Tips for a new Indian in The Netherlands

I came to Netherlands towards the end of 2009. Since then, I have seen the Indian crowd only expand...exponentially would not be a wrong term to use!

Time it takes

Considering your day of landing in Netherlands as Day 0, below is the approximate timeline chart from preparation to settling in Netherlands:

Short Stay

For a short stay, you can choose from either a hotel or a short stay apartments. Apartment will be furnished with utensils, microwave, washing machine etc and all you need to do, is buy your own grocery and cook.

Note: Since Jan 2014, I have transferred this blog to http://indiansinnetherlands.com due to better features. So for latest (and correct) notes, kindly click here: http://indiansinnetherlands.com.

If you are looking for single accommodation on sharing basis, click here and register with kamernet.

For the most popular hotel booking site click here. Very often they also have short stay apartments. Some things you can (should) check in the website before reservation are:

• 7+ feedback rating for the hotel/apartment is what I recommend.  
• sometimes hotels include free breakfast in their rates (apartments generally do not)
• Cancellation policy: Click on '?' button in the "Conditions" column - very clear and generally good 
• commute to/from the hotel
• if you are price sensitive (i.e if company is not paying your stay :) ), sort the listing based on price
• if you plan to rent a car, then check for free parking in the hotel
• if you have kids, check age limit for free stay

I find booking is also very easy on this site...anyway, it is my favorite :)

For stay near Amsterdam Airport (Schipol) I have had friends stay in these hotels with good feedback:

- Ibis Airport: They have free shuttle from/to airport every 15 minutes. From the airport, you have train connectivity to the rest of the country and also rest of Europe :) 

- Park Plaza: They also have free shuttle from/to airport

Please note that listing above does not mean the others aren't good. It is just that I do not have personal contacts that have stayed there. For example, I know corporate travelers stay in Novotel, NH, Sheraton etc. You can click here for all options around the Amsterdam Airport

For apartment options, you can also check this link. Check if cancellation policy suits you.

If you need help in deciding, leave me a comment.

Sightseeing list for Europe

I have a list of 50+ places to visit across Europe. Click here to see the list. I have also shared my travel plan for the places I have visited.

Public transport and OV chipkaart

All cities have bus and/or train connectivity. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Den Haag (The Hague) and Utrecht also have tram and/or metro connectivity. Some places and islands are connected by ferry as well (OV chipcart does not apply here).

Cost of Living

House rent will probably be your biggest expense.

Eindhoven specifics

I moved from India to Eindhoven in 2009 September. Here is some information specific to the city....

Amstelveen specifics

I do not live in Amstelveen myself. But here is some specifics from my contacts.

Note: Since Jan 2014, I have transferred this blog to http://indiansinnetherlands.com due to better features. So for latest (and correct) notes, kindly click here: http://indiansinnetherlands.com.

There plenty of Indians in Amsteveen. In fact so many that....there is a joke that Amstelveen should be renamed as Amstel Nagar :)

Amstelveen is very close to Amsterdam. Hence there is plenty to do in and around. However, information in this post is limited to Amstelveen only.

1. Indian stortes: Kashmir, Spice Amstelveen, Masala express
2. Indian restaurant: Sagar
3. The cricket stadium of Netherlands is here - check for VRA. This is also a professional cricket club
4. Albert Hein is open till 10.00PM Mon thru Sat; On Sundays it is till 18.00. Check ah.nl 
5. On Thusrday, shops in the centrum are open till 21.00
6. Amstelveen is well connected with bus, tram, metro. However, there is no train station.
7. popular taxi number - 0207777777
8. During Diwali time, lot of Indians get together in the centrum and celebrate Diwali. Entry is free for all
9. During Diwali time, sparklers are available in the Indian Stores
10. Popular housing agency is Rots vast
11. Sometimes hindi cinemas are screened in the Pathe theater complex in Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena
12. The sports center of Amstelveen is in Spoortlaan. You can find swimming etc

The medical system

The healthcare system in Netherlands is pretty weird and very difficult to digest for an Indian.

Visitor visa for UK

Note: Please click http://indiansinnetherlands.com for further reading. I have stopped updating here.

Money transfer to India

Note: Since Jan 2014, I have transferred this blog to http://indiansinnetherlands.com due to better features. So for latest (and correct) notes, kindly click here: http://indiansinnetherlands.com.

The taxes and tips to save

A rough calculation to your take home salary is as follows:

Schooling in Netherlands

Timelines are as follows (in years) for Dutch school goers:

Dutch citizenship

If you have a permanent Dutch Residence Permit and have been living here for last 5 years, you become eligible for Dutch citizenship.

Housing

If you are coming to Netherlands for a short term, please refer my post on short-stay.
If you are looking for single accommodation on sharing basis, click here and register with kamernet.

Rental housing has 4 different phases: searching, moving in, living, moving out.

car and driving

This post has:
- Licence requirements to drive in the Netherlands
- How to get a license in Netherlands
- Driving rules book in English (driving-license-traffic-regulations)
- The major road rules in the Netherlands
- To Rent/Lease/Own a car in Netherlands

Processing Visitors visa.

Processing visitor visa is very simple. Even if you go thru a travel agent, except the submission of the visa application form, you will have to do everything else yourself. From my experience, visa applications are approved in all normal cases.

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