Leaving The Netherlands

Welcome to Ruth's Corner, a monthly column curated by our helpdesk professional Ruth to share with you her experience and expertise! This month it's about leaving the Netherlands.

First of all... are you really sure you want to leave?  Jokes aside, are you wondering if it is the right thing to do or are you looking for a reason to continue living here? I know for me, I had a very up and down relationship with these thoughts, When I was struggling to find work or my place here, my emotions ranged from what on earth am I doing, to I want to go back to the UK, followed by there is a lot I like living here.  It was further complicated for me because my family were settled here and until my children left home, I needed to remain before making any big decisions. Ultimately, as time went on, the feelings changed, I found work and I am now fully settled. Perhaps this has been your experience too or maybe your study has come to an end, and you are not sure what next, or you always planned to leave after this time. Or perhaps you must leave because your visa has run out.    

Whatever state you are at, if you choose to leave you may be wondering what things need to be arranged. I know from my inbox that often people need a little guidance with the official process that should be completed. So, if we still cannot persuade you to stay, then read on! 

The essentials 

I’ll keep this brief because you can find a more detailed checklist on our website, but here are the main things to arrange. 

1. Inform the municipality (gemeente) 
   You need to let the municipality where you are registered and currently living know what your leaving date and your new address abroad is. This is important and easier to do before you leave, rather than trying to do it after you have left the Netherlands.  So don't forget! The links below are for the four municipalities we work with at Leiden International Centre. 

• Leiden – in English 
• Leiderdorp – in Dutch 
• Voorschoten – in Dutch 
• Zoeterwoude – In Dutch 

2. Return your Residency card to the Dutch Immigration service - again easier to do before  you leave than if you must send it from somewhere else. 

3. Stop your Health Insurance  

4. Contact the benefits office to stop any benefits you are receiving.   

If you are receiving any benefits, make sure to stop them. If you don’t, you might later be asked to repay money you received by mistake. Of course, it might feel nice to receive extra money at the time, but it’s much less enjoyable when you’ve already spent it and need to pay it back! So, it’s always best to inform them in advance. 

5. Are you leaving halfway through a tax year? Then make sure you file the M form. This helps ensure you are not taxed on income you did not earn in the Netherlands. 

6. Deregister from your family doctor  

Please, please, please don't forget this one. Many GPs are very busy, and deregistering  helps free up space for others who need a doctor. 

That was the most important aspects to arrange before leaving. You will find further things to consider on our checklist but if you only do the things above then you will have covered the important official items. 

Of course, leaving also involves leaving behind friendships and communities you have built up whilst here and this can be a hard thing to do. Carving out time to spend with these relationships can be as important as all the other official bits. It doesn't necessarily have to be the end of these connections; it is just part of you saying goodbye for now. 

I’ve experienced many times leaving a place and it is always the relationships and connections I made that added another dimension to my time somewhere. One example of this was a friend I met when I was first in the Netherlands, over 30 years ago. Back then I was only in the Netherlands for just over a year but in that time, I formed a deep connection and bond with this person. Even after returning to the UK, we stayed in touch. Over the years we built on this friendship and anytime me and my husband and family visited on holiday we would meet up. 

When my husband and I eventually moved back here over 18 years ago, she was one of the first people that I reconnected with. Having that connection over the years helped me enormously with my settling in process. She continues to be an important part of my journey, and I still enjoy meeting up with her, even though she lives in a totally different town to me. 

Perhaps you’ve made friendships like that too. So, take the time to say goodbye properly because you never know where life might take you. The packing and moving will just happen because it must but having time to meet up with those friends before you go, may not come again, at least for a while.   

Maybe like me, you will find yourself living here again someday, so just in case, keep that BSN number handy! And we will be ready and waiting to welcome you back when you do. 

I wish you all the best for whatever comes next for you! 

Ruth