New year, new beginnings!

Happy New Year!

Over the course of 2023, City Central and Connect International will officially become part of International Welcome Center North. All of the members of our international team are looking forward to working more closely together and being the only one-stop-shop to serve all the social, personal and professional needs of internationals in the northern Netherlands.

This closer working relationship also means that there will be a few changes coming to our websites.

From now on, you can find out about and register for upcoming City Central events, such as FietsFriend, Welcome Walks and art tours, as well as Connect’s many activities across the north, right here via Connect’s events calendar.

In the coming months, you will be able to find more information about City Central and Connect’s services at IWCN.nl – and you can also already sign up for My Local Friend via the IWCN site! Follow this link to find out more.

And over on social media, be sure to follow us on our new IWCN accounts – @iwcn.nl – on Facebook and Instagram.

Thank you for your continued support and interest in our activities! If you have any questions, please contact us at: communication [at] iwcn.nl

Connect International introduces: student membership!

As part of a closer working relationship between International Welcome Center NorthConnect International and City Central, IWCN is introducing a discounted student membership option for bachelor and master’s students at academic institutions in Groningen, Drenthe and Friesland.

In an effort to share their services with even more internationals in the region, Connect International, the social member club of IWCN, is launching a new student membership option for full-time bachelor and master’s students in the north. 

By making Connect membership more affordable for students, IWCN aims to better serve the future young professionals of the north and give them access to a wider social and professional network in the region.

Membership benefits

Since 1998, Connect International has provided for the social and community needs of internationals in the northern provinces of Groningen, Drenthe and Friesland. The organization was originally founded to serve incoming international professionals and their partners, as well as to bring internationals together – not only with each other, but also with local Dutch residents and regional culture. 

Standard Connect membership is 25 euros per year, and the new discounted student membership is 15 euros (per person per year). All members will have access to:

  • (Most) Connect International, City Central and IWCN events
  • Member discounts for select external events in collaboration with local (cultural) organisations
  • Weekly Tips about upcoming events, activities and special announcements (such as job vacancies for internationals in the Northern Netherlands)
  • Volunteer opportunities to develop activities and host them 

Existing Connect members will now have free access to IWCN and (most) City Central events as well, making a great addition to Connect’s already extensive range of fun and informative activities and clubs, including (but not limited to): 


– Conversation Fun (Dutch and English)

– Coffee mornings

– Welcome Walks

– Running and walking clubs

– Seminars and webinars on topics such as health insurance and renting a home

– Book Club

– FietsFriend: Rules of the Road cycling workshops and outings

– Guided art tours

– Café tours

– Arts and crafts workshops

Joining forces

Over the course of 2022, City Central has been partnering more closely together with Connect International and International Welcome Center North (IWCN)
 
City Central, Connect and IWCN share a deep commitment to helping internationals feel at home, enabling them to tap into all that this special region has to offer, and empowering them give back and get involved in their new community in the three northern provinces of Groningen, Drenthe and Friesland.

Through the introduction of a student discount membership, City Central’s community of young and engaged international residents can feel even more at home.

Sign up as a general or student member at Connect International today!

Here & Now in Groningen

The “Here & Now in Groningen” platform is an online personal recommendation agenda in English that allows you to access diverse cultural, networking and sport events in Groningen. Here & Now lets you choose events based on your own preferences, genres or even international-friendliness. Join us and choose between almost every activity in Groningen, from a cozy hobby meet up (that you can also submit yourself) to the mass concerts organized by the city’s biggest venues. The project is also part of International Groningen program which was recently awarded a Good Practice City Label by URBACT; the European fund for integrated urban development. Made possible thanks to RUG, Hanze UAS, UMCG, Provincie Groningen, Gemeente Groningen, cultural organizations and all the internationals in the city!

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Starting a business and obtaining a residence permit via the Start-up Permit

Could you make it in the Netherlands as an entrepreneur? In 2015 the Dutch government brought in new regulations to help ambitious businesspeople from non-EU countries. A one-year ‘start-up’ residency permit has been specially designed to help people like you in the Netherlands. As part of the scheme, all entrepreneurs are required to have a mentor, or ‘facilitator’ on-board and for their start-up to offer something innovative in the Dutch market.

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What is a ‘Zoekjaar’?

The new ‘Orientation Year Highly-Educated Persons’ (zoekjaar) residence permit replaces, combines and extends the former Orientation year for graduates and the Orientation year for highly-educated persons permits. The new permit allows talented, highly-educated foreigners to apply for this residence permit within 3 years of completing a study or research project (specific conditions apply).

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Do I need to register for a BSN?

If you live abroad and come to the Netherlands to work or study, you will need a citizen service number (burgerservicenummer (BSN)) for your dealings with the Dutch authorities.

Government authorities use the BSN to correspond with citizens and exchange personal information with other (governmental) agencies, when legally permitted; for example, between the municipality and the Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst). The BSN is an important tool for improving government services, and is also used to combat identity fraud and solve issues with misspelled names.

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IWCN service partners

The IWCN has a wide range of reliable service partners for internationals living in the Northern Netherlands. The partners offer expert commercial services in various areas, including Housing & Relocation; Legal Services, Insurance & Finance; Tax Consulting; Health & Child Care; Payroll & HR; Travel & Leisure; Education; and Career Support. All of the partners of the IWCN offer services in English. So if you are looking for assistance in any of these areas, why not contact one of them to find out how they can help you?

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