7 minute read
Moving to Brabant
2 MOVING TO BRABANT
2.1 Burger Service Nummer (BSN) 2.2 Residence Permit 2.3 Work Permit 2.4 Driver's License
2.1 Burger Service Nummer (BSN)
Every person residing in the Netherlands has a registration number: Burger Service Nummer (BSN). One is issued to Dutch citizens when they are born and registered into the Population Register, and to migrants who start to live in the Netherlands when they register at the municipality. You can register for a BSN as soon as you have moved into your new residence. The university will support you in the process.
Keep an eye on the announcements of your University about the town hall registration sessions! ● You may only obtain a BSN for yourself and your children (who are younger than 18). ● You must provide an address. ● You must present a valid passport. A different identification document can only be presented by nationals of an EU member state. (A driver’s license is not accepted as an identity card.) ● You must appear in person.
If you are not a national of an EU member state, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland, or Switzerland, you must have a note/sticker in your passport that permits you to stay and work in the Netherlands.
Take the following items to your appointment:
● Birth certificate (legalized)
Tip! Check the website of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign
Affairs for legalization procedures with your country of origin. ● Marriage certificate (legalized)
● Valid passport
Tip! Make sure that your passport is valid for as long as possible. ● Dutch housing rental or purchase contract (or consent of the principal occupant)
2.2 Residence Permit
● Non-EU citizens must apply for a residence permit. ● Everyone over the age of 12 must carry a valid ID at all times.
Study Visa
The International Office of your university is the go-to contact about your study visa.
Replacing a lost or stolen residence permit
1. File a report with the police. 2. Complete the ‘Vervanging, vernieuwing of eerste aanvraag vreemdelingendocument’ IND form. WHERE IS MY PERMIT? 3. Mail the following items to the IND: REPLACING A LOST OR STOLEN RESIDENCE PERMIT ● Police report ● Copy of your passport ● Copy of your residence permit (if available) ● The IND form
Mail to the following mailing address: Immigratie-en Naturalisatiedienst, Postbus 5 9560 AA Ter Apel
The cost is dependent on the type of residence permit. For more information visit www.ind.nl or contact Holland Expat Center South.
2.3 Work Permit
Internationals who have successully finished a Bachelor's or Master's program in the Netherlands may apply for an Orientation Year Permit for graduates. This permit allows recent graduates from non-EU countries to stay in the Netherlands for a period of up to twelve months, while seeking suitable employment. Holland Expat Center South can guide you through the process. (Read more in the 'Working in Brabant' section.)
Then you may apply for an Orientation Year Permit for graduates! This permit allows recent graduates from nonEU countries to stay in the Netherlands for a period of up to twelve months, while seeking suitable employment.
2.4 Driving in the Netherlands
● Residents of the Netherlands are not allowed to drive a car registered in another country (after a certain period of time). ● You must exchange your current driver’s license or apply for a
Dutch driver’s license. ● You are allowed to drive in the Netherlands with your current driver's license for 180 days.
The following are required to drive a car in the Netherlands: ● A valid driver’s license ● Third party insurance ● Car must be registered
Exchanging a driver’s license
Some internationals are able to exchange their driver’s license for a Dutch one: ● Expats who have the 30% tax facility status (nationality does not matter). ● Citizens of the countries of the EU or EFTA. ● Driver's licences issued in some other countries can also be exchanged.
For more information, visit www.rdw.nl.
For most of the above-mentioned countries, the driver’s license will be valid for 10 years. But before it elapses, it is required to exchange the license for a Dutch one.
Driving exam
Those who do not fit in the above categories are legally allowed to use their foreign driver’s license for 185 days after arrival, then they must pass the regular Dutch theory and driving tests. ● It is possible to take both the theory and driving tests in
English. ● Dutch driver’s licenses are generally issued for 10 years.
Formalities
● Exchange your driver’s license for a Dutch one (if applicable). ● Return foreign driver’s license via home country. (Be sure to make a copy!) ● Note expiration dates of all permits and licenses, and make sure you reapply on time!
Meilivia Angelicka, Indonesia
- Industrial Engineering, Fontys Hogescholen Eindhoven
How did you prepare for your international move to Brabant? “Fontys Hogescholen has an agent in Indonesia to help international students with all the practical preparations, even applying for a visa. So that was quite easy…. Actually, the most difficult thing to adjust to here is the Dutch weather.”
What are your plans after graduation? "I want to work for a company that has firms here as well as in Indonesia. I know that a lot of alumni from Indonesia work for Philips, so that offers a lot of possibilities. Eventually I will return to Indonesia, because I promised my parents I would come back. By working here for the first years, I will become stronger to face the challenges in Indonesia, for instance concerning corruption.”
What is leading in choosing your first job in the Netherlands?
“For me, the company is more important than the location. This country is quite small, so commuting is no problem. Lots of people I know live in Brabant but work in the Randstad and they find it very manageable.”
Would you like to keep living in Brabant? “Yes. I like the region and the central location. You can go almost everywhere in the country from here and it will never take more than three hours. I also like the city of Eindhoven, where I live. It’s not too crowded, but still an interesting globalising city. And the inhabitants are very friendly. A friend of mine, who studies in Japan, came to visit me a while ago and he was so enthusiastic that he also wants to move here.”
What advice do you have for other international students? "Be aware of the difference between universities, that are more focused on research, and ‘hogescholen’, that are more focused on practice. Most other countries don’t have that difference, so most people aren’t used to it."
Catalina Susnea, Romania
- Software Engineering, Fontys University of Applies Sciences Eindhoven
How did you end up studying in Brabant? “I visited a gathering of the Romanian International University Fair and there was a representative of Fontys Hogescholen present. I found it to have one of the best practical studies for applied sciences. And Eindhoven was one of the cities I wanted to live, because it’s nice and not too big plus it has an airport so I can easily travel to Romania when I want.”
How did you prepare for your move to Brabant? “I contacted an international organisation called Edmundo and asked them about all the information I needed to live and study in the Netherlands. All the universities pay for this organisation, so I found it to be trustworthy. For other questions I had, for instance about accommodation, supermarkets and other living issues, I used Facebook. But that’s not always reliable. The only credible information is to be found via school.”
Will you stay in Brabant? “I have good hope to find an interesting job here. All the companies in this area are very keen on innovation and that suits my education and interests. And I start an internship at Philips soon, so maybe that will lead to a job later?”
Would you like to keep living in Brabant? “I think so. I had the best years of my life here. I met lots of friends because there are so many young people here. And I found lots of nice parks in the region as well, I like that.”
What advice do you have for other international students? “If you want to study in the technology field, you can find many opportunities and interesting companies here that can help you grow. And the schools and universities are very high ranked.”
The housing available in Brabant will probably not be the same as you are used to. How you see this depends on your experience in your home country! There are many types of housing available in Brabant -- and many places to live. The choice is yours!
