News

Cross-border worker ‘working from home’ agreements end on 01 July 2022
On 1 July this year the extended agreements on cross-border working set up during the Covid pandemic will end. This means that the rules on social security and taxation in Belgium, the Netherlands and…

Interview: Sandrine de Goede - Open Dutch Doors
Sandrine de Goede is connecting highly educated internationals and employers in Maastricht and across the Netherlands. She is a global citizen: born and raised in Rotterdam, she has lived and worked…

Help with disputes in rental properties
Suppose you are renting a property in the Maastricht Region and you have a dispute with your landlord or landlady. This may be about various issues such as the payment of rent or the state of your…

Parents’ leave – ouderschapsverlof
Currently, new parents in the Netherlands do not receive payment for ouderschapsverlof (parental leave). This is changing due to a new European Directive that provides for 2 months paid leave for…

Einstein Telescope
It was announced on 14 April that the Rijksoverheid is setting aside 32 million euros for the construction of the Einstein Telescope. One of the few geographically suitable places on Earth that it…

Vishing
There have been a number of alerts from the local and national authorities about vishing (fake phone calls) in the Netherlands recently. Voice phishing, or vishing, is the use of telephone calls to…

Employers newsletter
Do you want to grow your business with international talent? We know how. Expat Centre Maastricht Region is your partner for all your questions regarding work and lifestyle for international talent…

Interview with an International – Tracey Taylor
Where’s the craic? (That’s Irish for “fun”). If anyone in Maastricht will know it’s Tracey Taylor. Hailing from Bantry, Ireland, Tracey is a radio personality, food blogger, photographer, part-time…

Partner Highlight - Brothers Consultants
From 1 March until 1 May each year everyone in the Netherlands is invited to complete and file their tax return. So this month we would like to introduce to you our Programme Partner specialised in…

Koningsdag 27 April 2022
At the end of April each year the Netherlands ramps up its usual love of all things “oranje” and cities as well as people across the country are covered in orange decoration – called Oranjegekte…

Ukraine
How can we help Ukraine? Gemeente Maastricht: “The Maastricht community sympathises with the Ukrainians who suffer from war and violence. Burgemeester Penn-te Strake: ‘My heart goes out to the…

Cycling in the Netherlands
It will not have escaped your notice that the Dutch get around a lot by bicycle. Cycling is the cheapest mode of transportation and it is healthy too. So of course as a resident of the Maastricht…

Interview with International: Betty Ajdadi
We’re so looking forward to finally holding events again. Meeting the newcomers to the Maastricht Region and saying hello again to those we haven’t been able to see for some time. While we’re still…

News in English special election live broadcast
With the gemeenteraadsverkiezingen (municipal elections) coming up on 16 March 2022, where non-Dutch citizens can also vote, Expat Centre Maastricht Region’s media partner News in English will be…

Inburgeren – Civic integration in the Netherlands
The Netherlands' new Wet Inburgering 2022 (Civic Integration Act) took effect on 1 January 2022. From now on, municipalities are responsible for inburgering. This is expected to allow newcomers to…

Coronatoegangsbewijs (QR code) for people with vaccinations outside of the EU
Vaccination and recovery certificates from the Netherlands load automatically to your CoronaCheck app, but what if you got your vaccinations outside of the EU?

Carnaval
Gemeente Maastricht has announced that Vastelaovend [Carnaval] will go ahead this year, however it will be smaller and with restrictions.

Give your feedback on living or working in Maastricht via the 'inwonerspanel'
Do you want to give your feedback on living or working in Maastricht? Join the conversation by joining the Maastricht Forum inwonerspanel. We talked to Geneviève van Liere, researcher at the Afdeling…

Prinsjesdag – the State Opening of Parliament in the Netherlands
The Dutch parliamentary year starts on the third Tuesday in September. On this day the government announces its plans for the coming year. We thought we’d take a moment to review their announcements…

Gemeenteraadsverkiezingen 2022 – vote if you are eligible!
On 16 March 2022, the Gemeenteraadverkiezingen (municipal elections) for Gemeente Maastricht will be taking place. These elections take place across the country every four years and, unlike other…

Cross-border worker agreements extended until 31 March 2022
Due to our unique location in Europe, a significant number of organisations and individuals in the Maastricht Region operate cross-border.

