Hello!

My friend and I, both from Sydney, 29 years old, are arriving in Amsterdam in December on Working Holiday Visas. I would love to hear from anyone that is on one now, or has done it.

Nobody seems to know anything about it - the consulate here was no help, and the IND site has no mention of the WHV.

Basically we have a few queries. We'll be arriving and looking for work, which is the nature of this kind of visa. Since nobody seems to know much about the WHV, we're worried our sofinumbers and the necessary paperwork to live and work will drag on, and we don't want to waste time cutting into our savings.

Also, as we will be looking for work when we arrive, it seems most rental agencies only lease to you if you can show a payslip or letter from your employer, as well as bond. As we were hoping we could secure a place before we arrived, are there any agencies where you just need bond? Or does anyone know where can we look to rent privately?

Many thanks for any help!

Julia

Hi Julia, My name is Courtenay and i am in Holland with a working holiday visa. Dont listen to the consulates and embassys in Aus. they are useless and "led me up the garden path"

All you need is a apostilized copy of your birth cirtificate and within the first two days of arriving in holland you need to go to the "Gemeentehuis" and register for the visa. you have to fill out forms and make an appointment to take them back. once you have done that they give you a sticker in your passport. that says whether you can work or not (while your application is being approved) with that sticker you then need to make an appointment to get your sofi nummer with the Belastingsdienst. that can take up to three weeks to get an appointment. Then you go and show them your new shiny sticker in your passport, and they give you a sofi nummer. then you can work.

Finding houses here is hard when your not here, and is very expensive. im living with a friend and have been for a while because i cant afford to pay three months rent in advanced plus agents fees (usually one months) So i dont have many suggestions for you. a few website
www.directwoning.nl (also in english, but you have to pay sign up fees)
www.woninghuren.nl (also in english but also with fees)
www.haarlemwonen.nl (haarlem and amsterdam area, free signup)
All of these are agent types, so if you find a place through them you will have to pay them as well as the landlord.

GoodLuck

I'm coming to the Netherlands in December too! (from Perth)

I'm in the process of getting my WHS visa application done and other bits and pieces I may need whilst over there.

Did anyone need a police clearance state/federal for anything?

xo Fiona

hi fiona, no you dont need a police check.
I was just wondering, how much is it costing you to get the visa from australia before you come here??

Cool, thanks for that.

The visa doesn't cost us anything, it doesn't ask for payment when we send in our applications. Everywhere I've read just says that we have to pay around 30 Euros at the Town Hall when we're there.

man, i just rang the consulate to make an appointment to hand in my visa, they go and tell me that the passport photos I took are invalid, that I have to get it done at a specific place in perth, that really pissed me off coz i have to take time off work now to get it.

They said it says on their website where I had to get the photo taken... BS!!

and then now I need a letter from my bf inviting me to stay there and is supposed to be leagalised (but they said don't worry about it) and then get a copy of his passport. If I knew I needed all this, it wouldve been easier to get it off him when he was here the other week.

They should really do up their website properly informing of really ALL the things needed for a Work Holiday Visa.

Has anyone needed to get an invitation letter? What needs to be in it?

xo Fiona

you dont need an invitation letter. what you need to do when you get here is him to fill in a form allowing you to live with him! you dont even need to get the visa from aus first. all i did was register when i got here and it was all fine. the consulate in aus also tried to make it way more difficult than it was.

wow, i had thought getting a work holiday visa wasn't as hard as the Consulate is making it. geeze!

So where do we fill in this form in the Netherlands?

Thanks for your help Courtenay!

when you arrive, you need to register with the "alien police" at the Gemeentehuis which is just like a town hall. you need to go inthe first two days of being here, they will give you a whole heap of forms to fill in, make sure you get them in english. or if your bf is dutch he will help you. and they will ask you where you are going to live and what the address is and then they will also give you a form that he has to sign with his address on it. make sure he also takes his passport ect. good luck!!

Hello All,

I am currently beginning the WHV in the Netherlands, so I can empathise with your difficulties in finding information etc, but be glad that its as easy as it is. In Belgium its a nightmare because immigration is decentralised and the WHV has only been in effect for 2 years. (Did that one too).

