GUIDES

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VRANKRIJK - Spuistraat 216 - Cosy squat café. You have to ring at the door to be let in and they best prices in the inner city. Monday night: queer night; Tuesday night: fancy cocktails to support refugees; Saturday night: dance night, the café's cavernous disco hall is opened for a mix of 80s, ska, and new wave; Sunday night: film night. Sunday through Thursday: 9pm - 1am; Friday and Saturday: 10pm - 3am

CAFE VAAGHUYZEN - Nieuwe Nieuwstraat 17 - An endearingly scruffy and chaotic DJ-bar that affords the chance to meet – and mix – with some of Amsterdam’s coolest. Has some inspired nights.

BIMHUIS - Piet Heinkade 3 - Fantastic jazz music venue in modern building with windows with great views overlooking Amsterdam, five minutes by foot from Central Station. Tickets 14 to 18 euro. Free Jazz on tuesday evenings

LAST WATERHOLE - Ouderzijds Armsteeg 12 - Atmospheric bar with alternative music, pool, tables, dartboards, 'coffee shop', internet and also offers accommodation Sunday-Thursday: 11 AM - 1 AM Friday-Saturday: 11 AM - 3 AM free entrance

IN DE WAAG - Nieuwmarkt 4 - This is located in the middle of Niewemarkt originally built in 1488 although a little more expensive for a beer worth a visit for the old style atmosphere and food.

TWSTD - Weteringschans 157 - Small DJ bar playing mainly minimal techno & house often hosting DJ competitions

HOPPE - Spui 18-20 - Wonderful cozy old style bar established in 1670 with sand of the floor. To go to the toilets you must go behind the bar through the door and into the bar next door!

'T ARENDSNEST - Herengracht 90 - Fantastic Dutch beer cafe, the have a beer menu with 21 beers on tap and bottled beer from over 60 different brewery's. Staff provide great service and have a good knowledge of all the beer

BROUWERIJ 'T IJ - Visit the Brewery which is in an old windmill and also try the boiled eggs as bar snacks. Good touristy photo opportunities here.

| DANCE |   Back to top

PARADISO - Weteringschans 6 - This renevated church venue has a mixture of live performances and DJ nights with both mainstream and alternative music & events

MELKWEG - Lijnbaansgracht 234a - Famous live music venue with a wide spectrum of music on offer they also have a cafe, & photo gallery

STUDIO80- Rembrandtplein 17 - Alternative venue has its doors open to up and coming talents and offers a variety electronic and live music nights

ODEON - Singel 460 - Open 23.00 - 05.00 - Trendy mainstream club with 3 huge rooms playing various house styles

ESCAPE - Rembrandtplein 11 - Next to Studio80 this club is a trendy contrast hosting various house music nights to well dressed clubbers

| RELOCATION |   Back to top

THE BUREUCRATIC OFFICIAL STUFF:
This is often difficult to get your head around but this is a brief guide to what needs to be done to live and work in the Netherlands. Generally speaking appointments normally need to be set up in advance with any of these organisations and opening times can be confusing so I would suggest calling in advance it might save a wasted trip.

POPULAR REGISTER:
Everyone must register to the area in which they live you can do this in a number of ways through the foreign police, your local City Hall or (Gemeente - you can look up where your local Gemeente is in iamsterdam.nl) or the registery office (Gemeentelijke Basisadministratie) however I would recomend going directly to the foreign police as when I tried to register at the Gemeente they sent me a letter 9 months later to say that I wasn't officially registered and I should first go to the foreign police?

RESIDENCE PERMIT:
You must register with the Immigration service or IND if you are wish to stay longer than 3 months whether you are an EU citizen or not! Normally you have to bring along an employers statement (passport, BSN number, blood type, eye colour, name, rank, serial code and anything else you can think of etc. ) You will then be issued with a passport sticker that will be valid for the duration of your residency in the Netherlands.

TAX NUMBER:
To obtain a tax number you must register with the Belastingdienst.nl and will issue you with a BSN ( this used to be known as a SOFI number) an appointment is a must here and you must be registered with the city hall or foreign police first before making an appointment.

WORK VISA:
European Union citizens from the older member states do not require a work permit. Citizens from eight of the 2004 accession states (Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia) are still subject to restrictions until 2007 check the IND website for further information IND. (Due to their small populations, Cyprus and Malta - which also joined the Union in 2004 - are exempt from this provision, and their citizens are afforded the same rights as those from the older member states.)Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians are afforded a one year working-holiday visa. In general the employer must apply for work permits. Immigration is easier for "knowledge migrants" earning a gross annual salary of over € 45 000 (over € 33 000 for those under 30).

HEALTH INSURANCE:
If you reside within the Netherlands you must have health insurance and it is expensive expect to pay 100euro per month minimum. Your employer may have an arrangement with an insurer already so it might be worthwhile contacting your HR manager about this. However do shop around each insurer offers different policies.

DUTCH LANGUAGE COURSES:
In order to really integrate into the country it is advisable to learn the Dutch language it will also give you more possibilities with work opportunities as well. You will find that many Dutch people will expect you to be able to speak the language within a few months often this is the first question I am asked at a party before they even know my name!! Bear in mind that most Dutch people I have met speak fluent English and you can get by like I have with only having a few words but you are limiting yourself. I would highly recommend a Dutch course through www.learndutch.org if like me learning a language is not your forte.


RECRUITMENT AGENCIES:

Blue Lynx - Located in Schiphol with many expats working in the agency itself recruit both English speaking and multilingual.

Undutchables - Recruit English speaking and multilingual staff

Xpatjobs.com - Recruitment agency for expats

monsterboard.nl - Try searching in keywords under your language skill for eg. English speaking jobs search '' English"

USEFUL WEBSITES:

Expatica

Elynx

Amsterdam Weekly


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