Bringing family members
When bringing family members it is advisable to spend some time preparing their stay in the Netherlands in order to avoid delays. You need to take into account that issues such as visa requirements, insurance, finding work and schools need to be taken care of for each family member.
Most importantly, you need to take into account the costs for the visa and/or residence permit applications (if applicable) and the legalisation of the birth certificate(s) and your marriage certificate.
For further questions, please consult the Immigration Service Desk - Team Staff (ISD) (isd-staff rug.nl).
Visa and residence permit
If you and your family need a visa and/or residence permit, the ISD can prepare an application for your partner and/or child(ren) together with your visa and residence permit application. However, in busy periods the ISD must give priority to applications for University staff, researchers and students. Therefore it may be possible that you will be travelling to the Netherlands before your family.
If you are already staying in the Netherlands and you wish to bring over your family members to live with you, the ISD will help you with their applications too.
For more information and instructions regarding the visa and residence permit applications for family members please contact the ISD (isd-staff rug.nl).
Insurance
Due to your status as an employee, your family members are also required to take out the basic healthcare insurance. Your family members can apply for insurance after having received their Citizen Service Number (BSN) (Immigration Services). You do not have to pay for insurance for children under 18.
Please note: partners and children of non-EU/EEA employees with a non-EU/EEA nationality cannot take out a Dutch healthcare insurance until their residence permit cards have been issued. If the above applies, it is strongly advised to arrange a proper healthcare insurance in your home country for your partner and children, valid in the Netherlands for at least four months after their arrival here.
Childcare
The Dutch common term for daycare is kinderopvang, which covers options such as host parents, daycare facilities and nursery school. Please be aware that the demand for daycare facilities is high. In fact, it is not unusual for the waiting period to be more than 6 months for certain facilities.
As an employer, the University of Groningen is obliged to contribute to the childcare allowance which parents receive from the government by means of a levy. University staff members can contact the allowances and benefits department (Toeslagen) of the Dutch Tax Department to request childcare allowance.
Please note that the University is your employer if you receive a salary (not scholarship) from the University. If you do not receive a salary from the University, but you receive a scholarship from a institution in or outside the Netherlands, please contact the PhD Scholarship Desk in order to find out if you are eligible; we advise you strongly not to apply if you do not know whether you are eligible.
For more information, please contact the SKSG customer information service, tel. 050-3171390 or klantenservice sksg.nl.
Education system
In the Netherlands, children are obligated to attend school at 5 years of age. They first go to a primary school (basisschool) which takes approximately 8 years and then they will continue their education at another school for secondary education (middelbare school). Depending on the type of secondary education, they attend secondary school 4, 5, or 6 years approximately.
Compulsory education (leerplicht) in the Netherlands applies to all children between 5-16. They are required by law to attend school. Compulsory schooling ends at the end of the school year in which the child turns sixteen. Because of compulsory schooling, schools will not give permission to take children on holidays outside the official holiday periods.
More information about the Dutch education system can be found at the following websites:
Schools
| Last modified: | 29 September 2023 7.06 p.m. |