BSN Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The Citizen Service Number (BSN) is a unique and personal nine-digit number linked to your personal data. It helps you easily manage your affairs with official authorities.

The introduction of the BSN in 2025 is a first step towards better government services on Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. At the counters and online. To arrange your affairs securely online with the government in the Caribbean Netherlands in the future, you will need a BSN. With a BSN, you can apply for the DigiD login tool. This is not possible with the personal numbers currently used in the Caribbean Netherlands, such as the ID and CRIB numbers. That is why everyone will receive one unique personal number for the entire government.

Everyone registered in the population records of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba has a BSN. All new residents of the Public Entity also receive a BSN upon registration. All new residents of the public entity also receive a BSN when they register in the population records of the public entity of Bonaire, St. Eustatius or Saba.

No, if you already have a Citizen Service Number, you will keep the same number. A person can only have one Citizen Service Number.

You can always request your BSN at the Census Office. 

If you have lost or do not remember your  BSN, you can request it at the Census Office on your island. With a DigiD, you can also look up the number online via MijnOverheid.

Yes. After the introduction of the Citizen Service Number, the ID and CRIB numbers will still be in use. The ID number will remain valid for a few more years, so you will continue using it temporarily.

The Citizen Service Number is a personal number that does not contain personal information. The ID number includes your date of birth, which poses a risk to data protection. The CRIB number is used by the Tax Office of the Caribbean Netherlands. The Citizen Service Number allows you to apply for the DigiD login tool and can be used in communication with official authorities in the European Netherlands, which is not possible with the ID and CRIB numbers.

The BSN is your personal number. Keep your BSN safe and do not share it with others for no reason.

The BSN is primarily intended for contact between residents and the government and government agencies among themselves. The government in the Caribbean Netherlands and European Netherlands can therefore use your BSN. This is stated by law. This applies, for example, to organisations like the Tax Office Caribbean Netherlands and Care and Youth Caribbean Netherlands. Organisations other than the government can only use your BSN if this is stated by law. In the Caribbean Netherlands this has not been regulated yet. Therefore, do not share your BSN with organizations outside the government, even if they ask for it. In healthcare and education, for example, this concerns hospitals, general practitioners, pharmacies, and schools. This also applies, for example, to banks, hotels and suppliers of energy and water.

The government uses the BSN for processing personal data. The BSN gives the government certainty about the identity of a person and it enables the exchange of data between government agencies. A personal number should therefore be unique and personal.

A DigiD lets you show online who you are when you log in on to government websites. It is a secure login tool that allows you to easily arrange your affairs online with the government. 

Yes, with your BSN you can apply for a DigiD. This can be done online, via Home | DigiD.

The governments of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba are preparing for DigiD. This requires first adapting their systems, which takes time. The governments of the Caribbean Netherlands are connecting to DigiD step by step, so that you will be able to use online services more and more often in the future. With DigiD, you can log in immediately to websites of governments and organisations in the European Netherlands that are connected to DigiD. This can be useful, for example, for residents who are going to live in the European Netherlands for study or work.

Yes, anyone who receives a Citizen Service Number is registered in the BRP. This registration is required to obtain a Citizen Service Number. BRP registration does not replace registration in the population records of Statia.

The BSN will appear on new passports. In due course, the BSN is added to new identity cards (sédula). To add the BSN on identity cards requires modification of the model of the card, adaptation of systems, and distribution of new stocks of blank cards. This takes time. When the BSN appears on new identity cards is not yet known.

No, residents of Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten will not receive a Citizen Service Number, as these are independent countries within the Kingdom. Bonaire, Statia, and Saba are part of the Netherlands as Public Entities (special municipalities), so the amended legislation applies only to them.