Pre-departure

Do you have a placement for your studies in the US? Your university can give you more information about the procedures and all documents you will need to get there. This differs depending on the university. Most schools offer mandatory orientation for international students alongside the regular orientation and contains information about the campus and American culture.

You can find some of the most important aspects of pre-departure in the list below. If you have more specific questions, you can always contact us.

Visa

You will need a visa to study in the US. You will receive the necessary form, the certificate of eligibility, through your university. If you qualify for a J-1 visa, your university will send you a DS-2019 form. If you qualify for an F-1 visa, you will receive an I-20 form. Now you can start the application process. Follow the instructions sent to you by your university.

If you live in the Netherlands, the American Consulate General in Amsterdam will process your visa application. Follow the instructions for the non-immigrant visa on the consulate’s website. You will be referred to the specific forms. Make sure to carefully read and follow all instructions.

Prior to your appointment, you will need to pay an application fee for the visa itself as well as a SEVIS fee. Bring proof of payment and a picture of you that meets the American passport requirements. It might help to create a list of all documents you need to bring with you to your appointment, such as your original letter of acceptance, a recent bank statement to prove that you can afford your studies, and other relevant information.

Keep in mind that it might take a while before your request is processed if you apply during the summer. You can check the current wait times online. Keep in mind that your passport will be held at the consulate for several days, so don’t plan the appointment right before departure.

You can find up to date information on the website of the consulate. Keep in mind that access to the building is governed by strict security regulations.

Insurance

Health insurance

International students with no intention of emigration are insured though the Wet langdurige zorg (Wlz), which means that insurance is mandatory, even after deregistration from the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP). This requirement is only waived if you start working abroad Are you unsure whether the requirement applies to you? Nuffic offers an overview on the website.

Medical care in the US is extremely expensive. Make sure you have insurance coverage for medical costs abroad prior to your departure. Most medical cos are covered based on the costs of health care in the Netherlands itself, so it might be a good idea to purchase additional insurance. For more information, you can contact your insurer and ask about the costs and essential additional insurance to cover the costs in the US.

Care allowance (zorgtoeslag)

As long as you have basic insurance in the Netherlands, you qualify for a care allowance (zorgtoeslag).

Insurance through your American university

Some American universities offer their own mandatory health insurance. If this is not mandatory at your university, you can apply for a health insurance waiver, as long as you can prove that you are covered through your Dutch insurance. Keep in mind that American insurance usually won’t cover all costs in case of repatriation. If you are using your university’s insurance coverage, you might still need to find additional insurance elsewhere.

Other insurance

Next to health insurance, you should consider the following types of insurance:

Liability insurance (WA verzekering).
Repatriation and accident insurance
Legal expenses insurance

Dutch health care and student jobs

If you do get a job in America, you will fall under the first day at work rule: from the first day you work at your (paid) job, your Dutch health care coverage ends. All rights and obligations of the Wlz are forfeit, including your right to basic health insurance coverage, any additional insurance, and care allowances (zorgtoeslag). The SVB can give you more information about whether the Wlz still applies to you. For other questions about health insurance and study abroad, you can contact Zorginstituut Nederland.

Keep in mind that you will only have the rights for basic health insurance upon your return to the Netherlands. Every health insurance provider is free to use its own criteria to decide whether you apply for additional coverage.

Deregistering from the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP)

Anyone who intends to spend 8 months out of a 12-month period abroad is legally required to deregister from the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP). You can deregister up to five days before your departure at the Dienst Burgerzaken at your municipality. They will give you a proof of deregistration (bewijs van uitschrijving). For more information, see the Rijksoverheid.

Tip:

Remember to notify your health insurance of your plans to study abroad, otherwise you risk being deregistered from their insurance plan along with your deregistration from the BRP.

Keep in mind that your deregistration will affect your future AOW. The Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB), the company in charge of your AOW pension, recommends notifying the SVB of your departure to the US. They will add a note about your time abroad and the reason behind it (education) in your file. Don’t forget to notify the SVB upon your return. If you follow these guidelines, your time abroad should not affect your AOW pension. Remember to hang on to all correspondence and make physical copies if possible.

DigiD

Many government affairs are arranged through a DigiD account. It can be quite a hassle to apply for a personal DigiD from abroad, so make sure you set up your account before departure.