Municipalities play an important role in the Netherlands. A municipality, town hall or city council is known in Dutch as a gemeente, and you will hear this word often in all kinds of administration, from registering at your home address and paying taxes, to registering a marriage.
The gemeente is the third tier of governmental administration in the Netherlands, after the Dutch government and the Dutch provinces. As of January 1, 2022, there are 345 gemeenten or municipalities in the Netherlands.
Structure of the Dutch gemeente
Dutch municipalities are governed by the municipal council (gemeenteraad) and the mayor and aldermen (College van burgemeester en wethouders). Each municipality’s mayor is appointed by Royal Decree on the recommendation of the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. The aldermen are appointed by the municipal council, which is elected by the municipality.
Responsibilities of the gemeente
Dutch municipalities are in charge of many tasks and responsibilities. These include:
- Urban planning such as housing.
- Traffic and transport including roads and paths for cycling.
- Education such as the management of local public schools.
- Welfare and social affairs.
- Council rates such as property or tourist tax.
- Accepting applications for Dutch passports and driving licences.
Registering with your Dutch municipality
When you first arrive in the Netherlands, or when you change address, you will need to register with your local gemeente. Being registered to a specific home address allows the Municipal Personal Records Database or Basisregistratie personen (BRP) to track the size of the Dutch population, to better handle emergency situations and to allocate the right municipal taxes to each household.
Dutch municipal rates and taxes for residents
If you buy a house in the Netherlands then you will need to pay yearly council rates and taxes on your property. These taxes include:
- Property tax on real estate based on your home’s WOZ value (Onroerendezaakbelastingen -OZB).
- Garbage collection rates (Afvalstoffenheffing).
- Sewage rates (Rioolheffing).
- Mobile property taxes for houseboats, caravans and kiosks (Roerende Ruimtenbelastingen - RRB).
- Parking permit for residents with a car (Parkeervergunning bewoners).
Other municipal taxes
Other forms of tax that municipalities collect are:
- Waste collection for businesses (Reinigingsrecht bedrijven).
- Tourist tax paid by hotels and accommodation for paying guests (Toeristenbelasting).
- Amusement rates for boat owners who take paying guests on canal cruises (Vermakelijkhedenretributie).
Municipality addresses and contact info in the Netherlands
To register at your address, or for other administrative issues, most gemeenten require you to make an appointment before visiting their office, so it’s wise to call in advance.
- Gemeentehuis Amsterdam (City Hall), Amstel 1, 1011 PN Amsterdam
- Tel. 14 020 or +31 20 624 1111 (if calling from abroad or via Skype)
- See City of Amsterdam's page on registration
- See Gemeente Amsterdam's other district offices
Gemeente Den Haag
- Spui 70, 2511 BT The Hague
- Tel. 14 070 or 070 353 30 00 (8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri)
- See The Hague International Centre's page
- See addresses for other city district offices in The Hague
- Expat Center Utrecht, Stadsplateau 1, 3521 AZ Utrecht
- Tel. 030 286 00 00
- See Gemeente Utrecht’s expat page
- Stadhuis, Coolsingel 40, 3011 AD Rotterdam
- Tel. 14 010 or 010 267 16 25
- See Gemeente Rotterdam’s English page
- See addresses for other city district offices in Rotterdam
- Kreupelstraat 1, 9712 HW Groningen
- Call 14 050
- See Gemeente Groningen’s immigration page
- Korte Nieuwstraat 6, 6511PP Nijmegen
- Tel. 14 024 (8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri)
- See Nijmegen’s registration from abroad page (in Dutch)
- Stadskantoor, Stadhuisplein 10, 5611 EM Eindhoven
- Tel. 14 040 or 040 238 60 00
- See Eindhoven’s registration from abroad page (in Dutch)