Applying for a postal address in the Netherlands: What you need to know

Questioner

Day, I live abroad, travel a lot, and am sometimes in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, I can no longer rent out my rental home. For that reason, I want to apply for a postal address. A friend, an accountant, in Groningen is prepared to accept that postal address for me. Why does the application have to be done personally at the city hall? Not in Amsterdam! And why so complicated? Why is the town hall unreachable by telephone from abroad? Will my state pension and state pension continue to be paid? Thank you.

Lawyer

A postal address is only a temporary solution for six months, after which an extension is needed which is usually only given once. The postal address is not a residential address and therefore you will soon have problems with your right to AOW and care. Sometimes the digital services of municipalities work well, but I do not know how that is in Groningen.

Questioner

I have very different information about the postal address, in any case 1 year and with possible extension. The person with whom you establish your postal address, undertakes the obligation to ensure that all (formal) mail actually reaches you, no more and no less. It is therefore not the case that the provider of the postal address becomes liable for, for example, the payment of your fines and tax assessments. The reactions of municipalities to the establishment of a postal address vary greatly. Some municipalities display very negative behaviour and will try to convince you from every angle that you should not do this. Other municipalities will register you without further ado. In general, you cannot count on a great deal of enthusiasm from the municipality. After all, the municipality is missing out on tax revenue. And some municipal officials immediately see fraud behind every postal address.... Don't be put off. If and as long as you meet the conditions, you are entitled to such a registration. So it is not the case that there is a time limit of, for example, six months, as you often read. The municipality may regularly check, and some municipalities link a period of six months to this. You can be registered at a postal address for years, if and as long as you meet the conditions: No longer than 8 months out of every 12 months abroad and not staying in the Netherlands at something that can be registered as a residential address. In the Netherlands - as elsewhere - there is no active 'detection policy', with regard to the question, whether or not you are actually present at the address where you are registered. Anyone who stays away for more than eight months a year, does not have to expect a problem immediately, although - as mentioned - the municipality does have the authority to change your registration, if it can be demonstrated, that your registration is not in accordance with reality.

Lawyer

On 01-01-2015, the government attempted to provide direction for the implementation of the Personal Records Database Act regarding the postal address. Report: working together on more quality BPR. On the one hand, this contains the legal requirements from BPR: you have no or no fixed residential address in the Netherlands, a good reason and a clear reason for the postal address which must be in the Netherlands and not a PO Box number. Municipalities regulate in policy which reasons you can provide for the postal address: interim shelter for a short period of not having a residential address, homelessness, exercising an ambulant profession, short stay abroad less than the emigration standard of 8 months, stay in an institution or shelter. In your case, you may apply for a postal address for the period that you are staying abroad once for a period equal to or less than the emigration standard. So it is really a temporary measure and municipalities ensure that citizens do not abuse this measure to semi-migrate, as it is called. I have often helped people with this matter (including pensioners who are making a world sailing trip), but they all had problems with the postal address. It was not extended, or municipalities did a home address investigation and deregistered the people with an unknown destination. The consequences can be called very serious, loss of AOW, no longer being insured for health care and fiscal problems because you are deemed to have left the Netherlands with an unknown destination.