The Hague International Centre

I was very disappointed with my recent experience at The Hague International Centre. I arrived for my BSN appointment with all the documents listed in the email, only to be told that I also needed a landlord’s ID—something not clearly mentioned in the instructions. When I explained that I could not provide this on time, the staff responded in a very dismissive manner, simply shrugging and saying it was not their problem. What made this worse was seeing others before me (all European) complete their registrations quickly without such obstacles. As an international student arriving in a new country, I expected more clarity, professionalism, and empathy from a centre that exists to support newcomers. The process itself may follow Dutch regulations, but the lack of clear communication and courteous treatment left me very disappointed. I hope the Centre improves the transparency of its instructions and the attitude of its staff, so that future internationals do not have the same negative experience.

One of the most icon places to visit The Hague the place where nations globally come together to fight for peace 🙏

The right place to start getting a deep dive into a local life, culture, atmosphere. You will get here a lot of information and very useful tips in all essential fields of your stay in The Hague.

I had a serious issue with one of the service providers (RSH Relocation) promoted by The Hague international Centre who took the matter seriously and changed their website with a disclaimer.

The Hague was a small city, with a beautiful architecture. Very clean, quiet and very nice. After 20:00 many shops were close. Italian restaurants was very good.

Had our registration appointment here when we arrived in the Netherlands. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and even gave us a booklet to get introduced to Dutch society and norms. Got our BSNs on the spot. Note that EU/EEA birth certificates no longer need to be legalised, so no need for an apostille.

The people working here are extremely friendly and down to earth, perfect for an expat centre which should aim to be welcoming and helpful, a task they fulfilled in my experience.