We are happy to announce that the newest Welcome Guide (2019-2020) by the International Welcome Center North is ready to download or to pick up at the IWCN office! The IWCN Welcome Guide includes crucial up-to-date information on all the topics relevant for internationals living in (or planning to move to) the Northern Netherlands.
Continue reading “IWCN Welcome Guide 2019-2020”Category: IWCN
Making choices is often difficult
Making choices is often difficult. Especially when they are about important matters in life, such as health, education, career, legal and financial matters and basically everything that concerns the well-being of your family. Making good choices becomes even harder when you have to rely on third parties for quality advice and necessary services. And what if all those choices have to be made in a foreign country, when you do not speak the language (yet) and are already overwhelmed by moving, settling in and adjusting to a new culture?
Continue reading “Making choices is often difficult”IWCN: Welcome Guide to the North 2018 – 2019
The IWCN has released an updated edition of its Welcome Guide to the North. A 167 page handbook full of useful information for the newly arrived internationals living in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe.
Continue reading “IWCN: Welcome Guide to the North 2018 – 2019”Starting a business and obtaining a residence permit via the Start-up Permit
Could you make it in the Netherlands as an entrepreneur? In 2015 the Dutch government brought in new regulations to help ambitious businesspeople from non-EU countries. A one-year ‘start-up’ residency permit has been specially designed to help people like you in the Netherlands. As part of the scheme, all entrepreneurs are required to have a mentor, or ‘facilitator’ on-board and for their start-up to offer something innovative in the Dutch market.
Continue reading “Starting a business and obtaining a residence permit via the Start-up Permit”
What is a ‘Zoekjaar’?
The new ‘Orientation Year Highly-Educated Persons’ (zoekjaar) residence permit replaces, combines and extends the former Orientation year for graduates and the Orientation year for highly-educated persons permits. The new permit allows talented, highly-educated foreigners to apply for this residence permit within 3 years of completing a study or research project (specific conditions apply).
Do I need to register for a BSN?
If you live abroad and come to the Netherlands to work or study, you will need a citizen service number (burgerservicenummer (BSN)) for your dealings with the Dutch authorities.
Government authorities use the BSN to correspond with citizens and exchange personal information with other (governmental) agencies, when legally permitted; for example, between the municipality and the Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst). The BSN is an important tool for improving government services, and is also used to combat identity fraud and solve issues with misspelled names.
IWCN service partners
The IWCN has a wide range of reliable service partners for internationals living in the Northern Netherlands. The partners offer expert commercial services in various areas, including Housing & Relocation; Legal Services, Insurance & Finance; Tax Consulting; Health & Child Care; Payroll & HR; Travel & Leisure; Education; and Career Support. All of the partners of the IWCN offer services in English. So if you are looking for assistance in any of these areas, why not contact one of them to find out how they can help you?
IWCN: Welcome Guide
The IWCN has released an updated edition of its Welcome Guide to the North. A 155 page handbook full of useful information for the newly arrived internationals living in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe.
The Welcome Guide is a pocket-sized handbook covering many topics that arise for newcomers to the Netherlands. From official procedures when you first arrive in the Netherlands, to finding somewhere to live, organising utilities, health insurance, banking and much more.
All international residents of the three Northern provinces, whether EU/EEA or non-EU/EEA, are welcome to use the information services and join in on the social activities and events of the International Welcome Center North.
You can visit the the IWCN office (open five days a week, from 10-17:00 hrs) to collect your free welcome guide. Or visit their website for more information.
Address: Gedempte Zuiderdiep 98, 9711 HL Groningen
Website: www.iwcn.nl
IWCN Service Partners 2016
The IWCN has a wide range of reliable service partners for internationals living in the Northern Netherlands. The partners offer expert services in various areas, including Housing & Relocation; Legal Services, Insurance & Finance; Tax Consulting; Health & Child Care; Payroll & HR; Travel & Leisure; Education: Recruitment; and Career Support. All of the partners of the IWCN offer services in English.
Decisio Report
The IWCN, together with other Expat Centers and the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, commissioned a report concerning trends involving internationals living in the Netherlands. The aim was to determine how many internationals were economically active or studying in the Netherlands in this period, and to discover the most relevant trends with regards to their social-demographics (i.e., nationalities, ages, genders, purpose of stay, business sectors, family situation, housing, salary brackets, municipalities, etc.)