Employees

Ticket

toTilburg

CContents

2

Introduction 3

Visas and permits 4

The application procedure 7

Pre-departure practical issues 9

Getting settled 10

Legalizing certificates 11

Bringing your family 12

Customs 13

Social Life 14

Useful links 15

Health Insurance 16

Bank account 16

Accommodation 17

Dutch Language course 17

Academic Calendar 17

Contact 17

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Introduction

Before you can commence your employment or Ph.D. program at Tilburg University, there are some

practical arrangements that need to be made. This document is written for future employees,

including Ph.D. students of the University, and gives information about what to do before you come to

the Netherlands. The main aim of this document is to prepare employees for their stay in the

Netherlands. The expat guide (www.hollandexpatcenter.com/expat-s-guide/) provides information

about living in the Brabant region.

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Knowledge Workers and ResearchersThe Netherlands has a special permit procedure for ‘knowledge workers’ (in Dutch

kennismigranten) and researchers according to EU Directive 2005/71/EC. Most scientific staff

(including PhDs), or unpaid visitors working on long term projects, qualify under the knowledge

workers or researchers procedure. As a result, most University employees (and their family members)

no longer need a work permit but only a special residence permit. This residence permit can be issued

for the duration of your employment contract or the project you work on. The letter ‘Terms and

Conditions of Employment’, which an employee receives together with the employment contract,

states whether the employee qualifies for ‘knowledge worker’ or ‘researcher’ status; and what

information we need before the residence permit can be applied for.

Work Permit

With the introduction of the Knowledge Workers regulation, only few employees need a work permit.

If a work permit is required, the Personnel Department will take care of the application procedure.

Visas and Permits V

55VAuthorization for Temporary Stay / Residence Permit

Most foreign nationals, excluding EU* citizens, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Australia,

Canada, Japan, Monaco, New-Zealand, South Korea, the United States of America and Vatican City,

need an entry visa to enter the Netherlands. This entry visa is called Machtiging Voorlopig Verblijf

(MVV, ‘Authorization Temporary Stay’). You need this visa if you aim to stay for more than 3 months.

The application procedure for an MVV (and work permit, if applicable) takes up to 4 weeks. Once the

Dutch Immigration Service has approved the application, the Personnel Department will inform the

employee. The employee must pick up the entry visa at the Dutch Embassy in his home country or the

country where he legally resides for at least 3 months. Once issued, the employees’ (and their fami-

lies’) MVV is valid for 6 months. After arrival you have to make an appointment eith the expat center

south to pick up your residence permit.

The university will take care of the application for this entry visa.

When you contact the Dutch Embassy, we strongly recommended that you ask for a multiple entry

visa (so-called D+C visa). This document enables the employee to travel within the Schengen coun-

tries until the residence permit is issued. This is useful, since it may take a couple of months before

the residence permit is issued. The embassy/consulate may require travel insurance before they issue

the multiple entry visa. We advise you to take out an IPS insurance policy at

www.studentsinsured.com.

The fee to be paid for the MVV will be approximately €870 for knowledge workers and €307 for

researchers under EU Directive 2005/71. In most cases the fees will be covered by the university.

* Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,

Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom

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The Dutch Embassy is very likely to request the following documents from an employee (and the

relatives joining him/her) before they issue the entry visa:

• Legalized copy of a birth certificate, not older than 6 months

• If applicable, a legalized copy of a marriage certificate, not older than 6 months

• Passport

• Original diplomas/degree certificates and/or lists of marks

• Original employment contract of Tilburg University

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Employees do not have to apply for the ‘Authorization for Temporary Stay’ themselves. The Person-

nel Department of the faculty will do this for them and their family members. Employees are asked to

provide the Personnel Department with the information they request in the ‘Terms and conditions of

employment’ as soon as possible and visit the immigration authorities if asked.

Pitfalls

There are pitfalls that can lead to a delay in the procedure to obtain an authorization for temporary

stay or a residence permit. Here are a few things to bear in mind:

• Passport

Make sure that your passport is valid for at least another 6 months (and preferably as long as pos-

sible) after your scheduled arrival. Expiration of the passport often means that you will have to renew

your residence permit and have to pay the fees.

• Residing outside the Netherlands

Some employees choose to live outside the Netherlands (for example in the border region of Belgium

or Germany). If you do this, keep in mind that this can have serious (negative) consequences for your

financial situation (tax and social security) and legal status (work permit requirement, etc.).

• Change of address

Inform the Personnel Department if you are planning to change your official place of residence in the

coming months. Your official place of residence is your home country or the country where you have

valid residency. Please send the Personnel Department a copy of your residence permit if you reside in

a country other than your home country.

The application procedure T

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• Change of status (from student to employee)

You are currently already in the Netherlands for study purposes. Please inform your Personnel

Department because this changes the application procedure.

