IND and stuff
After all the bad news you hear about the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND), it's time to write down some good experiences with the service.
Since James and my plan is shaping up quite positively (it seems that the people he spoke to in Dordrecht are really in to him: this week they let him know that they are willing to make him an offer), I got a little bit nervous about my own status here in The Netherlands, so I decided to go straight to the snake pit and find out. Last Friday I went to the IND.
For getting information it is not necessary to make an appointment. And while everybody warned me (confirming my own experience, by the way) that they were very bad in giving straight information, this time was perfect. At the counter I met a lady who, when she saw my German passport, said that she knew everything about EU-questions, "test me". Guess what, she was right. Since I am a citizen of an EU country , the Dutch government is not allowed to treat me different then any other EU (read Dutch) citizen. So that means that the same set of rules apply for me when it comes to forming a durable relationship as to Dutch people. Having said that, all becomes very easy. James as a citizen of the USA can come to The Netherlands very easy. The first day he's here, we can go for registration to the city (burgerzaken) and get a paper that proofs the registration. After having made an appoint at the IND we go there and they will globally check my citizenship. After that James gets a sticker in his passport thet allowes him to stay here with me and gives him the right to work. With the sticker we can go to the tax office (Belastingdienst) to get a social security number (BSN formerly known as SoFi).
En passant the lady slved my identification problem. She advised me take the creditcard shaped ID-card of the IND. It costs only € 30,= one time. The problem with the ID however is, that it is only valid for identification within The Netherlands, since the government is not allowed to issue ID-cards for EU citizens for use within the union. To make things clear the lady said that it isn't a residence permit any more but only an ID card.
So it became true what I always said: European integration is a wonderful thing, please let's move on with the process. If there was an European citizenship (in stead of the national ones) I would opt for that. I'd be proud to call myself "European" above all the other crap.
posted by Jörg @ 11:18
2 Comments:
Interesting, Jörg. I also have my fair share of experience with the foreign police here in Amsterdam. In the beginning when I came it really was a mess. It was still a bit of a hassle to get residence permit etc. They seemed to apply different rules, depending on the place you lived which drove me crazy back then (because I of course had the least favourable conditions as opposed to my colleagues...hahaha).
Now that I have that residence permit card in form of an ID card you are telling me I don't need that anymore? Sigh... But what was your identification problem, that you didn't have a 'proper' ID with you constantly as that would be your passport and that's quite big to carry around daily? I know the german authorities don't issue national ID cards to german citizens living abroad, I have the same 'problem'. Is that it? So in that aspect the dutch ID card/residence permit solves it for Holland then, right?
I'm glad to hear, uhm read, that it's so easy for you and James to arrange everything so he can move here quickly! I am really happy for you guys! That all sounds easier and seems to go faster than you even thought yourself, doesn't it? But good for you, YAY! I only wish it would be reciprocal, that we as 'europeans' had the same possibilities and chances in the U.S., this is always such a one-way street... But in your case it's naturally a good thing!
I hope to hear even more good news from you shortly and the best would be to welcome you at the airport at AMS soon again while you wait to pick-up your sweetheart, wouldn't that be great?!!
Hopefully I'll have a chance to meet both of you, that'd be great, James seems to be such a nice guy (and so damn good looking too...). ;-)
See you around Jörg, all the best and lots of success for James and you!
Hugs and kisses for you both.
Hi Guido,
you write such sweet comments on my blog, thank you very much. I really hope that you will be welcome us at the airport, that would be great!!!
To answer your questions. You guessed completely right about the ID problem here. Since we have to wear proper identification all the time, I have no suitable ID to carry with me constantly. My passport is too big and my drivers license is still valid for an other 15 years or so and it is one of those old fashioned big pink papers (nearly the size of an A4, when you unfold it, LOL). So the credit card format IND ID-card would solve that problem since it fits in my wallet.
I recognize your treatment at the "vreemdelingenpolitie". I was treated the same way, and yes now we have passed all that and finally got our Dutch residence permit, we don't need it any longer. I guess that's live. By the way, I can also tell you that you are right about treated different in different places by the vreemdelingenpolitie. Since I moved within The Netherlands I can confirm that. It's the same problem that IND has now to get the same and relevant information out to the public. Even their own brochures, tell you different things (sometimes the information is just the opposite of what you read in the brochure you just had). Giving the same straight information seems to be a big problem for such a big organization as the IND.
Anyway I am happy things work out this way.
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