Waiting Game

We need a van and home internet. Those are my two most immediate priorities right now.

To get either one, we need a Dutch bank account (it turns out you can’t buy a car or pay for internet on your credit card here).

To get a Dutch bank account, we need a residency permit.

To get a residency permit, you need to be sponsored by a Dutch company.

Luckily we started this fun chain of events several months ago. Tilburg sponsored us for residency, and we started that paperwork in June. We went to the municipality and got temporary residency permits on Friday. We then immediately tried to open a bank account. Unfortunately, you need an appointment to open an account, and the soonest appointment was today (Tuesday). So, we went in today.

We signed all the papers. Unfortunately, it takes 4 days to process the paperwork. At that point we can transfer money into the account.

However, we can’t use the account for another 5 business days after that.

At this point I’m starting to get a bit anxious. How do we get internet? Water/gas in our names (our landlord was nice enough to keep it in their name temporarily when we moved in)? Cell phones (plans require a bank account)? A van?

Luckily P&D Care knew a little secret: you can apply for most of those things (not the van) once you have applied for a bank account, even if the account is not yet active or funded. They don’t bill you for 30 days, by which time the account is funded.

So, we will hopefully have home internet in the next few days (hopefully they move faster than the bank).

Oh, and the bank is a cashless bank. We can’t deposit cash, exchange money, or withdraw money at the bank. They do everything online and only online, except for open a bank account. That is done in person …