Moving to Netherlands? Here's your todo list!

Netherlands is a great country, everything works and everyone is really polite (most of the time at least). But in order to be able to enjoy this great country there are several steps you need to take, and I am not talking about the VISA, I am talking after you already got the VISA and it is on your way there.
The good news is that if you have your documentation in order and follow the steps, you won't have any problems and everything will go really smoothly.
The bad news is that although normally even a dutch homeless person will probably speak some english, the official websites are usually in Dutch, and you have to rely on Google Translator which is not always very reliable and on top of that the information is really spread out through different website, if any.
So I decided to create this list based on the steps I had to take after I got here. Hope it helps.
Documents you will need to bring from home:
- Original Birth Certificate
- Officially Translated Birth Certificate WITH A STAMP AND EVERYTHING! NEEDS TO BE OFFICIAL!
- Original Passport (off course!)
Main todo's after you arrive in Netherlands:
- Pickup your residents licence in the IND Office
This is usually pretty easy. Once you get to Netherlands your residents license should already be ready for you, so you just need look it up where is the IND office in your city and go there. No appointment necessary!
- Register
What does it mean to register?
If you are staying, or plan to stay, in the Netherlands for more than four months then you need to register (inschrijven) at the town hall in the municipality (gemeente) where you are living. Whether you’re a Dutch citizen or an international, everyone living in the Netherlands is required to be registered at their home address.
Being registered allows the Basisregistratie personen (BRP or Municipal Personal Records Database) to better handle emergency situations, to track the size of the Dutch population and to allocate the right municipal taxes to each household.
- Get an BSN
One of the most important reasons to register is that you will then receive your BSN number (personal public service number), a BSN is like your Social Security Number in the States or your CPF in Brazil, which you need for all your administration in the Netherlands. This includes opening a bank account, receiving your salary, visiting a doctor, getting health insurance and applying for social benefits.
- To register and get a BSN you need to make an appointment using this link: https://www.rotterdam.nl/apps/rotterdam.nl/loket/eerste-vestiging/index.xml
- In Rotterdam at least, this is where you will have to go: Conradstraat 28, 3013 AP Rotterdam
Apply for a DigiD
This is pretty useful, because there are a lot of bureaucracy that it can go a lot faster if you have one of these. Like changing your registration address for example.
DigiD (short for Digital Identification) is a form of online ID that allows you to access many services and government websites in the Netherlands. It’s like a digital version of your passport or driving licence. Equivalent of a e-CPF if you are from Brazil.
The DigiD consists of a username and password that are linked to your personal public service number (BSN).
Here is the link to apply to it:
- IT IS IN DUTCH! Really, get a friend that speaks Dutch to help you out with this one. One of the steps you will receive a call and the robot on the call will say a code of numbers and letters, but in Dutch, that you will have to write it down and type it on the website.
- Takes 5 days!
Doing your Taxes (DEATH OR TAXES!)
Yeap, Death and Taxes, because in the Netherlands you do pay a lot of taxes, but at least in the end you get your money's worth. Things work around here. If you come from countries like mine, which is Brazil, you never know what you are going to get for the taxes you pay.
The thing is, no matter if you are a Dutch Citizen or an Expat working in the Netherlands, you are required to pay taxes if you make money here.
I am not going to get into too much detail about how much tax, percentages and what not. For that you can start checking out this link: https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/taxation/dutch-tax-system
In my case, since I arrived in the Netherlands in May 2017 on my first tax declaration I have to fill out a Form M, which is basically for expats that have not worked the entire previous year in the Netherlands. They even send you a booklet at home, entirely in dutch, which by the way I still do not speak and read functionally. So I went out and looked for a Laywer/TaxAdvisor here that could help me with that.
Laywer/Tax Advisor: Maria from MF Advies
Phone: +31 010 7370808
Email: info@mfadvies.nl
I set an appointment and had my tax return done in less then an hour.
Get a phone number with internet
- I got a lebara SIM card. Payed 20 euros for Unlimited phone calls and 4GB of Internet. You can get a Lebara SIMCard in the City Center of major cities and even supermarkets. Works pretty nicely.
- Get a sim-card from Tele2. But only after I had my BSN and Bank Account. I basically pay 25 euros a month for unlimited calls, SMS and internet.
- Need a BSN and Bank Account
- https://www.tele2.nl/mobiel/sim-only/
Open a bank account
- Need a BSN
If you wanna receive a salary or pay for stuff you are going to need a bank account. In the Netherlands you can pay EVERYTHING with a bank card, everything gets tied to your bank account. I really went weeks without one paper bill on my wallet and didn't even noticed.
Here are the two banks I ended up opening an account on.
