An introduction by XCent Expat Support

On what conditions can I move to the Netherlands? What documents do I need? How do I start preparing? All these questions have an answer but it depends on your nationality, on how long you wish to stay in the Netherlands and on your purpose of staying in the Netherlands what the answer to your questions will be.

When planning on living in the Netherlands, good preparation is necessary. One needs to start planning and preparing in one’s own country, before even being able to travel to the Netherlands. If you have the Chinese nationality and you plan on moving to the Netherlands, your immigration process starts with the Dutch Embassy in China (or with the Consulate General in Shanghai, Guangzhou or Hong Kong).

Visa - Machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf (MVV)

For nationals of most countries2 it is required to obtain a special visa ( MVV) before entering the Netherlands for a period of more than 3 months. For Chinese nationals such a MVV visa is a necessity. There are 2 ways to start the application procedure for a MVV:

The company that you are going to be working with, can start the MVV procedure in the Netherlands by requesting a recommendation to obtain an MVV with the IND, you will have to go to the Dutch Embassy or Consulate General afterwards;

You can apply for the MVV visa directly at the Dutch Embassy of the Consulate General.

If the Immigration- and Naturalization department (IND) decides positive on your MVV application you will have to contact the Dutch Embassy or the Consulate General in China. The Embassy or Consulate General will, after checking your passport, put the MVV sticker in your passport. After receiving the MVV sticker, you will have 6 months to travel to the Netherlands and to apply for a residence permit.

Please contact the Dutch Embassy in China or the Consulate General in Shanghai, Guangzhou or Hong Kong for more information (www.hollandinchina.org).

Tourist visa

When planning on staying in the Netherlands for less than 3 months, a tourist visa will be sufficient. A tourist visa is a sticker which the Embassy or the Consulate will put in your passport. A tourist visa will only be issued for a period of 3 months. Upon arrival in the Netherlands you have to report within 3 days with the Aliens Police in the city you are staying in.

Please contact the Dutch Embassy in China or the Consulate General in Shanghai, Guangzhou or Hong Kong for the application and the required documents for obtaining a tourist visa (www.hollandinchina.org).

Legalization of documents

For registration with the Dutch Municipal Population Register (GBA) double legalization of Chinese documents (i.e. birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce decrees) is a necessity.

Double legalization means that before a document can be used for registration with the Dutch Municipal Population Register (GBA), the signature on the document must be first legalized by the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country where the document was issued. Subsequently the Dutch ministry of Foreign Affairs must then authenticate the signed document thereby verifying the signature of the issuing authority.

Documents from China need to be legalized by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing or by one of the 18 authorized ‘Foreign Affairs Offices’. Subsequently the documents need to be legalized by the Dutch Embassy in Beijing or the Dutch Consulate General in Shanghai.

Note: documents that are not stated in Dutch, English or French need to be translated by a Dutch translator, confirmed by oath.

Applying for a residence permit

Upon arrival in the Netherlands you need to make an appointment with the City Hall for registration with the municipal population register (GBA) and for the application of the residence permit.3

In order to apply for the residence permit one needs to have the right documents and the right application form. You can download the application form from the IND website (www.ind.nl). The required documents are described in the form.

After handing over all the required documents and payment of the fee at the City Hall, the IND will process your application. Within 6 months you will receive a decision from the IND. Subsequently, the City Hall will send you a letter for collecting your residence permit.

The IND will issue your residence permit primarily for a period up to 1 year.

Depending on the company in the Netherlands you will be working with and depending on your wage, the IND offers a special procedure for highly skilled migrants; Kennismigrantenregeling. The special residence permit in this Kennismigrantenregeling is applied for at the IND office through a special application form. Your employer will assist you with this procedure.

Registration with the Municipal Population Register (GBA)

When applying for a residence permit at the City Hall you also have to be registered with the municipal population register (GBA). By law it is required for all citizens of a city, living in the Netherlands for at least for the next 4 months, to register with the municipal population register. You need to register with your own city’s municipal population register even if you had to apply for the residence permit in a different city.

Before making the appointment with the City Hall make sure:

you have applied for your residence permit or will do so at the same appointment;

you have a legalized birth certificate and if applicable a legalized marriage certificate and/or divorce decree;

you have a valid passport;

you have an original rental contract or purchase-deed of your house.

Within 4 weeks after the registration appointment you will be registered with the municipal population register.

Applying for a work permit

For Chinese nationals working in the Netherlands, except for Chinese nationals working in the Netherlands based on the Kennismigrantenregeling, a work permit is required.

The employer needs to submit an application for a work permit to the national CWI (Centrum voor Werk en Inkomen), labor department. Prior to this the vacancy of the position needs to be listed at the local CWI offices and the European Labor Department, Eures. These labor departments will search during a period of five weeks/3 months for available Dutch and EU citizens who can fulfil the vacancy. If no available candidates are found, the work permit procedure can be initiated.

The application, including documentation from CWI and Eures, will need to be submitted to the Legal department of the national Labour department. The CWI aims to make a decision within five weeks upon receipt of the application.

Please contact the CWI for more information.

Costs for staying in the Netherlands

In appendix I you will find an overview of the costs for coming to the Netherlands and staying in the Netherlands. This does not include costs for Dutch translators.

Planning and co-ordination

There are several relocation companies in the Netherlands that can offer help with the immigration and residence procedures. They know their way with the immigration and residence procedures and are there to advise you when to start with a certain procedure.

XCent Expat Support is one of these companies. XCent Expat Support is your beacon in the maze of residence procedures. For an overview of our full range of services or for a free consult with one of our consultants, please contact:

XCent Expat Support

P.O. Box 152

5201 AD ‘s-Hertogenbosch

Telephone: 073 – 68 68 608

Fax: 073- 68 68 606

E-mail: expatsupport[ta]xcent.nl

Website: www.expatsupport.eu