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Checklist for international students

Upon arrival in Amsterdam

The following steps are a useful checklist upon arrival. Please note that some of these steps are mandatory.
Upon arrival
  • Step 1: Arrange your health insurance

    Dutch law requires all international students to have appropriate health insurance for their entire stay in the Netherlands. Allow enough time to do research on this topic, especially when you have pre-existing conditions.

    Before coming to the Netherlands

    • Check whether your current insurance will cover your total stay and what type of coverage it consists of.
    • Make sure you have health insurance coverage from the moment you arrive in the Netherlands.

    Note: The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) available for EU-students may not cover all you need.

    More information
    You'll find more information about EHIC and the pros and cons of different insurance options on the page about health insurance for international students.

    If you have questions about your health insurance and whether it offers enough coverage, check out these frequently asked questions from the zorgverzekeringslijn, an organisation specialising in health insurance for international students.

    Webinar Zorgverzekeringslijn

    To assist you with all possible health insurance related questions, the zorgverzekeringslijn hosts a webinar for international students. This is a great start to tackling this important to-do on your checklist.

    Webinar Zorgverzekeringslijn for all International students
    4 July 2024, 15:00 CEST.
    Register for this webinar

    Webinar Aon Student Insurance

    To provide more information about their Student Insurance in particular, Aon hosts webinars for both EEA students and non-EEA students.

    Upcoming webinars:

    Previous webinars:

  • Step 2: Transport when you arrive in Amsterdam

    Amsterdam has an extensive public transport system, including trams, busses, trains, metros and ferries. The GVB operates most public transport in Amsterdam, and the NS operates most of the trains in the Netherlands.

    OVpay
    As of 2023, the public transport companies of the Netherlands have introduced a new way for commuters to check in and out while travelling. You can now check in and check out of public transport the way you prefer with your contactless debit card, credit card or mobile phone (including Apple Pay or Google Wallet). You choose what suits you best. You can find out how this works on the OVpay website.

    OV chipcards
    The GVB in Amsterdam and the Dutch National Railways (NS) are not the same operators. If you do not wish to use the OVpay function, you can buy single tickets, but travelling using an OV chip card is easier. With this card you can travel by train, bus, tram and metro - one card covers all possibilities!

    An OV chip card is a smart card which you load with travel credit. You can buy one at the ticket office of major train stations or at the yellow ticket machines. These ticket machines accept payment by debit and credit cards (V-Pay, Maestro, Mastercard, Visa and American Express) using a PIN or contactless. The machines do not accept banknotes.

    To travel by train, your OV-chip card needs a minimum credit of €20. For other public transport, no minimum amount is required.

    Student mobility
    Student Mobility is an independent organisation (not related to the UvA) offering a customised public transport card (+ an ISIC Student-ID) with special discounts to international students! You can use this card for all forms of public transport in the Netherlands: train, tram, metro and bus. Furthermore, upon arrival in the Netherlands, Student Mobility offers you a train ticket at a reduced rate. And finally, they also have a programme to rent or buy a bike.

    Plan your route
    Need some help planning your route? Visit https://9292.nl/en to see what route is best! This website covers all modes of transport. The Google Maps and Apple Maps apps have also integrated Dutch public transport timetables if you wish to use those.

  • Step 3: Collect your keys for UvA housing

    If you have arranged housing through the UvA, our housing partners will personally welcome you to your new home.

    Rental contracts start on Friday, 16 August 2024. From this day on, you can collect your key and move in. Some partners offer a room check-in service directly at your new address, while other providers hand out the room keys near the location of your new address or at their office.

    Your housing provider will inform you about the details in due time. You can also check the details here:

    Please note:

    • You are obliged to collect your room key in person. You cannot have someone else do it for you.
    • Announce your arrival date and time at your housing provider (find contact info via the links above).
    • Changed travel plans or delays? Inform your housing provider (find contact info via the links above).
    • Key pick-up is possible during specific hours, mainly during office hours on weekdays. You might need to stay in a hostel or hotel at your own expense if you arrive outside these hours.
    • Some housing providers do no longer hand out keys, but offer keyless rooms (access by mobile device). Your housing provider will inform you about this if this is the case for your room. Check-in at a keyless room is possible from 15:00 CEST on 16 August 2024, not any sooner on that day.
    • Most buildings offer Resident Assistants or an active (online) community. Check with the housing provider for details.
    • Familiarise yourself with official rules for waste collection in the Netherlands. Check this waste guide made by students.