- https://www.ing.nl/particulier/betalen/bankrekeningen/kostenwijzer/index.html — Basically because I wanted an account with a big bank in case I needed some extra service, like a loan, credit card and etc.
- https://www.bunq.com/en/ (Mobile bank, no branch) — Bunq is a mobile and online bank with no physical branch anywhere. The good thing about this is that it is a lot faster to open the account and really practical and functional app. Also it costs 1 euro a month to have a debit card and that is it.
Get Health Insurance
- The one I choose: https://www.fbto.nl
- Paying 82 euros a month
- Explanation: http://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-page/official-issues/insurances/health-insurances/dutch-health-insurance
- Comparison of several services: https://www.zorgwijzer.nl/zorgvergelijker/english
- CHOOSE A GENERAL PRACTICINER DOCTOR
- http://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-page/healthcare/general-practitioners-gp-doctors-netherlands
30% tax rulling (DON'T FORGET ABOUT THIS!):
If you are eligible for the 30% ruling then the taxable amount of your gross Dutch salary is reduced to 70%. Put simply, 30% of your wage is tax free.
The 30% ruling is intended as a reimbursement for expenses that expatriates incur when relocating to the Netherlands and working away from their homeland. These expenses include:
- Application costs for residence permit, visa, driving licence etc.
- Hotel expenses (if expats still live in their homeland).
- Travelling expenses and / or telephone calls to their country of origin.
- Dutch courses costs for the expat and their family.
- Housing costs such as rent or bills (especially in the initial stage).
- Costs of water, energy (gas and electricity) etc. if prices in the Netherlands are higher than in the country of origin.
Source: http://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/taxation/30-percent-ruling/what-is-30-percent-ruling
Anyway, it is pretty simple. All you need to do is access this link: https://www.belastingdienst.nl/wps/wcm/connect/bldcontentnl/themaoverstijgend/programmas_en_formulieren/verzoek-loonheffingen-30-regeling-2017
Then print the PDF linked on that page, fill it out everything with your information and your employers information. And the just mail it to the address on the PDF with the documents required like, employment agreement, company registry and a couple of others.
This can be done up to 4 months after you started to work for the company in the Netherlands and the refund should be done to your employer and your employer should pay it back to you.
Housing
- IMPORTANT: Will need to pay a deposit of at least 1 month rent, so be prepared.
- Might need to pay a service fee to if you use a agency. Depends on agency to agency. But an important note is that in the Netherlands it is against the law for the agency to charge the tenant (you) and the landlord. So if you use an agency, talk to the landlord about it and check if you guys are not over paying.
Where to find a good place to stay?
- https://housinganywhere.com/
- https://www.pararius.com/english/
- https://www.expatrentals.eu/
- https://www.onlyexpats.nl/
- https://rotterdamapartments.com/en/Home
Transportation
- Go to a Subway Station and ask in the Information for a OV-CHIPKAART
- Will cost 8 euros to get an anonymous one.
- After that you will need to charge it with money
- For an identified one you can go to this link: https://www.ns.nl/en/season-tickets/dal-voordeel.html
- Will cost 50 euros a year and you get:
- - 40% discount during off-peak hours
- 40% discount on weekends
- 40% discount for 3 travel companions
- Free personal OV-chipkaart with your photo on it.
Bikes
- https://swapfiets.nl/en/
- Pay 15 euros a month, they will give you a good bike
- If there are any problems they will just exchange it for FREE
- If it gets stolen you pay 40 euros and they will give you a new one.
Drivers license
In my case, that I was eligible for the 30% tax ruling is not that difficult. Basically all you need is:
- Certificate of fitness (VvG) — You may also be asked for a certificate of fitness or VvG (verklaring van geschiktheid) to prove you are physically and psychologically fit to drive a vehicle. You can get the VvG form your municipality, at Mijn CBR(You will need your DigiD)
- Your foreign drivers license, original and without being expired.
- You 30% tax ruling statement issued by the Belastingdienst to your municipality.
- A valid passport photo.
With all that in hand all need to do is show up in one of the municipality offices in your city and apply for a Dutch Drivers License, which if approved should be sent to your home address.
In case you are not eligible for the 30% tax ruling just go to this link: https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/official-issues/driving-licence-netherlands.
Want to learn Dutch?
Here a link to an online course over skype that a friend referred me to it: http://kickstartschool.nl/en/course/dutch-skype-courses/
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Well, It has been a little over two months since I have arrived in the Netherlands and this was my experience so far. My idea with this is really to try to make things easier for anybody else that plans on going through the same process. Also, if you have something to add, please do not hesitate to comment!
(Edited) Now I've been in the Netherlands for a bit longer, almost a year, and like I said my idea is keep adding information to help people as much as possible.
And if you thought this was somewhat useful, how about giving a couple of Claps below!!
Cheers!
