# Need some advice - moving to Den Haag



## shakeafist (Dec 19, 2013)

Hi everyone!

New to the forum as you can obviously tell, and I was just looking to get a few tips and pointers for my move to the Netherlands.

I have visited the Netherlands many times in the past on short holidays and have always seen it as somewhere I'd love to live, so I finally decided to do it. Lovely people, a great quality of life, beautiful architecture, a rich arts and culture scene and lots of interesting things to see and do. Who wouldn't want to live there?

So, a little about me. I'm a 28 year old Irish male, in the past I have lived in New York for a few years, and lived in Copenhagen for just under a year, so I'm used to the relocation process, there's no worries there. I have a few questions regarding my move, and of course any advice that anyone can give about relocating to the Netherlands (and specifically Den Haag) would be greatly encouraged and appreciated.

First off - Registration. I understand that within days of my arrival I have to register with the municipality, which shouldn't be a problem. I will have all the required documents. What I'd like to know is, is it possible that the whole process could take longer than the 2-4 week estimated period to recieve my BSN?

Secondly - Finding an Apartment. I have quite a few viewings over my first few days, so I should have a permanent address very quickly. I was surprised to hear of the large agents fees when moving into a house/apartment, which are usually equal to a months rent. Are all estate agents implementing this fee? Or am I just setting up appointments with the wrong places? It's quite puzzling, since I've never seen or heard of this in any other country.

Thirdly - Finding a job. I have just recently got my forklift operators license, so I'll be looking at trying my arm in working in a warehouse or airport environment, which there's no shortage of in the Netherlands. I see many vacancies for this line of work, yet I know I can't apply until I recieve my BSN. I also have a background in office work and bartending. What I'd like to know regarding this subject, is would it be worth my time registering with recruitment agencies in the Netherlands, and if so, which ones?

Next up - A Dutch Bank Account. I know that once I'm registered I can open up a bank account, but won't be able to get direct debit or online banking until I can show that I have a work contract. I'm aware I can open a savings account though. Which bank would be best for an expat to sign up with?

I have enough money saved up to do me for a few months while I get on my feet, and I'm slowly learning Dutch (hopelijk zal het beter in de tijd te krijgen!) to improve my job prospects and make social situations with locals less daunting.

So yeah, any advice would be very useful for someone who is new to life in the Netherlands.

Cheers!


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## Gioppino (Aug 25, 2012)

Finding an apartment should come first, then registration. If you have a local friend that can help you, that's better. Agents like to rip expats off, exploiting their ignorance of the rules.

The law says that you don't have to pay the month rent commission if you reply to an advertisement, you only pay if you visit the agency in person.

The best thing is, go there and stay in a bnb, then visit some agencies and once you've found the right place for you, before signing the contract, get a copy and go to the nearest Juridisch Loket. They offer free advice and they're very good.

Once you have a contract you register with the Gemeente, open a bank account and buy health insurance asap.

You need to open a "betaalrekening", which will cost you at least 17E a year (ING). If you need VISA/Mastercard it's another 20 a year. A "spaarrekening" is not enough.

If you have a forklift licence, I am not sure if you have to convert it to a Dutch one, but there's plenty of warehouse work in Breda/Den Bosch/Eindhoven. 

Learning Dutch won't improve your job prospects per se, but will help your networking and reading the contracts.


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## Marinos (Aug 15, 2013)

shakeafist said:


> Hi everyone!
> 
> New to the forum as you can obviously tell, and I was just looking to get a few tips and pointers for my move to the Netherlands.
> 
> ...



I would look at sharing as rents here are rather expensive without an income
should be looking around 800ish per month pls expenses after deposits etc
Hague is somewhat expensive also, maybe consider living in the outta areas at least till you get established
personally I would apply for as many jobs as possible giving a NL based address then come over for a few days of interviews
Public transport is super efficient so you should have no issues getting around

good luck


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