Hi all, My company is planning to transfer me from US to one of their locations in The Netherlands. I have been researching on immigrations, possible cost of living and all other related topics.
Currently me being in US and on H1B, I would be glad if you can clarify some of my questions.
- Who should apply for MVV, is it the employer or employee?
- If it is employee, can I apply from US or should it be done through The Netherlands consulate in INDIA?
- After MVV, is there any thing like Work Permit Visa? Because I am confused when people mention MVV as Residence Permit.
- Finally, what is the averge cost of living and probable expenses (like is car mandatory or transportation good enough, atleast in the begining)
It would be really helpful if any of you who happened moved from US to The Netherlands can also give me some inputs.
Thank you
Kaushik
what gtsreddy said is correct. w.r.t to your other questions: MVV will be granted to you for a period of 3 or 6 months (it is a sticker on your passport). Once you come to Netherlands, your employer will apply for your residence card to the immigration department also called IND. It takes another 6-8 weeks by IND to process your residence card (similar to bank credit card) this should be valid usually for a year or possibly till the duration of your job contract. Coming from US you might have spoiled using a car, but Netherlands is bi-cycle country, dutch has made whole country accessible with bi-cycle paths and public transport is not only used extensively but also encouraged. Buses and Trains are very well accessible and reliable. Car is not the most urgent necessity for a new comer to the Netherlands, of course unless you have a family. Also taxes on keeping a car are according to the weight of car. for e.g if your car's empty weight is 1250 kg you should pay around 60 euros a month only for tax. Cost of living really depends on where you are going to live, western part of the country(Amsterdam/Rotterdam/Utrecht/Hague) is quite expensive. Renting a decent 2 bed-room apartment there will cost you around or more than 1000 euros a month. The same could be for 500 euros in other parts of the country. I would say 1500 Euros a month net is an absolute minimum for one person. Of course depending on your life-style and family size you may expect higher expenses. Normally, according to EU standards, etherlands has higher-standards of living and cost of living. Dutch people in general are open , friendly and educated also most of the population speak several languages and of course English is widely spoken. I would say in Europe, as far as international population is considered Netherlands would be next to UK.
@gtsreddy: That makes more sense now... Thank you
@danzindd: No doubts about the US spoiling and symmetrizing our physique. Now I may have to negotiate more with my employer as you edified me with actual minimum expenses in the western cities. Thank you.
So, does the visa sticker in my passport serve as temporary permit until Residence card is issued? Also, if Visa is valid for only 6 months doesnt that mean we cannot reenter Netherlands although the residence permit is valid? Since I work full-time (no contract) I assume MVV & Residence permit has a limit on max. number of months/years allowed before obtaining permanent residency!!
aravk said:
So, does the visa sticker in my passport serve as temporary permit until Residence card is issued? Also, if Visa is valid for only 6 months doesnt that mean we cannot reenter Netherlands although the residence permit is valid? Since I work full-time (no contract) I assume MVV & Residence permit has a limit on max. number of months/years allowed before obtaining permanent residency!!
Yes your MVV sticker in passport serves as temporary permit till you get your residence card.
Now there are two situations:
(1) If you are coming to Netherlands as a Knowledge Migrant: You do not actually need a work permit but only residence permit. (To be eligible for a knowledge migrant your gross salary should be more than 52k per annum if you are older than 30yrs Or 36k p.a if you are younger than 30 yrs in age). IND processes KM residence permit much faster than a regular work permit. So as soon as you are in Netherlands and you apply for a residence card based on knowlede migrant job you will get it within a month and half time.
(2) I do not really know how much time IND takes to issue your regular work permit. In case it delays, you can request for another sticker on your passport (it is called return visa, valid for 3 months multiple entries). It allows you to travel outside Netherlands, till your residence card is finally ready.
For permanent residency, you need to have stayed in NL continuously for 5 years. Also, you should have learned Dutch (you have to prove this by showing a certificate of civil integration exam results).
I am afraid, i dint get your question correctly. Your eligibility for Knowledge Migrant is based on your jobs salary or if you are coming to work as a scientific researcher (in this case salary criteria is waived). And for both the cases, you do not apply for your residence permit but your employer does. Regardless of your qualification and work exp. only the salary or research job can make you eligible for KM permit. and yes once your company applies for KM permit, you do not required work permit as such. Your residence permit itself makes you eligible to work and stay in Netherlands. After 5 years of your residence and having qualified Dutch language requirements you can apply yourself for a permanent residence permit. This permit eventually makes you free to work and reside anywhere in EU without ever requiring work permit and clearing other bureaucratic hassles.
if you write me more specifics about your nature of job, location and company you are coming to work, i might say you more about your concerns. As you might have found out, dutch bureaucracy is complex and case by case basis. it is always wise to know your rights beforehand.
yes indeed H1B has different procedure based on "edexp" than Knowledge Migrant procedure based on "salage". Living in Den Haag (The Hague area) is expensive you can check yourself at funda.nl search for Huurwoningen (rent apartment). If you can also look for shared accomodation, which means you can rent a room (kamer) this is relatively cheaper option. for room check for kamernet.nl Ask your company if they can sponsor you as Knowledge Migrant with if possible 30% ruling (google 30% ruling to understand what it means, in simple terms you pay less tax on your salary thus taking more net at home). Social Security Number is called BSN number in Netherlands. IND has nothing to do with it, you get this number once you arrive here and register your residence address at the Municipality (Gemeente). Then Gemeente arranges your BSN number via Tax Office (Belastingdienst). This is a secondary step. Your KM permit is independent. Your employer applies for KM permit and IND processes it within 6-8 weeks time after you have applied.
hm..what is 'apstolized'. Doesnt the passport serve as the birth date verification document?
gtsreddy said:
U do not need this document to enter and start working in NL, but after u come here the first thing you have to do is registering at Town hall, and there they will ask you for the birth certificate with Apostille. Strictly they first look for the seal. Also if you are moving with Family, marriage and birth certificates of kids needs to be shown with apostille as well.
Just a quick question on Apostillizing the documents. Is it necessary to have the Apostille stamp within 6 months of Birth Certificate issue date?
As a rule yes, it must be apostelled within 6 months of issuance. But In my case I had submitted 2 weeks after 6 months had passed. The gemeente were not so strict about it. They simply sent it to IND for verfication and later after 4 weeks, they confirmed me that it is acceptable. You can have your luck too. but it is advisable, dont base your life in the Netherlands with sheer luck only, you must act in time ;-)
