A rule change took effect on 1 January 2026 and quietly reshaped where non-EU nationals can get a BSN without full municipal registration. Anyone working from older guides, or from advice written before that date, risks booking travel to a desk that will turn them away.
No — since 1 January 2026, The Hague's RNI desk only accepts people with an EU, EEA, or Swiss passport. If you're a non-EU national needing RNI registration (the non-resident route that gets you a BSN without full municipal registration), you now have exactly two options nationwide: Breda or Venlo. That's a real narrowing — non-EU nationals used to be able to use any of the 19 RNI desks around the country like everyone else, and now they're funnelled into just those two municipalities. The stated reason is tightening identity and document verification to fight illegal employment, exploitation, and human trafficking, by concentrating that expertise in fewer locations rather than spreading it thin. On the ground, this means booking further ahead — Breda and Venlo are absorbing demand that used to be spread over a much wider network — and possibly travelling further if you're nowhere near the south. EU/EEA/Swiss nationals aren't affected and can still walk into any of the 19 RNI municipalities. Check the current desk list and book on netherlandsworldwide.nl before you travel; availability at Breda and Venlo has tightened noticeably this year.