Over the years, OleRRelo has helped countless Houston-natives relocated overseas. We’ve got the process down to a science, from the paperwork and customs documentation to the actual loading and hauling, we know how to get you there without a fuss. We put together this series to help ease our movers into their new home. Today, we’re helping our movers heading to Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is not your usual massive bustling metropolis like New York, London, or Tokyo. It’s relatively modest in size with only about 800,000 residents in the city proper (about a third of the population of Houston). However, it’s a beautiful metropolitan place with centuries of culture and heritage.
First things first, after you’re set up with housing (and hopefully a job) you’ll need to register for your citizen service number (or BSN). You’ll need this number to access healthcare, enroll in education, apply for child care and housing benefits, handle taxes, and open a bank account. You can apply for a BSN by registering with your municipality.
Another important step is taking out a health insurance plan, which is required by law. A standard plan is about 100 euros a month and covers general practitioner visits, children’s dental, certain medications, and mental health services. Comparison of prices between companies can be found here
Amsterdam is considered the bike capital of the world, and not for nothing either. It’s generally the fastest way to get around the city and cyclists are often given priority over pedestrians. You can get a bike for pretty cheap too. Just be sure to purchase a good lock with it (it’s also the bike theft capital of the world [probably]). If you’re not up for biking everywhere, there’s always public transportation. Just be sure to purchase an OV card if you’ll be using it regularly. It’ll save you A LOT.
Another crucial aspect of moving to the Netherlands will be, of course, learning Dutch. If you’re moving to Amsterdam, things will be much easier since just about everybody speaks English just fine. But if you really want to immerse yourself in the culture, it’ll be necessary to gain a basic grasp of the language. Which shouldn’t be too hard as Dutch is so closely related to English.
Moving internationally can be a scary and overwhelming process. But hopefully, with this list and the help of OleRRelo’s crew of international movers, we can take some of the stress out of the process and create a smooth transition for you and your family.