I'll attach a link/s at the bottom where all the necessary information about it all can be found (well most anyway). First of all you need to apply. Remember the travellers creedo: "Its better to have and not need, than to need and not have." This could not be truer when it comes to paperwork in Europe. So get an apostilled birth certificate, federal police clearance, AND (if you are living with, or could live with, a BF or GF) a certificate of no marriage. (Its a requirement of 'samenwooning' (living together) contract.) ALSO, and this is of the utmost importance if you intend to stay in the Netherlands with work/partner, give someone you trust Power of Attorney so they can apply for Papers in Australia on your behalf. (Even apostilled certificates are only good for 6 months)

So here is the basic application procedure I followed:
1) Birth Certificate (Apostilled)
2) Police Clearance (Apostilled)
3) Certificate of No Marriage (Apostilled)
4) Proof of Funds
5) Proof of Insurance (Try nomads, cheap easy and satisifies the requirements)
6) Application completed
7) Photos (This photo MUST meet the dutch standards, there is a size they require, the dimensions are on the application form).
8) Valid Passport

NOW..... when you get your passport back with the Visa in it, immediately call your Gemeente (townhall/council of the city you will live in) to arrange an appointment once you get there and get them to send the application forms for residence to you in Australia. It will save you weeks of waiting if you arrange it before you leave. THEN.... call the Belastingendienst (for the PROVINCE) to arrange an appointment for your Sofinummer (don't worry if they say they might not be able to give it to you then, they are just covering their butts, I got mine today and it took 25 mins).

As for a place to live, well the only real option you have without needing a job beforehand is to live in a student house, or with a GF/BF of course. Sure its one room in a house with anywhere from 2-25 people, but its the easiest way to get out of needing a job first. Problem is you need an address to get that sticker in your passport from the Gemeente to get a sofinummer to get a job, but you need a job to get a place to live. Its a vicious circle.

Now the only problem with ALL of the above information is that by the time you get here it may no longer be correct I'm sorry to say. I was informed by a very helpful lady at my Gemeente on Monday (22nd October) that everything regarding applications for residence will be going through the IND as of 1st of November. If you need any more information please don't hesitate to send me a PM or email. Here are the links below.

http://www.netherlands.org.au/pages/page190_en.asp
http://www.belastingdienst.nl/english/

Trav

I have also just been through the process in August. I think it differs a bit depending on what part of the country you are going to live in. This is my experience with Amsterdam

The only documents I needed were
apostilled birth certificate
proof of insurance,
proof of funds,
passport photo (just did in a photo machine at the Amsterdam station), passport,
28 euros
letter from my boyfriend (or whoever you live with) signed by him saying that i lived with him, with his passport number and a copy of his passport. There is an official form for this too but i think they would accept a letter. I did not have this with me but they processed mine anyway and said to come back in the next couple of days to register my address.
Application form - which I downloaded from the IND website, they have a wizard that guides you through to find the right forms, the type of category you need to select is for exchange. http://www.ind.nl/en/Images/07A_ENG_M35A-1...er_tcm6-592.pdf

I did NOT need police clearance or certificate of no marriage nor was I asked for them (i think you will only need if you apply for another type of visa after you have your WHS visa).

In Amsterdam you need to go to the Vreemdelingenpolitie (foreign police) this is what is meant by Gemeente and I DID NOT need to make an appointment, you just get handed a number when you arrive and wait for an hour or so. They processed it there and then and gave me the required sticker. They then sent the application to IND who will process the visa, give final approval and then you will go back to pick up your ID card. I have just got mine now so it does take awhile but you can work as soon as you have your sticker.

I would call the Belastingendienst as soon as possible as I had to wait 2 weeks for appt. My experience in Amsterdam was that they would not give it me straight away.

I also got my MVV in Belgium and they did that on the spot as well. I couldnt get it in Australia as I was traveling for 6 months first.

Enjoy your stay, I love it here.

Also, here are the requirements for the passport photos http://www.ind.nl/en/inbedrijf/actueel/Aan...tos_voldoen.asp

I got my passport/visa back in less than a week. That was great to see after all that stress crap.

