- Moving to the Netherlands
- Contributors
The information here is related to my personal experience, it's important to notice I was already living in Europe. The main issue if you're moving from outside Europe is to have a bank account, I added some notes on the Bank section.
This website is focused on expats and has a lot of 'for dummies' about the Netherlands: https://www.iamexpat.nl/
See also the The Expat's Guide to Brabant: https://www.hollandexpatcenter.com/expat-s-guide/
Comparison website for services and insurances,other websites also do this kind of comparisons for specific services: https://www.independer.nl/
Be careful!!! Bikes have priority in a lot of situations, it's much more dangerous to get hit by a bike than a car. This is particularly true when visiting Amsterdam. Pay extra attention when driving.
The basic information about the quarantine can be found on this website, check the rules on self-quarantine: https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/visiting-the-netherlands-from-abroad/self-quarantine
The quarantine can be anywhere, Airbnb, hotel,… In case you come from a high-risk area (check the website) you may need a form stating where you'll stay.
Supermarkets and online stores provide a good service and will deliver whatever you need.
The quarantine may be shortened after the 5th day with a Corona test. In case you haven't done your municipal registration yet, you won't have a BSN/DigiD yet and they should call to give the results
Countries that don't require quarantine: https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/visiting-the-netherlands-from-abroad/eu-list-of-safe-countries
Countries with extra requirements: https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/visiting-the-netherlands-from-abroad/self-quarantine/mandatory-quarantine
In the Netherlands, everyone must register with the municipality. In case you need a residence permit interview, both will be done together.
After registering you'll have a BSN, this is your citizen number and will be used for all government and regulated services.
The BSN is also used to get a DigiD, which will allow you to have access to some online services. To get the Corona test results online, you'll need the DigiD for example.
The BSN is required for a bank account and health insurance. Check the bank section for more information.
Supermarkets:
Jumbo: https://www.jumbo.com/
Albert Heijn: https://www.ah.nl/
Lidl: https://www.lidl.nl/
General stores:
Amazon (not as good as in other places): https://www.amazon.nl/
Bol: https://www.bol.com/
Everyone speaks English, even teenagers and old people.
Many websites have an English version and the automatic translation from the browser does a fairly good job. If there is no English website, you can try calling by phone and this will usually work.
During Corona, I was able to do visits to apartments via online chat. I got all contracts and agreements by email, signed them, and sent them back also by email.
My experience is that the rental agencies are not flexible about the contract and you should be careful with it.
It's important to visit the apartment to check the initial state.
You should ask about water, heating, and energy. You'll have to transfer the bills to your name, also check with the rental agent about house insurance requirements.
Websites to look at:
IMPORTANT: Be careful with scams.
Browser extension to add more information about the neighborhoods to Funda
https://github.com/nikitaindik/funda-neighbourhoods
This project checks for new houses and sends a text message so you can be one of the first applicants.
You are obligated by law to contract a basic package health insurance. The basic package contains the minimum coverage all health insurance providers must offer. It's regulated by the national government and covers basic health needs like family doctor appointments, prescription medications (some, not all), emergency and exams and follow ups with a specialist.
Some health providers choose to offer more services and coverage in their basic packages. The price also changes slightly from provider to provider.
You have to pay special attention to extensions of the basic plan. For example, physical therapy and dental care.
This link has some good general information about health insurance: https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/insurances-netherlands/dutch-health-insurance
IMPORTANT: So some research is important to get what fits you best. You may only change health insurance by the end of the year! This applies to the insurer and to the insurance plan.
Here are two comparison websites for health insurance, they have different lists of services so you should check both to compare. After you find an insurance that you like, I suggest you go to the insurer website. The comparison website information is not always clear and may be missing some information.
Insurance brokers may provide translations and have special benefits when hiring an insurance.
You'll have a "personal" general practitioner. As soon as you rent a place and have health insurance you should check in your region for a huisarts. You can use a website such as https://www.kiesuwhuisarts.nl to find a GP close to you.
Always make an appointment with your own GP. In case they are not available (e.g. vacation) they will have replacements. Going to a GP that's not your own is only possible in case of acute situations and you will have to pay for the appointment (but it can be reimbursed by your Health Insurance afterwards).
What to expect of a visit:
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A normal appointment is about 10 minutes. Depending on the GP they may or may not be strict about this. Once you have established some rapport with the GP these 10 minutes might be fine, but you can ask for a double appointment if you are new with your GP or just want to establish more context.
