Smoothly moving to a new place requires preparation. Before moving to Groningen you need to find housing, a (student) job, and a ‘need to know’ about all the different formalities that you must arrange before or right after arriving in the Netherlands. We would like to make it easier for you by share 5 things you can start with:
Formalities
A few things you have to have arranged by the time you moved to Groningen are:
If you stay less than three months you might need to apply for a visa. For a stay longer than three months you have to apply for a provisional residence permit.
- Registration at the municipality
You need to register as a resident if you stay for more than four months and as a non-resident when you stay less. More information on this for international students (here) or others (here).
After your registration at the municipality you will receive your citizen service number (BSN) and can request a DigiD. This allows you to access a variety of government services online.
You can find more information on the website of Groningen Municipality or The International Welcome Center North. Furthermore, our podcast episode about Dutch expat life and formalities will explain more about practical matters too.
Healthcare
In the Netherlands you are obliged to have healthcare insurance. However, different rules apply to this. If you are only studying in the Netherlands, you should have proper healthcare insurance from your home country. If you have a job, also whilst you are simultaneously studying, you should have Dutch healthcare insurance. You can only get this after being registered at the municipality, and is only considered complete after you’ve received an insurance policy. Learn more about the Dutch healthcare system here.
Housing
‘Housing’, a very important consideration when moving to another place! Finding a place in Groningen can be quite challenging. Therefore, it’s best to look into housing and an accommodation arrangement beforehand. You should answer the following questions before looking into it:
- How long is your stay?
- < 6 months = The social hub, SSH and Housing anywhere
- City of Groningen or commuter town?
- Renting or buying a house/apartment?
However, whatever choice you make, be aware not to engage with scammers. Facebook groups are nice but should not always be trusted. If you want help with your search for housing, visit the website; The International Welcome Center North, they have Housing Agents to help you further. More tips for housing can be found on our housing page.
Jobs
If you want to find a student job, internship, traineeship or a full time career in Groningen, have a look at the website; Make it in the North. Make it in the North bridges the gap between English-speaking jobseekers and internationally minded companies located in the Northern Netherlands. It is a non-profit project and platform fully in English with everything needed to start building a career or to take the next step in your career in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe.
Furthermore, it is almost always possible to work in retail or hospitality. A walk through the city can already show you how many places are searching for employees. Therefore, if you’re not dependent on finding a job, you will be able to search for one in hospitality or retail while already living in Groningen.
More information on finding a job or starting your career in Groningen can be heard in our podcast episode about building your career in the Netherlands!
Transportation
In order to get yourself from location A to location B, you can use a bus, train, bicycle, motor scooter or car. For public transport, you pay by card or with an OV card. For single travels there is not much difference in paying by card or OV card. However, there are different types of subscriptions to lower the costs which you can get on your personalised OV card. Find travelplanners on webpages as 9292.nl or NS.nl.
An OV card can also be used to rent a bicycle in cities with a larger train station.
If you want your own bicycle, you should buy one, or rent one with a subscription at Swapfiets. Listen to our IG podcast episode about Cyling in Groningen, for more information about cycling and bicycles in the Netherlands,
You can also rent or buy cars and scooters. For scooters there are shared rent ones on the corner of almost every street in big cities. To use these scooters, you need to download an app. Instructions for this can be found on the scooter itself.
These were 5 things you should do before moving to Groningen. In our podcast episodes we also try to give you as much information as possible on how to start your life in Groningen. Listen to our first IG podcast episode to get an idea!