“Gemeente” (or Town Hall) is probably the third Dutch word you’ll feel compelled to learn (after koffie and Goedemorgen). And it must be your first stop after moving to a new town in the Netherlands to register your residency and, if you haven’t already, get a BSN (personal ID) number. Since your first few visits to the Gemeente can be rather taxing, here are some thoughts on making the process easier; or at least more informative.
The Gemeente is responsible for more than just residency. Some other things handled there are:
- Registration for a Drivers License
- Registration for a Green Bin
- Management and billing of city services (for example, sewer, road tax, housing taxes, etc)
- Information about business and residential zoning.
And, of course, they all have a general information desk and Maasricht now has an International Desk as well.