Interview with internationals: Daniel & Juan
Daniel and Juan, a couple from Argentina, are just bursting with enthusiasm about the Maastricht Region and all it can offer both recent arrivals and long-stayers. A ustedes, señores…

What’s going on in the Maastricht Region: weekly markets
Since the weekly markets are still allowed to go ahead during the pandemic, we thought we’d share a few tips for getting outside in the fresh air and picking up a bargain, a bouquet, an antique or a…

Visit Zuid-Limburg’s review of Kerstmarkten in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine
Visit Zuid-Limburg has provided a selection of wondrous winter markets in the most special places, with each of them being within a relatively short distance of each other, so why not visit them all!!

‘Expats are of vital importance to our Maastricht Region’
Professor Frank Cörvers is Program Director Human Capital in the Region at Maastricht University’s Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA). We spoke to him about the significance of…

Share My Voice: let your voice be heard and fill in the survey
The Netherlands needs knowledge migrants. Tens of thousands of knowledge migrants from all over the world are working in the Netherlands, and many companies cannot manage without them. Nevertheless,…

International knowledge workers and labour migrants in Zuid-Limburg
Do you know how many internationals work and live in the Maastricht Region? Do you know how spectacularly that number has grown over the past ten years? Or in which municipalities internationals are…

Survey internationals about the interest in Theater aan het Vrijthof
Jochem Derksen is a graduate student who is currently interning with Theater aan het Vrijthof. He is researching the interests of the international community in the Maastricht region and how Theater…

Interview with an international: Florentina Deliu - Romania
Interview with an international: Florentine Deliu, professional make-up artist - Romania.

What happens if you have an accident ‘abroad’?
Maastricht residents often find that they take a short drive over the border to do some shopping, head to work or study, take the children to school or to fill up with petrol. However, what happens if…

'Ich bin ein Grenzbewohner'
Guest column in ITEM newsletter October by Theo Bovens, Mayor of Enschede and former Governor of the Province of Limburg (NL).

Crossborder living and working: working from home
More and more employers and employees want to work more at home after the corona pandemic is over. As nice as it can be to work at home, the consequences for employees and employers in the Region…

Media Survey
Each year Gemeente Maastricht asks residents to complete a Media Survey so they can ensure that the necessary and relevant information reaches as many people as possible. This year, for the first…

YouRegion Welcome Event in Maastricht
Expats and internationals showed up in droves during our first in-person event for over eighteen months last week. We welcomed a large delegation from Aachen and groups were quickly teamed up with our…

Interview with an international: Sarfaraz Syed - India
Interview with an international: Sarfaraz Syed, Managing director Next Generation Sensor – India

Partner highlight: Theater aan het Vrijthof
Interview with Programme Partner ‘Theater aan het Vrijthof’.

Cooperation agreement with IND after successful Zuid-Limburg pilot for international employees
Expat Centre Maastricht Region, the Municipality of Maastricht and 16 participating municipalities in the Maastricht region as well as the Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND) have been…

Corona update
As of 23 March 2022 most measures to slow the spread of Covid-19 across the Netherlands are no longer in place, however a number still remain. Some are requirements and some are guidance issued by the…

Brexit update September 2021
The British government has a dedicated page on their website which provides detailed information and useful links regarding changes to legislation and necessary actions that British citizens need to…

Interview with an international: Marie Lormeau - France
Interview with an international: Marie Lormeau. Filmmaker and journalist - France

Partner highlight: News in English - RTV Maastricht
This month we’re featuring News in English, the news service provided by RTV Maastricht which brings news, information, cultural event coverage and much more in English, for our “not-yet-Dutch…

StartersCentrum Limburg
Many spouses and partners of knowledge migrants consider starting their own business once they have settled in the Maastricht Region, for whom StartersCentrum Limburg is the perfect partner.

