Moving to Amsterdam: The Practical Guide for New Arrivals

1. Navigating the Schooling System: Dutch vs. International Schools

Most expat families arriving in Amsterdam choose between three routes, and the right one usually comes down to how old your children are, what you can spend on fees and whether you want them taught in English or in Dutch.

Fully Private International Schools

English-curriculum schools running IB or the British system, with no waiting list tied to Dutch municipal registration. These are the most accommodating option for families arriving mid-year, though fees are the highest of the three routes.

Dutch Subsidized International Schools (IGB)

Schools like AISA sit inside the Dutch state-subsidized system, which means significantly lower fees but stricter eligibility rules, including criteria around how long you expect to live in the Netherlands and prior international schooling. Worth checking early, since eligibility can rule a family in or out before housing even enters the conversation.

Local Dutch Public Schools

An excellent option for younger children (under 6), who tend to pick up Dutch through full immersion quickly. Older children joining a Dutch public school typically start in a taalklas — a dedicated Dutch-language transition class — before moving into mainstream classes.

2. Top International Schools & Location Overview

Commute time is one of the biggest quality-of-life factors for a family with young children, so it's worth mapping schools before you commit to a neighborhood.

As a rule of thumb: the further your apartment is from your children's school, the more the morning cycle commute eats into the rest of the day — both for the school run and for your own commute afterward.

3. Best Family-Friendly Neighborhoods in Amsterdam

Amsterdam's family-favored districts each solve a slightly different problem — space, proximity to a specific school, or value for a larger household. Here's how the top three stack up, with the full comparison available on our neighborhood guides directory.

For families prioritizing space and a slower pace over walkability to the center, Westerpark and Amsterdam Noord are also worth a look — see the full neighborhood comparison directory or our wider guide to Amsterdam's neighborhoods.

4. Practical Admin for Expat Families: BSN, Healthcare & Childcare

Child BRP Registration

Children are registered in the BRP alongside their parents, at the same address, and each child's BSN follows from that registration. Get it done in your move-in week, because everything below starts from being registered. Our guide to registering in the BRP in Amsterdam has the appointments, the documents and the timelines.

Pediatric Healthcare

Once registered, families are assigned a Dutch GP (huisarts), who acts as the first point of contact for anything beyond routine checks. Younger children are also seen through the consultatiebureau — a free child health clinic that tracks growth, vaccinations, and development from birth through primary school age.

Childcare & After-School Care (BSO)

Kinderopvang (daycare) and BSO (after-school care) are widely available but fill up fast in family-dense areas, so it's worth applying in parallel with your school search. Most working parents are eligible for kinderopvangtoeslag — a government childcare allowance that offsets a substantial share of the cost, scaled to household income.

5. Family Housing That's Ready on Day One

Signing an unfurnished lease in your first week is a common instinct, and with children it's a lot to take on. Furnishing a home takes weeks you don't have while school applications are still resolving, and if a waiting list shifts your child's school, your "perfect" neighborhood pick can turn into a daily cross-city commute. So map the schools first, then look for a home in the neighborhoods that pair with them.

City Retreat lets fully furnished 2 and 3-bedroom family apartments in Amsterdam, with utilities and high-speed Wi-Fi included in the monthly rent and a kitchen you can cook in on the evening you get the keys. The whole family registers in the BRP at the address. Have a look at our homes for expat families and furnished apartments, or, if your employer is arranging the move, at our corporate rentals.

6. Step-by-Step Family Relocation Timeline

1. T-Minus 3 Months

   Start school applications and build a shortlist across all three routes (private international, IGB-subsidized, Dutch public) — eligibility and waiting lists move fastest here.

2. T-Minus 2 Months

   Arrange your home, furnished if you can, in a neighborhood that pairs with the schools on your list. Send the schools your tenancy agreement as soon as it's signed, since most want proof of an Amsterdam address before they finalize enrollment.

3. Move-In Week

   Register the whole family in the BRP at the address and confirm school start dates and any taalklas placement.

4. Once You're In

   With registration done, sort out the family's GP and, for younger children, the consultatiebureau, and chase the daycare or BSO places you applied for. Then cycle the school route together a couple of times, so the first morning isn't the test run.

Frequently Asked Questions

• All Neighborhood Guides
• Moving to Amsterdam Guide
• Amsterdam Neighborhoods Overview
• Furnished Apartments