🇳🇱 the Netherlands · City guide
Moving to The Hague: Language & First Steps
Government and international-law city, home to many embassies and expat institutions.
Living in The Hague
The government and international-law city, home to many embassies, the ICC and a large institutional expat community; Statenkwartier, Bezuidenhout and nearby Scheveningen are popular. English is common in the international sector.
To settle into The Hague you'll need Dutch — and the practical kind: registration at the gemeente (BRP) to get your BSN citizen service number, opening a bank account, and seeing a doctor. Here's what to do first and the phrases to learn.
Sources: Language Lab's Dutch curriculum & culture notes; city/official processes vary — confirm with The Hague's local authority. · Join the beta →
What to do in your first week in The Hague?
- Register your address / residency — registration at the gemeente (BRP) to get your BSN citizen service number.
- Open a local bank account so you can get paid and pay rent.
- Register with a local doctor (GP) and sort health insurance.
- Get a local SIM / mobile plan and set up any required digital ID.
- Learn your transport options — tickets, passes and routes.
Dutch phrasebooks for The Hague
For the full country picture, see our guide to moving to the Netherlands.
Arrive in The Hague ready.
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