BRP. Information about the DigiD and all the organisations that use it can be found on the website DigiD (EN).

3.5    Issuance of official declarations by the Protocol Department

Staff members who for any reason need an official declaration regarding their registration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can apply for this through the human resources department of their diplomatic mission or consular post.