10-02-2010 om 08:02 by Amanda Potter

“Gemeente” (or Town Hall) is probably the third Dutch word you’ll feel compelled to learn (after koffie and Goedemorgen). And it must be your first stop after moving to a new town in the Netherlands to register your residency and, if you haven’t already, get a BSN (personal ID) number. Since your first few visits to the Gemeente can be rather taxing, here are some thoughts on making the process easier; or at least more informative.



Know Why You Are There
The Gemeente is responsible for more than just residency. Some other things handled there are:
- Registration for a Drivers License
- Registration for a Green Bin
- Management and billing of city services (for example, sewer, road tax, housing taxes, etc)
- Information about business and residential zoning.
And, of course, they all have a general information desk and Maasricht now has an International Desk as well.

Check in with the Info Desk
Visiting the Gemeente is a little like going to the DMV, albeit with shorter lines. To ensure that you’re speaking to the right person, be sure to tell the information desk what you need first. They can help you with some things immediately and will direct you to take a number or make an appointment for others. If you're comfortable on the phone, you can call first instead.

Take a Number
If you don’t have an appointment, you’ll have to take a number and wait for the next available desk. At least in Maastricht this doesn’t take long, but be aware of the open hours of your local Gemeente since no one likes to work overtime.

Be a Patient, but Tenacious Questioner
Once your number is called, proceed quickly to the service desk and be prepared to state your needs or inquiry clearly. Patience is required if you don’t speak Dutch since not all the staff are fluent in English (or other languages). Good questioning skills are important as well. In my experience, Dutch government employees don’t volunteer information without prompting, so it is worth being thorough and specific with your questions. If someone says they don’t know the answer, insist on knowing who does.

Write it Down
I find it useful to write down specific procedures or forms in Dutch to facilitate communication with the Gemeente staff. Ask for help to get the spelling correct.

Bridging the Services Gap
Naturally there are some things your Gemeente cannot help you with: employment or tax services for example are not generally available. But depending on who you ask they may be able to point you in the right direction. Bring some tenacity to the board and you’ll get through the formalities just fine.



Some Helpful Websites
- Gemeentes List on Maastricht Region
- Maastricht Region’s “Formalities” Page
- IND

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