    No housing yet? Check out our tips and tricks.

  • Step 4: Register with the municipality

    As an international student, it is mandatory to register as a resident in the town where you are going to live if you plan to stay in the Netherlands for longer than four months.

    Important for Non-EU students in possession of a residence permit on the basis of study:
    If you do not register with the municipality, you risk losing your residence permit (see step 8: Collect your residence permit).

    Citizen service number (BSN)
    Once you've registered, you'll be given a citizen service number (burgerservicenummer, BSN). A BSN is required for many things in the Netherlands, including opening a bank account, visiting a doctor or getting hospital treatment.

    Registration arriving students - September 2024

    Municipality of Amsterdam

    To register at the municipality of Amsterdam, we have organised specific registration days for our international students for easy and fast registration. This way, students will receive their BSN (citizen service number) immediately. Do not make a regular appointment with the municipality, as this process will be slow and inefficient and you will receive your BSN many weeks later.

    Summer 2024 pre-registration and registration days

    You must pre-register online before registering with the municipality of Amsterdam. The registration process consists of the following steps:

    • Step 1: Create pre-registration account via www.amsterdam.nl/students.
    • Step 2: Verify identity and upload the following documents to complete your pre-registration:
      • Valid proof of identity. A passport or, if you are a citizen of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, an identity card. A driving licence is not accepted as proof of identity.
      • Proof of an Amsterdam address. For example a copy of an active rental contract or an address registration permission form signed by the main occupant/landlord and including a copy of their proof of identity.
      • Your student card or proof of enrolment.
    • Step 3: Pre-registration assessment by the municipality
    • Step 4: The municipality will invite you by email for a time slot to identify yourself in person on one of the registration days between Monday, 19 August and Friday, 20 September 2024.
    • Step 5: Visit to the municipality on your booked time slot to finalise your registration. You will immediately receive the Dutch citizen service number (BSN).

    No confirmation received? Check your spam folder!

    Please note:

    • Pre-registration is possible until Friday, 13 September 2024.
    • Without online pre-registration and without a confirmed time slot for one of the registration days, it will not be possible to register.
    • Only register in Amsterdam if your address is in this municipality.

    Location Registration days (only with confirmed time slot):
    Bos en Lommerplein 176
    1055 RW Amsterdam
    Check location in Google Maps
    Public transport: Bus 15 or tram 7, get off at bus/tram stop ‘Bos en Lommerplein’.
    In addition, you can consult our route description and map in pdf.

    Arriving after the summer 2024 registration days?
    Registration on the specific registration days is strongly recommended, as the process is much easier and faster. If for some reason, you are still arriving late in September, schedule a regular appointment by calling +31 20 624 1111. Find more information on the website of the municipality. Please note that it can take up to several weeks before you will have a regular appointment and another few weeks before you will receive your BSN.

    Municipality of Diemen

    If you are going to live in the municipality of Diemen, a neighbouring town of Amsterdam, you will have to register there instead of Amsterdam. In UvA Housing this is the case at Rode Kruislaan (housing provider Lieven De Key) or at Dalsteindreef (housing provider OurCampus).

    Summer 2024 registration days

    You can already make an appointment for a date on or after 16 August 2024 at the municipality of Diemen.

    Please prepare the following printed documents carefully before your appointment. Without printed documents, you cannot be registered:

    • Valid proof of identity. A passport or, if you are a citizen of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, an identity card. A driving licence is not accepted as proof of identity.
    • A printed copy of your rental contract
    • A printed copy of the completed registration form of the Municipality of Diemen
    • Students who require visa: your residence permit. If you did not collect your permit yet, you can bring your IND decision letter. VVR students will receive this letter after their application has been approved. MVV students will receive this letter just before 16 August 2024.
    • If you are from Aruba, Curaçao, Sint-Maarten, Bonaire, Sint-Eustatius or Saba: change of address
    • NOTE: You do NOT need to bring your birth certificate, despite the fact that this is mentioned on the official website. Our students are exempted from this.

