There are a number of things you need to know before entering the job market in the Netherlands, such as: the make-up of the Dutch employment market, finding a job here as an expatriate, Dutch labor law, the Dutch social security system etc.
Subscription In the Netherlands, you are not only charged per telephone conversation (depending on the length of the call), but you also have to pay a ‘subscription’ to make use of the telephone lines (as the case may be; Internet and telephone). In most cases, you will have to ‘subscribe’ for a minimum period of one year, even if you only want to subscribe for a shorter period of time.
Several cable companies offer local and long-distance telephony services. Visit the cable companies’ sites for their rates. Shop around for cheap international calling and cell phone options at www.bellen.com.
Cheap Calling There are various options:
• 0900/local Access Numbers
• Carrier (Pre)Select
• Calling cards, which you can purchase in stores and online.
More Cheap Calling In some places, you can make phone calls over the wireless WiFi-net, while retaining your own number and telephone. This way you can call anywhere in the Netherlands at local rates and in the rest of the world at very cheap rates. Of course, there is also MSN, Skype and VoipBuster.
For more information on calling via the Internet, visit www.belviainternet.nl.
Mobile Calling Depending on your needs, you will use one of the following three possibilities:
• subscription services with a contract, which includes a certain number of minutes that you can call and a cell phone.
• pre-pay services: you buy a card with call units and no subscription fee
• sim-only; you buy your own mobile phone (make sure it’s simlock-free; simlock-vrij!) and take out a ‘sim-only’ subscription, which means that you are sent a sim-card, without an accompanying mobile phone. To compare rates, visit www.sim-only-vergelijk.nl.
Free To Roam? The cost of using a mobile for international and overseas calling can be high and keep in mind that not all mobile phones (and networks) are compatible.
INTERNET
Internet Service Providers To find out what is on the market and to compare prices, go to www.internetten.nl.
To find out more about ADSL specifically, go to www.adslwinkel.nl, or visit www.bellen.com.
UTILITIES
The utilities (gas and electricity) market in the Netherlands has been liberalized. This means that you, the consumer, can ‘buy’ these utilities wherever you want to, provided the supplier has been issued a license by the government. You can find a list of licensed suppliers on www.consuwijzer.nl.
Be sure to shop around. Things to look for are:
• whether the quoted price includes tax and VAT (BTW)
• whether the price includes the ‘transportation costs’ of the energy or gas
• whether your meter has one or two windows: double position meters allow you to benefit from low-rate periods (such as nights)
• the period during which the quoted price/rate applies (they might offer you a low rate for the first six months, to attract you as a client, and then raise it substantially).
If your Dutch is somewhat up to par, you can find a price comparison on www.energieprijzen.nl. Via this site, after comparing prices, you can also effectuate your change of supplier with their aid at no extra cost. More information can also be found on www.energieleveranciers.nl and www.energievergelijken.nl.
Telephone To use a public phone you will need a phone calling card, not coins. Available at tobacconists, post office and bookshops. www.kpn.com : official site of the Dutch fixed telephony network
