Dual Citizenship is total badass. It means two countries love you so much they BOTH want to call you their own. It is every child’s dream.  A few cautionary details- depending on the country, you may have to enlist in military service or other cumbersome things of that nature. Also, be aware of the rules of your original country. Some countries don’t allow Dual Citizenship- meaning, one country can revoke citizenship status if you’re not careful. So check yourself before you wreck yourself- your government should have a brochure on Dual Citizenship.

Now, all countries’ rules and regulations are different. The Netherlands is, what is a nice way of putting this… thorough. So if you are impatient with paperwork you are in for a rough time. Talk to the consulate, they are your best bet for letting you know about your eligibility for getting dual citizenship and all that jazz.

Once you’ve obtained your ticket to awesomeness you have more paperwork to look forward to.

Before you leave Canada ensure that you’ve:

Legalized your birth certificate- two stamps are required (from Ottawa and the consulate)

You also will need all necessary ID- marriage certificates etc.

Once you are in the Netherlands you will need to:

Register (with an address) at the municipality

USEFUL DO NOT SKIM!

To obtain a Social Security Number (BSN) you need to be registered at the Municipality (there is one in Zandaam). Without the BSN you can not get a bank account, work, get health insurance or anything else you can think of. It takes approximately FOUR weeks from the time you apply in order to obtain your number.

Holy Healthcare

So the rumour mill has it that European healthcare is wonderful. One momentous detail it forgot to churn out was the fact that it costs a shitload. Everyone, regardless of age, pays the exact same basic premium.  Within three months of your arrival in the Netherlands, you legally have to take out the basic insurance. NOTE: they will charge you back pay regardless if you have a BSN number at the time or not. Meaning- if you take out health insurance in June when you arrived in April, the government will charge you for all of May and part of April. If you’re ballin’ you can choose to top it up with Dental, Physio and other expensive add-ons.

Compare Health Care Providers in the Netherlands