Lifeport Welcome Center

Global Mobility

When you plan to start working in another country, there are many things that you will need to think about. If you are coming to work in Nijmegen from outside the European Union, it makes sense to arrive a few weeks before you start your job. This will give you enough time to arrange your visa, complete your registration in the Netherlands and organise your accommodation.

When you plan to start working in another country, there are many things that you will need to think about. The checklist shown below will help you with your preparation.

If you are coming to work in Nijmegen from outside the European Union, it makes sense to arrive a few weeks before you start your job. This will give you enough time to arrange your visa, complete your registration in the Netherlands and organise your accommodation.

Checklist

In the preparation stage these are some of the most important things you will need to take care of:

Immigration: Check whether you need a visa to enter the Netherlands, a residence or work permit, and whether you have a valid passport.
Flight / transport: Book your tickets in time. If you require a visa, book your flight when your visa has been approved.
Housing: The housing market in the Netherlands in general and Nijmegen in particular is tight, and accommodation is generally not advertised until 1-2 months prior to the date it becomes available. Rent usually starts on the 1st of a calendar month. This means will usually not be able to rent something until 1-2 months prior to arrival. However, we would still advise you to start looking into platforms, websites and agencies well before that time. Read more on finding a property in The Netherlands.
Temporary housing: If you do not have a permanent place to live before the date you start working at Radboud University, you could try our guesthouse (1-12 months, register well in advance) or a bed & breakfast.
Moving: When moving your belongings from your residence abroad to the Netherlands, it is advisable to start this procedure as soon as possible. Because of customs procedures, it would be best to start up to three months before arrival.

Documents to bring

When you come to work in the Netherlands, you need to know what documents you need to bring for your employment contract, registration with the City of Nijmegen, immigration, insurance etc. You will generally need to bring the following documents:

Passport or other identification documents such as a driver’s license or identification card. Read more on the page Immigration, visa and permits.
Original documents such as birth and marriage certificates, and diplomas and degree certificates. Depending on the procedure you need the document for, it might need to be translated into Dutch or English, and it might need an 'apostille'. Please make sure you know which documents and whether they need a copy or an original.
Passport photographs to be used for passes like your campus card, public transport pass etc.
Employment letter/ Letter of acceptance from Radboud University.
Insurance: a copy of your health and (if applicable) travel insurance policy. Read more on the page on Insurance.

More detailed information

Would you like to further prepare your move to Nijmegen or find out more about life in the Netherlands? Please visit 'Coming to Radboud' for more detailed information. There you can find detailed guides on immigration, visa and permits as well as in-depth information about public transport and health and family care.

Our experts are available to answer your questions online via the contact form. They will contact you by telephone or by e-mail.

If you would like to make an appointment to talk to us in person, please send a message via the contact form explaining what you want to discuss. We will then get back to you to make the appointment.