Applying for the Dutch Citizenship

If you have a Dutch partner and you are thinking of applying for the Dutch Citizernship. You need the following requirements.

* At least 3 years living here in Netherlands with your partner in the same address.

* A valid passport (from your country of origin).

* A valid residence permit issued by the IND Netherlands.

* A legalized and translated birth certificate from your country of origin.

* An inburgering (Dutch language course) diploma or any evidence that you did the Inburgering.

For fees, you can visit the IND site.

Waiting period will take about 6 months (more or less). If you want to have more informations about naturalisation, visit the IND WEBSITE. iti

Plopsaland Indoor

Last summer, we treated our little girl. We went to an indoor playground and attraction park of Plopsaland in Coevorden, NL. Kabouter Plop (dwarf Plop) is an entertainer made by the company Studio100 to entertain the Dutch, Belgian and German kids and feeling kids like me and hubby (haha!)

They have lots of other mascots like Mega mindy, K3, Bumba, Amika and many more. Visit the website of Studio100 for more informations.

Here's a pic of me and my daughter with her favourite Kabouter Plop.

And here's the pic of Nia in the car when we are on the way home while hugging her new stuffed toy.

Dutch language course (Inburgeringcursus) is not paid by the city hall anymore?

When you choose to immigrate in the Netherlands, it is REQUIRED to do the inburgeringcursus (dutch language exam). You need to learn the language in order to make your life here easier, talk with the people and live normally.

Yes, you read it right, starting January of 2013, all immigrants who will do the dutch language course will pay the said course by themselves. The Gemeente (City hall) will not pay for it anymore. It is a new law. The over all course estimation will be around 5000 euros (or lower).

I am lucky that I did the course and got the diploma before this law. I think you can get a studiefinanciering (money finance for studying) in IB GROEP. This money is payable after 6 months of getting the inburgering diploma. For more info, check the website of DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs). Hope this article will help you.

***This law is not applicable to all immigrants, some immigrants are NOT REQUIRED to do the said course.*** Check the website of IND or DUO for more informations.

A big mistake!

I applied for a renewal of my Philippine passport last July in the Philippine Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands. It is about 2 hours ride from our place (quite far). They are making the passports in Philippines that's why it will took about 30 - 45 days to get the new one. So we have to go there twice, first for the application and second is for getting it. So last week, we had the time to get it. I was free from work and hubby got the day off just for it.

When I had my passport on my hand, the lady in the embassy asked me to check if all is correct. So I opened it and read, and my birthdate is wrong! So, I said "My birthday date is wrong, instead of Nov. 1, it's Jan. 11". So she immediately checked my application form and she said "Oh, It was your fault".

Yeah, It was really my fault, I did the putting of the date as how they put it here in Holland and I never read and thought that I am in Philippines applying for a Philippine passport.

In Holland it's day before month, so i put 01-11 but in the Philippines, it's month before day, that's why its January 11. And I really felt so stupid (sorry for my word but that is what i felt that time).

Well, they won't change it for free, so what I should do is apply for a new passport and pay 60 euros again (which is 4 times expensive than in Philippines).

I've learned so many lessons on this experience. I promise myself to read everything first before doing something.

Getting a Dutch nationality

I am thinking on getting a dutch passport. I am married to a dutch national and living 3 years in Netherlands, so I can apply for a dutch nationality already.

Netherlands is a country that doesn't allow dual citizenship, but in my case, I am not obliged to surrender my passport to the Dutch goverment since I am married to a dutch national. It is case to case basis.

If you want some informations or questions about this, go to the nearest Gemeente or visit the site of IND.

I hope to get mine soon!

Daddy long legs mosquito?

When I woke up this morning and looked outside, something was on the window, when i looked closely, it is a mosquito, not just an ordinary one but a XXL one. A long legged one with long body. As i searched on the net, it says, it's called Crane fly or daddy long legs.

I immediately got my phone and took a picture of it. I was really amazed!