• Family

Contact the Personnel Department when you have family members who will join you. It could be that

they need a permit, especially when you yourself need an authorization for temporary stay. If your

family is going to join you, the Personnel Department needs the following additional information from

you:

Regarding your partner

• A copy of the relevant pages of the passports of your partner and/or children.

• A copy of the legal residence permits of your partner and children stating that they have legal

residence for at least 3 months (only if you are not currently residing in your home country).

• A copy of a legalized marriage certificate, legalized certificate of partnership, or legalized state-

ment that you are unmarried (if you are not married to your partner or do not have a registered

partnership). The statement should not be older than 6 months.

Regarding your (underage) children

• A copy of their passport

• A copy of the legal residence permits of children stating that they have legal residence for at least

3 months (only if you are not currently residing in your home country).

• A legalized birth certificate (see ‘Birth and Marriage certificate’) or, if the child is not your own,

a legalized proof that you are the lawful guardian.

• When one of the parents is not travelling to the Netherlands with the rest of the family; a copy of

the passport of the remaining parent and proof that the parent who stays behind approves of the

fact that his/her child travels to the Netherlands.

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What to bring along

• Letter of acceptance and/or employment contract from Tilburg University

• Passports and other identification documents such as a driver’s license

• Any original documents that may be required for processing by the Immigration authorities, such

as birth and marriage certificates and diplomas and degree certificates (note: diploma implies a

secondary school/high school diploma)

• Cash (in Euro) for temporary accommodation, transportation, meals, etcetera

• Copy of your health insurance-policy or travel insurance

In addition, think of necessary items (all of which can also be purchased in the Netherlands), to

survive for the first few days, such as:

• Bath towel and toiletries

• Medication

• Clothing

• Alarm clock

• Camera

• Calculator

• Dictionary

Mind that if you’ve sent personal belongings over via a moving company it could take a few weeks

before your container is cleared by customs. The moving company can tell you more.

Electrical voltage in the Netherlands is 220 volts. The electrical outlets are mainly for 2 pin plugs.

Adapters can easily be purchased in the Netherlands allowing you to use 3 pin plugs.

Pre-departure practical issues P

10GYou are strongly advised to inform the Personnel Department of your faculty about the scheduled arrival and to meet with them

soon after arrival. This way the Personnel Department has time to

arrange for the necessary meetings. The Personnel Department will help you to arrange a few

important things, such as:

• Collecting the keys of your (temporary) house or apartment (for some faculties this is done by the department where you will be

employed)

• Open a Dutch bank account

• Apply for residence permits. Please mind that if you are a non EU resident you cannot leave the

Netherlands while awaiting your residence permit unless you have a combination C and D visa.

It takes approximately 2 weeks before the permit is issued.

• Registering at town hall

• Arrange a health, liability and home contents insurance

Some new employees will be assisted by a Relocation Agent, who will guide them through the

settling-in process and the above-mentioned issues

Please bring the following documents when you visit the Personnel Department:

• The tenancy agreement of your house

• Your passport

• Employment contract

• Birth certificate

• Marriage certificate (if applicable)

• Diplomas and grades

• Recent passport photos of yourself and your accompanying family showing both ears and taken by an official photographer. Check:

www.rijksoverheid.nl/bestanden/documenten-en-publicaties/brochures/2014/02/18/fotomatrix-2007/fotomatrix-model-2007.pdf

for more details

Getting settled G

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The Dutch Embassy or the Dutch Immigration Office is likely to ask the employee to present a birth

certificate and/or marriage certificate (if applicable) when the entry visa is issued or the residence

permit is applied for.

The Dutch embassies and consulates are responsible for legalizing foreign documents for use in the

Netherlands. But first the documents must have been legalized by the country’s own authorities,

usually the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country where the document was issued. When you

submit your foreign document, the Dutch embassy or consulate may decide to initiate an investigation

to verify it, if there are reasons to doubt whether the document is reliable.

Some countries have entered into agreements streamlining the legalization chain. This means that

certain documents from one of the contracting states may be used in another contracting state with

only a single legalization or even none at all.

The best-known legalization convention is the Convention abolishing the requirement of legalization

for foreign public documents, also known as the Apostille Convention (5 October 1961). A document

bearing an apostille does not require any further legalization by the embassy or consulate of the

country in which it is to be used.

More information on legalization is available on the Internet:

www.government.nl/issues/legalising-documents

Legalizing certificates L

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Whether your partner is allowed to work in the Netherlands without a special permit depends on your

permit. If the employee qualifies as a knowledge worker or as a researcher according to EU Directive

2005/71/EC, the partner will be free to seek employment in the Netherlands.

Your children and their education

The city of Tilburg has a wide range of educational institutions. Some of these schools also offer full

English educational programs (this does not apply to primary schools). For more information on the

Dutch educational system, see www.hollandexpatcenter.com/ clicking on education and careers, and

then International Education & Intertnships. There are several international schools in the Nether-

lands; the nearest one is in Eindhoven.

