Get started with your life in the North
Welcome to the Northern Netherlands! Discover everything you need to know to make this beautiful region your new home.
Opening hours
Monday till Thursday from 9:30 – 12:00 & 13:00 – 16:30
Did You Know?
European Elections
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News from the North
No trains from Groningen to Zwolle until Wednesday
Trains leaving from Groningen won’t be going further than Meppel up until and including Wednesday, May 1st because of the placing of a new wooden bridge for pedestrians at the train station in Zwolle. Train replacement buses in Meppel will be available to facilitate transfers to nearby stations. These disruptions will also affect journeys between […]
The end of daily mail? PostNL considers delivery shakeup
In a move that might have you reaching for the carrier pigeons (or at least checking your email more often), PostNL, the Dutch postal service with a not-so-stellar 1.4-star rating on TrustPilot, is considering switching to an alternate-day delivery system. This means that post will only be delivered every other day instead of the current […]
Two years of terror: How volunteers in Groningen continue to support Ukraine
“I was ready to sell everything I had for half price or even give it away just to convert it into money,” says Olesia Liashova (29), a Ukrainian artist who fled to the Netherlands after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. As Liashova, who specialises in painting on silk and walls, puts the finishing touches […]
About us
About Us
Feel at home in the North in just a few steps
We understand there are many things to take care of when getting settled in a new country.
That’s why it’s our mission to provide a welcoming space where you can take care of everything at one convenient location.
20+
3
35,000+
We helped 35,000+ international people
“I have lived in several countries (USA, Germany, Russia, Egypt) but I have to say that I have had the best experience at the Welcome Center in Groningen. Thank you again!”
“How happy it makes me to learn that the flowers got there and that they brightened up everyone’s day! This was my goal.
You guys work hard, and I wanted to make sure you guys know that your work is meaningful and very well appreciated in the city.”
“I would recommend the IWCN for new Internationals, who would like help finding their feet, but also for those who have been in the Northern Netherlands, as the information on offer is very extensive!”
“The idea to have such an office to welcome foreigners is a formidable one and this is a good tangible result. I wish there had been such an office, and people like you, 13 years ago when we arrived. It would probably have made our lives so much better, especially the first years!”