Rainy summer in Holland

Officially autumn will start on the 21st of September but since summer has started, you can just count the days that the sun has shined and can say, " Wow, I can feel the heat of summer!". This year has wet summer.
And now, im lying on my bed, writing this post while it's raining outside. Well, Holland's weather is really unpredictable.
I'm just hoping for a not-so-cold winter and a very lovely summer weather next year.

3 years

Most people said, the first 3 years in other countries are the biggest adjustments, especially here in NL. Number one of that adjustment is the culture then followed by the language. Dutch is one of the most difficult languages in the world. I am proud of myself that I can communicate now with the people around me (not yet fluently but at least I'm doing my best).

I finished my inburgeringcursus, got my diploma, got a work and now my main goal is to get a EU citizenship and maybe a driving permit.

With my baby Nia (actually she's 2 and half now, not a baby anymore, but she acts like one from time to time) she's going to a peuterspeelzal (kindergarten). She's doing great and growing fast. Here's a new picture of her.

Proud of what she made

Now, I can see myself getting old here in NL.

Inburgering diploma

February of 2010 I took my Inburgering Examen (Integrated Exam) in Zwolle, Netherlands. It consists of 3 exams. Luckily, I passed the said exams and got my Inburgeringsdiploma weeks after. For me, it was one of my few great achivements after 2 years of living here.

If you want some info's about the said exam, try this link. This link helped me a lot, and im sure it will help you too!

Welcome Back!

Hello everyone!

Wow, it has been almost 2 years after my last post, . 2 weeks ago, I deactivated my FB profile and decided to go back into bloging. I miss my bloging friends and my readers.

So to me `WELKOM TERUG JEN´ (welcome back Jen)!

Clarifications

I want to clarify what Carol was asking in the shoutbox. The messages we can write in the shoutbox is limited, that's why I made this. There were lots of advices people gave. Some maybe misunderstood what she really means. I think I'm one of them. Sorry, nobody is perfect. hehe.



Her message was "hi to everyone, im here in Hong Kong and i have a dutch bf, we are planning to get married soon but we have some problems about where are we going to get married. Where he can get me in holland faster, can i get a tourist visa first and get the exam there and get married?"



As what I understand on what she mean was " She will get a tourist visa first, then take the exam here in Holland and get married here during her stay." That's why I said no, As what I know and read in IND website. You can't marry and take the exam here if you only have a tourist visa. You have to take the exam in the place where you are living and apply a family reunification or MVV to get in here. Marriage is Not a reason to be here faster. Even you are not married, you can come here and stay together. Living together or LIVE-IN has same rules as married couples. You can even choose which last name you wanted to use, if your old last name or your partner's last name.
She was asking too, where is the best place for them to get married. I answered Here in Holland because if you will get married in Philippines, after the marriage you will wait for your marriage contract from NSO then legalize and authenticate it. While, if you and your partner will apply the MVV and will get approve then you can stay here. If you and your partner has all the papers needed, you will get your MVV. My mistake is, I forget she is living in China. I don't know how fast are the paper processing in Hong Kong, but I think it is faster than Philippines.

There are two ways on applying MVV, thats what they call, Direct Approach and Advice Route. Either of the two is good. If you are not sure on your papers or you are afraid what will be the result, then I advice you take the ADVICE ROUTE. If you are very sure with the papers, your partner's income and all, then take the Direct Approach.

If I made some errors or forget something, just comment on this post.
Thank you for visiting and reading in my blog. I just want to share my ideas and experiences about this issues. Have a nice day everyone!

I miss BLOGGING!

I am sitting here with my daughter on my lap trying to grab the keyboard too, hehe. I am checking my blogs and realized how I miss writing and blogging. I am so focused on my daughter and to farmtown (hehe, its an online game from facebook).

My daughter Nia will turn 6 months next week, she's getting bigger everyday and naughtier. Like now, she wanted to type on the keyboard too, trying to grab it and if she can't, she'll cry.

My summer vacation is over now, tomorrow morning I will start school again. Hopefully I will be finish by the end of this year. Our teacher told me I can do exam now because I don't have problems with reading and writing, only with speaking. Hopefully, so time for me to study too and prepare myself for the coming exam. Wish me luck friends!