New NL rules for shopping online
From 1 July this year the way that we shop online has changed somewhat in the Netherlands. Read more

Coronavirus
The latest statement issued by the Rijksoverheid is: "Work at home again, unless there is no other option, and ensure sufficient fresh air in indoor spaces”. Read more

Leisure Lane
The Leisure Lane is intended to be a ‘slow traffic connection’ covering approximately 33 km between Beekdaelen and Simpelveld in the Maastricht Region.

World CleanUp Day / Maas CleanUp
World Cleanup Day has brought together millions of people for the biggest waste collection day in human history. The first place to start in the Maastricht Region is Maas CleanUp. Read how can you get…

Interview with an international: Mario González Sauri - Mexico
This month Mario from Mexico shares his experience and offers some valuable tips to adjusting to life in the Maastricht Region

Welcome to GPinfo.nl
A new reliable online source of health information in English.

New youRegion website: living and working across borders
The youRegion project has two main objectives: to promote the cross-border labour market in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine (EMR) and to establish a ‘welcome culture’ for newcomers, employees and companies in…

Dutch vaccination programme against COVID-19
Everyone who is currently residing in the Netherlands is eligible for an EMA-certified COVID-19 vaccination. The vaccination programme includes residents registered in the BRP (Municipal…

General elections 17 March
The Netherlands will be going to the polls on Wednesday 17 March for regular elections for the Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives). It has been a difficult year for the current government, ‘Rutte…

Taxes
It’s most definitely a certainty. No matter where you live, there’s always tax to pay. Each country has their own unique taxation system, some are easier to navigate than others.

IND Pilot
Since the IND pilot launch in January 2020, visas, permits, biometric info, verblijfsaantekeningen (if you know what that is) and return visas are sorted at a speedy pace, all from the comfort of…

Corona update
As with numerous other countries in the EU, the Netherlands is currently in lockdown. Read more

Brexit update February 2021
We’re super fortunate here in the Netherlands, with the Rijksoverheid (Dutch national government) and the Belastingdienst (Tax Office) providing clear and up-to-date information about what the…

Brexit update December 2020
The United Kingdom (UK) has left the European Union (EU). Read more >

Opportunity for (Eu)regional talent
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the number of vacancies in the customer service sector has risen sharply.

South Limburg: pilot area for IND expanded service concept
As of today, internationals will be able to complete all the formal procedures for establishing their new home in the Netherlands in one day and at one location.

The Maastricht Region Manual
The Expat Centre Maastricht Region presents a comprehensive guide for international newcomers to the region. It includes vital information on topics such as housing, education and healthcare.

Bestuurlijke Kick-off: IND-Pilot (in Dutch)
Mede namens de Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (IND) nodigen wij u uit de interactieve sessie bij te wonen, waarin de IND en het Expat Centre Maastricht Region hun samenwerking officieel maken.

Current services at Expat Centre Maastricht Region
Our experts are available to answer your questions online via the contact form or contact us via telephone during opening hours.

IND extends services for foreign nationals who want to work, live or study in South Limburg
A pilot was initiated to provide fast tracked registration procedures and immigration service provisions. The first document was handed out to a Brazilian family by Alderman Vivianne Heijnen.

Opening hours during the holidays
Expat Centre Maastricht Region is closed from Monday 23 December until Wednesday 1 January. Thursday 2 January we are open again. Happy Holidays!

What does the Expat Centre Maastricht Region do?
What does the Expat Centre Maastricht Region do? Where can I find them? Economische Samenwerking Zuid Limburg made a short video explaining how we can help you in the Maastricht Region. Have a look.