    Visiting address (only with confirmed appointment):
    D.J. Den Hartoglaan 1
    1111 ZB Diemen
    Check location in Google Maps

    Other municipalities

    If you are not going to live in Amsterdam or Diemen but at a different municipality or town, you cannot register in Amsterdam or Diemen! You have to register at the municipality where you are going to live. Examples of surrounding towns are Amstelveen, Duivendrecht, Haarlem, Haarlemmermeer, Zaandam, Purmerend, Almere.

    Check the website of the specific municipality on how to register and what documents you need to bring. You might be required to bring a birth certificate as well.

  • Step 5: Open a Dutch bank account

    Once in the Netherlands, it’s helpful to open a Dutch bank account. There are several reasons to do so:

    • International money transfers are usually costly and take several days to process.
    • Credit cards are not widely accepted. The debit card you receive when opening a Dutch bank account is easy and free of charge to pay at supermarkets, cafes, and restaurants.
    • A Dutch bank account offers the option to pay through the iDeal payment method, used in Dutch webshops and to pay energy bills, payment requests etc.

    Read more about which banks to choose from, and how to open an account

  • Step 6: Collect your student card

    How to apply for your student card
    First, upload a picture of your student card. When your student card is ready for pick-up, you will receive an email where to collect it. You need to bring valid proof of identity (ID card or passport) when collecting your card.

    Go to the Student ID card page for more information about your student card.

  • Step 7: Make an appointment to have your biometrics taken

    Updated 8 October 2024:

    Instructions to provide biometrics for all enrolled non-EU students that applied for a residence permit for the purpose of study (including Extension applications):

    All students that have applied for a residence permit that has been approved must provide biometrics in order for the permit card to be produced. You can check if the IND needs your biometrics (again) by logging into your MyIND portal with your DigiD and checking the status of your permit application there once the Immigration office has informed you that your application has been approved. If needed, please make an appointment to provide your biometrics (again). You may provide your biometrics at any of the IND locations or expat centers in the Netherlands with a bookable time slot, but you will only be able to collect your permit card at the IND office in Amsterdam.

    For students that submitted an extension application: Often, the IND can use the same biometrics which you provided to them the first time you applied for a permit. In some cases, though, the IND will require for you to provide your biometrics again for them to be able to produce your extended permit.

  • Step 8: Collect your residence permit

    The centralized collection days in Utrecht for the fall 2024 semester have now passed. All students who were not able to make an appointment or attend one of these collection days will now have to follow the regular process to collect their residence permit cards.

    Instructions for all enrolled non-EU students that applied for a residence permit for the purpose of study (including Extension applications):
    The Immigration Office will not send you a separate notification to inform you when your residence permit is ready to be collected. As a general rule, your residence permit should be ready for collection about three weeks after submitting your biometrics to the IND, either at the embassy (MVV students) or at the IND office in Amsterdam (VVR students). Therefore, you will have to make an appointment at the IND office in Amsterdam to collect your permit three weeks after having provided your biometrics. It is important to be aware of your applications status.

    Check the status of your residence permit card using the MyIND portal:
    If you are registered with the municipality and you have a BSN number, you can check the status of your residence permit yourself by checking your MyIND account:

    1. To access your MyIND, you need a DigiD account
    2. To obtain a DigiD account, you need your BSN number (which is your Dutch citizen service number; check Step 3 of this checklist for more information)
    3. Go to digid.nl/en to apply for your DigiD account with your BSN number
    4. Once your Digid account is activated, you can login to MyIND
    5. Check what your permits’ status is
    6. Either provide your biometrics (again) of required or make an appointment to collect your residence permit in Amsterdam

    Please note that you have legal residence in the Netherlands even if you have yet to collect your residence permit (and your MVV has expired).