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Think about what you want from your GP. You don't have to self-diagnose, but come with concrete questions, not just a list of ailments. Your GP will ask you what you want from them.
In case you need some specialized treatment or diagnosis you'll need a referral from your general practitioner. There are some exceptions but this is the baseline. Without a request your health insurance may not agree in paying for the appointment.
If you ever need a GP outside of their office hours you can call a huisartsenpost. These are usually located at the Emergency Room of the closest hospital. They have a general phone number and you'll have to see which one is closest to you. They'll do an extensive triage via phone and will determine when you can go. Don't go without an appointment.
Should you have a situation that requires immediate help you should call 112 and not the huisartsenpost.
Europe has a common banking system. In general, you may use any bank account from the European Union anywhere in Europe. You don't have to worry about that while traveling.
All European bank accounts have an IBAN, this is your account number and will be accepted anywhere in Europe for bank transfers and direct debit payments.
As Europe has this common banking system, you may find lots of banks offering their services in the Netherlands. Any of them will work for bank transfers, cards,...
The Netherlands, in practice, has some special topics there:
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Shops mostly only accept Maestro cards. Supermarkets and some others will accept debit cards from other networks but don't trust they will accept credit cards. Credit cards are mostly only accepted in high-end restaurants and hotels.
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iDeal is the main online payment platform in the Netherlands. They only accept payments from some banks, I advise to check their list before opening a bank account: https://www.ideal.nl/en/partners/issuers/
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Tikkie is an app for small payments or sharing a bill. They have an even more restrictive list of banks (only Dutch banks). You can get away without it but you will need to ask for the bank account (IBAN) to transfer.
Here is a comparison of some bank accounts, usually a BSN is required: https://dutchreview.com/expat/best-banks-expats-netherlands/
Getting a SIM is quite simple. Once you choose a provider, go to their website, request a sim card and you'll get it by mail. After that, you register your SIM on their website and subscribe to a plan.
Here is a website with some information but it's very general: https://living-in-holland.nl/mobile-operators-netherlands/
Independer also has a comparison of plans: https://www.independer.nl/telecom/mobiel/info/landing/sim-only
After you find a place, you'll have to check what providers are available at your address. Fiber is not available everywhere.
In my case, I was able to subscribe online and got the equipment by mail. I just had to plug it to the wall.
Public transport in the Netherlands is integrated and nationwide. The ov-chipkaart is valid for local and long-distance transport anywhere in the Netherlands.
You may travel without it but it's more expensive, you should get one as soon as possible.
To use the card you need to add credit to it. This can be done in special machines in large stations or online. In case you do it online, you'll need to load it on the card in some service machine (https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/service-en-contact/zoek-een-servicepunt.htm).
You MUST check-in and check out every time you use it. If you miss the checkout, you'll pay a lot more than your trip. You may request a payback if you miss a checkout.
Aside from the anonymous ov-chipkaart you can also request a personal one. This is convenient if you plan on using public transport regularly as it allows you to connect it to your bankaccount (no more hassle with credit) and get subscription on regular routes, discounts and other things.
There are some special tickets for non-rush-hour trips. Check with the transport company before buying a ticker, some of them require a membership.
The most important means of transportation in the Netherlands.
Eindhoven has bike lanes and you can get anywhere with a bike.
IMPORTANT: There is a lot of bike stealing, it's probably best to not get a fancy one at first.
Be careful!!! Bikes have priority in a lot of situations, it's much more dangerous to get hit by a bike than a car.
The usual way is to get the license is to take a driving course and a test but there are exceptions.
In case you already have a license and you are in the 30% ruling (see: Taxes), you can apply for an exchange.
Taxes in the Netherlands are high, this is usual in Europe.
This website can help you with the estimation. Some details are depending on your work contract (vacation, extras,...): https://thetax.nl/
Highly skilled immigrants coming from outside the Netherlands may apply for a tax discount. This is done by the employer, check with them. You'll have to provide documents proving that you have not lived in or near the Netherlands in the last 2 years.
This facility is a discount of 30% on your taxes for the first 5 years living in the Netherlands.
There are benefits also for exchanging your driving license and mortgage when buying a house: https://www.30percentruling.com/
Once a year everyone needs to file taxes. This is usually a good thing as you get some money back. First year is considerable, afterwards it depends.
There are many tax advisors available.
- Alexander Heuts
- Fábio Franco