Bringing your family B12

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To take their personal belongings with them to the Netherlands tax-free, employees will have to take

certain measures. For example, if an employee wants to take his or her own car along, , he or she

will need an import licence. And an employee’s dog or cat may not enter the country without its own

passport, which the employee can obtain from a vet. In the brochure of the Dutch Customs, you can

read the conditions under which you can import your goods tax free into the Netherlands. If you are

planning to bring your car, it is important that you read this information carefully (for example, one of

the conditions for importing your car tax free is that it must have been in your possession for at least

6 months). For more details, please check:

www.belastingdienst.nl/wps/wcm/connect/bldcontenten/belastingdienst/customs/

Customs

“Be prepared.

It will take a few weeks before you’re really settled;

the administrative procedures do take time.”

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On arriving in Tilburg, you will find that Tilburg has a lot to offer. You will find more information about

social life, culture and leisure in the Tilburg Survival Kit

www.tilburguniversity.edu/education/masters-programmes/

We will highlight a few options:

Academic Forum

Tilburg University’s “Academic Forum” Department offers study-related activities on campus -

mostly in cooperation with groups of students. It includes lectures, conferences, debates, and

sometimes theatre and music performances, which highlight developments in scientific and cultural

life and society at large. More info can be found on the website

www.tilburguniversity.edu/campus/academic-forum/

Sports

Tilburg University has a Sports Centre which can be visited by all Tilburg University students and

employees who are in possession of a sports card. More info can be found on the website

www.tilburguniversity.edu/campus/sports-center/

Tilburg International Club

Tilburg International Club (TIC) aims to provide social and educational activities for expatriates living

in Tilburg and the surrounding area, represent the international community to local authorities and

further amicable relations among people of different nationalities.

Tilburg University sponsors TIC by taking care of the first 2 years contribution fees.

For more information on club activities and membership check:

www.tilburginternationalclub.com/

Social Life S

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Useful links UThe following links provide useful information (in English) on:

- Tilburg municipality, www.tilburg.nl/english

- Tilburg University, your faculty, employee benefits, the educational programs or the Graduate

program: www.tilburguniversity.edu.

- Tilburg University Expat website: www.tilburguniversity.edu/expats

- The Dutch immigration procedures: www.ind.nl (check the residence wizard!)

- General information about the Netherlands: http://www.government.nl/

- General and local information for expats in the South of the Netherlands:

www.hollandexpatcenter.com/

- Website specifically designed for International Researchers Mobility: www.euraxess.nl

- Practical information - from going to the supermarket to making a phone call home and from

how to spend your spare time to how to find a dentist - is given here. Practical information - from

going to the supermarket to making a phone call home and from how to spend your spare time to

how to find a dentist - is given here.

https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/education/exchange-programs/practicalissues/dailylife/

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Health insurance

We advise employees to take out health insurance and/or travelling insurance that covers them for the

trip and the first weeks of their stay in the Netherlands. After his/her arrival, the University helps the

employee with the application for health insurance which is required by the Dutch Health Care Act,

but it usually takes a few weeks before the employee receives the confirmation of acceptance from the

Dutch health insurance company.

Bank account

If you have legal residence and a BSN or tax and social insurance number you can open a bank ac-

count wherever you like. Because you might have to wait awhile before these details are arranged

Tilburg University has made an agreement with Rabobank Tilburg (Office Westermarkt) that

University Staff can already open an account shortly after arrival. The contact details of the bank are:

Rabobank

Westermarkt 4, Tilburg, phone 013-5379911.

To open a bank account you should bring your residence permit, BSN or sofi number and a copy of

your employment contract.

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Accommodation

The University will help the employee to find rental accommodation in Tilburg or a city nearby Tilburg

for his/her first year in the Netherlands. The housing market in the Netherlands is very tight;

therefore, it could be that the choice of housing is limited.

Often the first and last months’ rent is to be paid to the housing company upon arrival; when you

sign the contract and collect the key to your flat or house. You will receive a monthly invoice on your

Tilburg address from rent agency, which needs to be paid by bank transfer or at the desk of the rent

agency with bank card or credit card. Please note that the rent cannot be paid in cash.

Dutch Language course

The university offers employees the opportunity to take a Dutch language course provided by the

Language Centre of the University.

Academic Calendar

At Tilburg University, the academic year starts in September. Classes normally start on the first

Monday in September. Please find all important dates on the following website:

www.tilburguniversity.edu/education/bachelors-programs/practicalissues/dailylife/academiccalender/

Contact

For further information you can contact the Personnel Department of your faculty or your department

head, who can either answer your question directly or refer you to the right person. The name and

e-mail number of your Personnel advisor is in the Terms and Conditions of Employment letter.

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