Apply for a DigiD for Dutch and EEA citizens living abroad
Do you live outside of the Netherlands? And do you have Dutch citizenship (nationality) or the citizenshp of another country in the European Economic Area (EEA)? Then you can apply for a DigiD. Did you already have a DigiD before moving abroad? Then you can continue to use your DigiD. Read how you can apply for a DigiD.
Do you have Dutch citizenship (nationality) or the citizenship of another country in the European Economic Area (EEA) and do you live outside the Netherlands? Then you cannot request an activated DigiD directly via the website of DigiD. First fill in the application form on the I live abroad(External link) .
Will you (soon) receive a Dutch state pension (AOW)? Then you do not have to visit a service desk. Apply for your DigiD through the Social Insurance Bank (SVB)(External link) . You will receive the letter with your DigiD activation code at your address abroad.
Receive DigiD activation code via video call
You can also receive your DigiD activation code through a video call. This way you do not have to visit a service desk.
Would you like to collect your activation code through a video call? Make an appointment on the website netherlandsworldwide.nl(External link).
- You live abroad.
- You have Dutch citizenship (nationality) or the citizenship of another EEA country(External link).
- You have a valid passport and/or identity card from the Netherlands or another EEA country (please note: not a driving licence).
- You have a citizen service number (Burgerservicenummer/BSN).
- You are registered in the Non-residents Records Database of the Netherlands (RNI).
- You have a mobile telephone on which you can receive SMS messages both abroad and in the Netherlands.
- You have an email address.
Registered in the RNI
Do you pay taxes in the Netherlands? Or did you move abroad after 1 October 1994? Then you are certainly registered in the RNI. You do not pay taxes in the Netherlands and you moved abroad before 1 October 1994? Or you have never lived in the Netherlands? Check at the municipal counter whether you are registered in the RNI.
For technical reasons, there must be at least 24 hours between your registration in the RNI (and receiving your BSN) and your appointment to request a DigiD for Dutch and EEA citizens living abroad.
- Go to www.digid.nl(External link) and select ‘Apply for or activate a DigiD’.
- During the application process, select ‘I live abroad’. Make sure you remember your user name and password.
- After you have filled in the application form, you will receive a service desk code by SMS and email. With this code you can pick up your letter with the DigiD activation code at 1 of the DigiD service desks within 30 days. This can be done by appointment only.
- Make an appointment online. Or contact the municipality.
- You can activate your DigiD at www.digid.nl(External link) using the DigiD activation code and your user name and password.
It is not possible to authorise someone to apply for a DigiD at the service desk. You must visit the service desk in person and identify yourself with a valid passport and/or identity card from the Netherlands or another EEA country.
- your service desk code (which you received by SMS and by email)
- your valid passport and/or identity card from the Netherlands or another EEA country (for which you entered the document number in your application)
- your citizen service number (BSN)
Go to netherlandsworldwide.nl(External link) to see which service desks (apart from those at the Municipality of The Hague) you can visit.
If you already have a DigiD which you requested when you lived in the Netherlands, you can still use it if:
- you still know your user name and password. If not, you must apply for a new DigiD at a service desk.
- you used your DigiD within 3 years. Afterwards your DigiD will expire and you need to apply for a new DigiD at a service desk.
For more information, go to the website of DigiD(External link). If you cannot find an answer to your question, contact the DigiD help desk.