Frequently asked questions

The introduction of the BSN is a first step towards better official services on Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. At the counters and online. To also arrange your affairs securely online with official authorities 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, e.g. the ID and CRIB numbers. That is why everyone will receive one unique personal number for all official authorities.

Everyone registered in the population records of the Public Entity of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba will receive a BSN. All new residents of the Public Entity also receive a BSN upon registration.

The BSN is introduced in 2025. Everyone is expected to receive a BSN in the second half of 2025. This is possible after the legislation has been amended.

No, you do not receive a new BSN. The BSN you already have remains yours. A person can have only one BSN.

Yes. After the introduction of the BSN, the ID and CRIB numbers will remain in use. The ID number will remain in use for the next few years. So temporarily, you will still keep your ID number, as you are used to.  

The BSN is a personal number without personal information. The ID number includes your date of birth, which is undesirable from the point of view of the protection of your personal data. The CRIB number is the number used by the Tax Office Caribbean Netherlands. With a BSN, you can apply for the DigiD login tool. You can also use the BSN in contact with official authorities and organisations in the European Netherlands. This is not possible with the ID and CRIB numbers.

In 2025, you can collect the BSN letter during the BSN collection weeks. You will be informed where and when this can be done later this year. You will receive the letter from the Public Entity where you are registered. Residents who already have a BSN will keep the same number and can also collect a letter.

The BSN is your personal number. Keep the BSN safe and do not share it with others. 

If you have lost or do not remember your BSN, you can ask for it at the counter at Civil Affairs of the Public Entity on your island. With a DigiD, you can also look up the number online via MijnOverheid: MijnOverheid.

The BSN is primarily intended for contact between residents and official authorities and official authorities among themselves. All official authorities in the Caribbean and European Netherlands can use your BSN for that reason. That is stated in the law. Organisations other than official authorities are currently not allowed to use the BSN. This is not currently stipulated in the law. This includes, for example, healthcare and educational organisations such as hospitals, GPs, pharmacies, and schools.

Official authorities use the BSN in the processing of personal data. The BSN gives official authorities certainty about the identity of a person and it enables the exchange of data between authorities. A personal number should therefore be unique and personal.

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

Yes, with your BSN you can apply for a DigiD. This can be done online, via www.digid.nl/buitenland.

No, you cannot immediately use your DigiD everywhere. Official authorities on Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba are not connected to DigiD yet. To do this, the systems must first be changed. This takes time. Official authorities in the Caribbean Netherlands are gradually connecting to DigiD, so that in the future you will be able to use online services more and more often. DigiD can, however, be used immediately with official authorities and organisations in the European Netherlands that are connected to DigiD.

Yes, everyone who receives a BSN is registered in the BRP. That registration is required to receive a BSN. BRP registration does not replace registration in the population records of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba.

The BSN will not appear on new identity cards (sédula). This was selected so that there is less risk of the BSN being used by organisations that have no right to process the BSN or your personal data. The BSN does appear on new passports.

No, residents of Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten do not receive a BSN. They are independent countries within the Kingdom. Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba are part of the Netherlands as a Public Entity (special municipality). This means that the legislation that is currently being amended is not going to apply to the countries.