Order of operations: An immigration story
Setting up shop as an adult human in the Netherlands was a more linear process than I thought. Each badge earned (visa, ID number, address, etc.) builds on powers granted by the previous one, and then unlocks a new door (bank card, transit pass, health insurance). Here, based on my experience are the steps along the way. PER USUAL, I RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONSULT WITH YOUR IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY AND OTHER ADVISERS ON YOUR EXACT PROCESS.
Just to underline: Everything starts with a signed work contract. If you don’t have one of those, nothing else will move. So make sure your company is working on that right away, especially if your move timeline is shorter than a couple of months.
Level 0: Signed work contract
Requirements: A job offer and completed negotiations
What it unlocks: Application for immigration visa
Level 1: Immigration visa (in the form of a letter from the immigration department)
Requirements: Level 0, plus passport, identity documents with apostille stamps, and other documents as directed by your immigration handlers
What it unlocks: Residency permit process, and depending on your company policies, relocation planning (aka scheduling freight shipping, talking to pet movers, and booking a one-way flight to the Netherlands)
Level 2: Residency permit, municipality registration and BSN (akin to a Social Security number)
Requirements: Level 1, plus an address (even if temporary), passport, identity documents with apostille stamps, and other documents as directed by your immigration handlers
What it unlocks: Lots of things! But most immediately, the opportunity to establish accounts and personal information with the government (including your COVID vaccination).
Level 3: Bank account/card and DigiD
Requirements: Level 2, plus passport
What it unlocks: The ability to pay for things easily (some entities don’t take credit card or cash) or make big payments (like a deposit on an apartment), and the ability to log in to important institutional sites.
Level 4: Full participation in society!
Requirements: Level 3, plus a Netherlands phone number in some cases
What it unlocks: Apartment-hunting (and signing a rental contract), full transit pass (there is a tourist version for the interim), Museumkaart, health insurance enrollment, doctor/dentist/pharmacy registration, vet registration, utility accounts for your apartment (water, gas, electric).
These levels take varying amounts of time. Many things go through the mail and have processing times in the neighborhood of 10-15 business days. So you want to get started on the next level as soon as you can, so that nothing is holding you back.
A few tips …
Don’t sleep on the DigiD. It’s necessary for a lot of things and the enrollment takes some time to process.
Make the most of your bank appointment. As an expat, if you’re establishing with a brick-and-mortar bank (your company might advise you on this) you have to have an appointment. If you’re married, you should both go to that appointment, so that you can get things set up properly from the get-go. For example — do you want separate or joint accounts? Will you take the insurance policies? It is way harder to connect the dots later.
Start working on your apostille stamps as soon as you get the offer. Read more here.
Make a plan for your digits. Figure out what you’re going to do with your U.S. phone number BEFORE you leave the States, because once you’re in the Netherlands, you don’t have as many options. You will benefit from switching to an NL number earlier rather than later, so that all the different places you register and enroll are set up with your new number. And some entities won’t even let you proceed without an NL number.
Send yourself money. Once you have your bank account set up, transfer money from your U.S. account into your new NL account so that it’s there for apartment deposits and other big-ticket items. It might be a month before you get your first paycheck from your NL employer.