Anyways, it was mentioned to me that I'd have to get some kind of insurance when I work? I forget the exact details (don't have my papers with me) but apart from having Travel insurance, when I am in the NL I need to get some kind of insurance for working over there. Anyone know what that is all about? I've looked up a few websites but can't find exact details.

Secondly, I'm thinking about getting an International Drivers License (just in case I ever drive). Is this valid for a whole year? I was reading the website on netherlands.org.au and it directed me to another site and section but was only in dutch.

As far as I gather, my Aust Drivers License if valid for 6 months and then I'd have to apply for a Dutch one but if I'm only there for a Work Holiday, just getting a International Drivers License would suffice?

Thanks!

Hi Fiona,

I’ve recently got my Dutch drivers license. Getting your drivers license in Holland is quite tough.

Most Dutch people I know failed the first, second even the third attempt of getting their license and I was also warned. This is due to Holland having a lot more difficult driving situations in Holland than Australia (bus, trams, bike riders, more traffic on the road, right hand side driving etc).

The process:

1. Sit a theory exam. You can sit the theory exam in English. Once you pass your theory exam you get paperwork saying that you’ve passed the theory exam. Once you have this paper you can approach a driving school. The cost to sit a theory exam in English is about €39.00.

You can purchase the theory exam books (questions and answers) by visiting www.verjo.nl then click on books in English.

You can book you theory exam by calling the CBR on 09002270227 to book an appointment. You will need a passport photo, passport before you can fill in the application on the day of your theory exam.

As the English examsare not held frequently contact CBR within 3 months of your arriving in Holland.

2. Pick a driving school. You must provide your theory exam papers and your sofinummer in order to take lessons. They will ask you to have an introductory lesson to see what type of driver you are and assess your driving skills. I took 10 lessons and I’ve been driving for the past 10 years. The introductory lesson costs approximately €40.00 and each lesson thereafter is about €30.00. Costs depend entirely on the driving school.

To search for a driving school via www.google.nl. For example type in Rijschool Amsterdam or the city in which you live.

3. Practical Exam. Once you are ready for a practical exam the driving school will book an exam date for you. The cost for a practical exam is about €200.00.

Don’t rush sitting the practical exam, as I said most people fail the first time. 1 or 2 more exam lessons might stop you from failing.

Australians can only drive on their Australian license for a maximum of 6 months. Unlike our English cousins (who also drive on the left side of the road, but can easily exchange their original license due to EU agreements) we cannot simply swap our license over for a Dutch license, and therefore must go through the normal driving license process.

There is no point applying for an international drivers license, as it only applies to tourists on short stays.

Also, the costs of driving a car are very expensive in Holland (taxes and petrol) Public transport between the Randstad cities is very good and frequent, so the need for a car is quite small.

My opinion is you really should only get a Dutch drivers license if you plan to live in Holland for more than a year and you want to travel around Holland on weekends.

Hope this info helps.

Cheers!

i am an australian living in leiden, i moved here in august, and so far i have gotten the sticker in my passport and i am awaiting to find out when my appointment is to get a tax file number... it was all really easy. the dutch consulates in australia arent to blame for these confusions... they havent developed a specific form yet for this working holiday visa, im sure you noticed how evasive it was to actually tick the right situations that applied to your circumstance.
i have an int. drivers licence and it is valid here, in fact, i didnt even need it when i hired a car, they stated that the licences are only for people from countries that they dont understand the language of the licence.
i would still get it. you can also get a form to take with you if you need it validated longer than a year.
for renting, the first month i found a sublet on craigslist, then we rented off an agency which has been fine.
hope that helps somewhat!

I'm just finishing my year on the WHV and now I'm applying for permanent residency. I found that I didn't need to show proof of funds or have an apostilled birth certificate. I think this is because I'm living in a smaller town and the people at the Town Hall had never even HEARD of the WHV. My sofi-nummer was also applied for by the town hall when I registered so I didn't need to make an appointment with them. I don't think this is very normal though.

