PSG Welcome Guide 2012 - 2013 - UWC Maastricht

INSURANCES (VERZEKERINGEN)
The following main types of insurance are available: health insurance (mandatory), vehicle
insurance, house (bricks and mortar) insurance, house contents insurance, legal costs
insurance and personal third party (WA Wettelijk Aansprakelijkheid) insurance. Third party
insurance is almost always necessary for people with children (balls through school windows,
riding a bike into people‟s cars, damage to a friend‟s clothes during rough games in the
playground, taking other people‟s children in your own car, etc). Yellow Pages and the
Maastricht City Guide (Gemeentegids) list insurance companies under the
“verzekeringsmaatschappijen”.
INTEGRATION (INBURGERING)
Inburgeren is the process of integrating into Dutch society. Most people from outside the
European Union now have to pass an inburgering exam and a language test to get a
residence permit. The aim is to make sure immigrants understand Holland‟s customs
and culture as well as the language. The immigration service website
www.inburgering.net gives enormous amounts of information as to how to go about
becoming integrated – all of which is in Dutch.
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE DESK
The International Service Desk Maastricht Region opened in November 2009. The desk is
located in the Town Hall of Maastricht, next to the Municipalities Service Desk on the second
floor and was established to assist foreign newcomers and businesses with basic information.
Four computer screens provide information about living, working, settling and doing business in
the region. When you are interested in making an appointment to talk to someone at the
International Service Desk: International Service Desk, Mosae Forum 10, 6211 DW Maastricht,
+31 (0)43 350 5010, international@maastricht.nl
IRONING SERVICE (STRIJKSERVICE)
Yellow Pages and the Maastricht City Guide (Gemeentegids) list Iron Services under
“strijkservice”.
JUNK MAIL (RECLAME)
If you prefer not to receive any unaddressed junk mail through your letter box, then you can
collect an “antireclamesticker” at the Maastricht Municipality Office.
Nee/Nee: no junk mail and no free local newspapers. Nee/Ja: no junk mail but delivery of free
local newspapers. In both cases, your normal addressed mail will always be delivered!
KENNEL (DIERENPENSION)
Yellow Pages and the Maastricht City Guide (Gemeentegids) list kennels under “dierenpension”.
Also, please click here for more info on dierenpensions in the Maastricht area.
KUMULUS CENTRE FOR AMATEUR ARTS & MUSIC
KUMULUS was established in 1993 when the local music school merged with a creativity centre
and offers individual music lessons, visual art courses, audiovisual and digital art subjects,
theatre and musical lessons, creative writing, art theory, ballet and dance.
KIJKWIJZER
The Kijkwijzer (viewing indicator) is a set of minimum age limits for viewing films, tv shows and
playing computer games. The limits are described as „guidelines‟ but cinemas can face
prosecution for not adhering to the rules. The Kijkwijzer currently has four age categories:
suitable for all ages; suitable for those over 6; suitable for those over 12; and suitable for those
over 16. The censorship system also uses pictograms to warn viewers that a film contains
certain types of content, such as sex, violence and coarse language. For further info click here.
LANGUAGE COURSES (TAALCURSUSSEN)
Maastricht University has Dutch language courses available. You should contact the language
center or "Talencentrum". There are a variety of language schools in Maastricht or nearby, such
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