Getting Settled

It’s not easy to arrive in a new country and figure out how to arrange everything right away. You are overwhelmed by newness — a new city, a new language, a new home, probably a new job (for at least one family member) and, if you have children, new schools. If you are lucky, you may have a relocation company helping you to settle in. If not, we will provide you with some information here to help you get your new life organized. 

Before we start on the nitty gritty, here is a random fact you need to know right away: The Netherlands has a public warning system that is tested at noon on the first of Monday of each month, except on religious or national holidays, including Remembrance Day (May 4). 

For basics on day-to-day living in the Netherlands, in English, IamExpat and I amsterdam both do a fantastic job of providing information. I amsterdam has a lot of helpful information on settling in and life in Amsterdam. For official things like registering with the gemeente (municipality) when you move here or getting a BSN number (burgerservicenummer, which is like a Social Security number) or a DigiD (digital identification used to access government websites), the two websites cover these topics and more. It's worth exploring both websites to see who you need to contact for what and what you need to do if you are moving here without any relocation help. 

For dealing with Dutch resources, Google Translate is handy online and has a useful app. You can type in words, scan them with your phone’s camera, or even use the microphone for a verbal translation. If you install Google Chrome on your computer or phone, it can translate entire websites for you.

There are a few things worth pointing out, however. 

Official Administration

The Gemeente

You will inevitably have to take care of some official administration at the gemeente during your time in the Netherlands. You have to register (inschrijven) within five days of arriving in the Netherlands if you plan to stay for more than four months. Similarly, you will have to deregister (uitschrijven) before you permanently leave the country. If eligible, you have six months to exchange your driving license (rijbewijs) for a Dutch one. Read this article to see if you qualify; if not, you will have to take the theory and practical driving exams to get a Dutch license. If you have a car, you will often need a parking permit (parkeervergunning) depending on where you live. To find parking information for your specific area, check your local gemeente website. This is usually town + .nl (amsterdam.nl, haarlem.nl, etc.), and if not, you should be redirected to your gemeente when you try it. 

IND

The IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst or Immigration and Naturalisation Service) is the department that handles immigration, i.e., work and/or residence permits. If you stay long enough and decide you want to make the Netherlands your permanent home, they also handle permanent residency and citizenship applications. You usually need to have documents like birth and marriage certificates legalized with an apostille for work and residence permits. It is best to arrange apostilles before you arrive in the Netherlands since it has to be done by the authority which issued the document. You can find contact information for each US Secretary of State here, but it is often the Department of Public Health which actually issues the apostilled document. 

It is critical to know that all Dutch-issued identification belongs to the government (residence permits, driving licenses, passports, etc.). If yours is lost or stolen, you will need to file a police report before applying for a new one. You will be asked to turn in your old ID when getting a new one. Also good to know is that everyone over the age of 14 must carry ID at all times. For non-EU citizens, this can be a passport, Dutch residence permit, or, in some cases, a driving license.

SVB

One agency that might slip under the radar is the SVB (Sociale Verzekeringsbank or Social Insurance Agency). Most people working in the Netherlands have social insurance contributions taken out of their salaries (see svb.nl for exemptions). Since the Netherlands has a social insurance treaty with the US, most Americans working in the Netherlands are entitled to receive quarterly child benefit payments (kinderbijslag) for their children up to age 18. The SVB should automatically contact parents of children born in the Netherlands within a few weeks following the registration of the child's birth at the gemeente. If your child was born elsewhere, you can also apply for child benefit.