The only real problem I have run into in Holland is finding a job. Having a tonne of experience in any field didn't seem to help me because I don't speak the language. However, I have managed to find a job working with an international company. It's inbound call centre work but it is very easy and it has an excellent working environment. The company also supplies housing for I believe up to six months for foreigners. So if anybody is having work/housing issues, send me an email and I can send you some more info about the company I work for. They're always looking for new people, and especially if you speak ANY other language as well as English.

my email: S_T_E_P_H_A_N_I_E_2000@hotmail.com

There is some really helpful information in this post, I wish I found it earlier

I have a question about the necessity of the Apostille Brith Certificate. Has anyone had any experience with just their original document? I'm in London at the moment and will be moving to Amsterdam next week, but all I have at the moment is an original BC which has been stamped and signed by a consulate stating that it is a true and correct document. Is that enough for Holland officials?

I also went to the Dutch Embassy in London to get the initial visa in my passport. I took
1) proof of travel insurance
2) proof of funds
3) passport sized photos
4) completed documents (obtained from their website)
5) my passport

I now have a stamp in my passport and an official letter confirming I have been issued a provisional residence permit as a participant in the working holiday scheme.

I need to go to the local police once in Amsterdam to obtain my residence permit. Can anyone offer any advice on this? I would hate to get to Amsterdam and get denied over a silly document.

Also, since I have completed most of the requirements in London, should I really be concerned? There is very little information on what is needed once in Holland -
- Do I still need to prove funds and travel insurance to the Police? Can I get completely denied if my BC is not up to scratch?

Cheers for the help!

Mathew

I got my birth certificate apostilled so i havent had experience with not having it done, however, if you can i would recommend that you try and get it done. maybe you could apply for another orginal birth cert and get it apostilled and then it least you would have started the process if your other one doesnt cut it.

You dont go to the local/foreign police anymore, i think you have to go to the IND office, you might want to ring the IND to check. I had mine processed at the foreign police but then when my card arrived i had to go to the IND office to pick it up as they had changed locations at end of last year.

I dont know if you have to take proof of funds & travel insurance for your appointment once you are here but i just took the exact same documents that i took when i got my first visa from the embassy and this was fine. at my appointment i asked him what he wanted to see and he said give me everything you have.

I dont think you will get denied i think they will just say come back when you get the documents. i didnt have my apostilled birth cert when i arrived so i had to wait till i got it until i went to see the police - so i broke that 3 day rule and it was no problem. however when i did get my WHV it was dated from the date i flew into the country.

Insurance - you do need to get additional insurance to your travel insurance when you arrive and it is expensive, put it off until you are working if you can.

Thanks for the info EJJ.

I am currently trying to find out if I can get my BC apostilled in London, I hope so! Still seems strange to me that a BC is still required in this day and age, they are so easy to get your hands on even if you are not the actual person on the document.

About the additional insurance - What more do I need besides medical insurance? I haven't heard anything about this yet.

I was told at the Dutch Embassy that I need to go to the Amsterdam Town Hall. Sounds like that is where all the international administration happens in Amsterdam.

It is also great to hear that even if I can't get the apostilled BC in time, it is not the end of the world. I can still apply for work if the application is pending the BC?

Thanks again!

I dont get the BC thing either, it doesnt even have a photo. I think you will have to send it to Australia but good luck with the london embassy.

You should start applying for work, although think technically you need to wait for application approval. i just applied anyway and when they asked me to bring my passport/visa to interviews I said I had forgot it by mistake. Of course when I actually accepted a job i had to show it but by then I had everything sorted.

They told me to go to the townhall too but they mean the immirgration police. if you get stuck call the IND, they were quite helpful to me.

Dont worry too much about the other insurance yet it has nothing to do with your visa, its complicated. You have to pay a monthly fee starting around 70-80euros for basic private health insurance. You need this to be able to go to the doctor and get prescriptions etc. Its like the medicare fee on your income in australia but you have to arrange it yourself but lots of employers have deals with companies so it can be arranged so it comes out of your salary. Your travel insurance is only considered to pay for emergency requirements. By law you have to have this other insurance. However, I didnt start paying mine till i started working, althought technically i was meant to pay from when i arrived. If you dont pay it u will be made to backpay to the day you arrived. If you look under the health forum in here you will see info about it. However, like i said dont worry about it, you can sort it out when you get here.