August 2018 / Newsletter #45

Netherlands Embassy receives Actsmart accreditation

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has become an accredited Actsmart business after implementing measures to improve its sustainability, Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury said last week.

There are now 14 embassies which are signed up to the Actsmart Business Recycling program. This program is an initiative of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

“After receiving a free onsite assessment by the Actsmart team, the Netherlands Embassy in Canberra was provided with an action plan outlining ways to increase recycling and reduce waste,” Mr Rattenbury said. The Embassy acted on a number of the recommendations, helping it become more environmentally responsible. It was able to remove one of its waste bins to effectively halve what they send to landfill.

In addition to reducing its waste considerably through the Actsmart program, the Netherlands Embassy has installed a 27.2 kW solar system allowing it to capture energy from the sun – helping to reduce its electricity bills while lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

More Information

Passports with technological defect

Attention please! Was your Netherlands passport or identity card made in the period of 1 April- 30 June 2018? It might have a technological defect.
Not to worry, for now you can still travel with it when you skip the electronic border control. However, do replace it as soon as possible for a much easier travel journey! This can be done free of charge.
For questions, please call +31 247 247 247.

More Information (Dutch)

Olaf & Kerstens in Cairns

Erwin Olaf and Hendrik Kerstens are internationally renowned contemporary photographers from the Netherlands whose work will be exhibited at the Cairns Art Gallery, Queensland from 24 August to 7 October this year. While each artist draws inspiration from the work of the Dutch masters, their subject matter and approach to photography are very different. Olaf and Kerstens is presented at the Cairns Art Gallery with the support of the Dutch diplomatic missions in Australia.

Batavia in The State Library of New South Wales

Do you already know about the story of Batavia? Consul-general Frank van Beuningen, together with his Swiss colleague Bernadette Hunkeler-Brown, enjoyed a tour through The State Library of New South Wales by State Librarian John Vallance. The State Library of New South Wales has an impressive collection of paintings, (VOC) maps, photographs and books. An interesting story that can be explored at the State Library is about the Batavia, the Dutch VOC ship that was shipwrecked near the Australian West coast in 1629. The massacre that took place among the survivors afterwards has made it famous, and a replica of the ship has been built in the Netherlands. The State Library has one of the oldest publications that was written about the Batavia, namely from 1647!

Vacancy Economic Policy Advisor

The Embassy of the Netherlands in Australia in Canberra is now hiring!

We’re looking for a knowledgeable, pro-active team member with a keen eye for business opportunities to be an economic policy advisor.

Interested? Please send an email with your qualifications and motivation to syd-cdp@minbuza.nl before the 14th of August. Job interviews will be held from 20th – 23th August.

Travelling? Check the validity of your passport!

A group of citizens we frequently see is the group of disappointed travellers being refused by airlines on their way to their travel destination (e.g. Bali) because their passport is no longer valid for 6 months after leaving the country of destination. Please be aware airlines are strict about this rule because they will be fined and are responsible (read: have to pay) for your return home if the country of destination refuses you to enter.

A destination like Bali does not accept hand written emergency passports which means that a traveller has to apply for a new regular passport. This might take up to 2 weeks. To make sure you can enjoy your holiday, always check the validity of your passport before booking!

WARNING: VISA HQ

Lately we have noticed that visa applicants use VISA HQ to book an appointment at the consulate general for a visa application. For this service VISA HQ charges applicants around 100AUD. Please note Visa HQ is NOT an official agent of the Dutch government and is not licensed to advise about or guarantee the granting of the visa application. Please note that an appointment for a visa application can be booked for free by clicking on the button below.

Backpackers & lost passports

Unfortunately backpackers are visitors that regularly lose their passport. We experience that this group leaves it to the last moment to organise a valid travel document to travel back to the Netherlands or continue their travels elsewhere. Please note we don't have new passports in stock at the consulate and passport applications take time! Passport applications are being sent to the Netherlands for processing and it takes about 3 weeks to receive the passport back in Sydney. A fast track process is possible (extra fee $78AUD, subject to exchange rates) and takes about 5-10 days.

Consular services in figures

Annually, the consular staff in Bondi Junction assists in approximately 6,000 passport applications and 800 visa applications. We welcome about 40-50 new Dutch citizens every year who have successfully finalised the option process, we supervise integration exams for visa applications and occasionally supervise other exams. The 24/7 Contact Centre in The Hague answers about 1500 phone calls from Australia per year.

Consular staff also assists Dutch citizens, mainly Dutch tourists, who experience unfortunate circumstances while visiting Australia e.g. they fall ill, are involved in a car accident or have been robbed from their possessions. Another category is the group of Dutch citizens who get into trouble with the law, e.g. because they don't realise Australia has other drug laws than the Netherlands or they like Australia so much they stay without organising their extended stay properly with the Australian authorities.

Please note that the Consulate General will be closed on:

Monday 6 August (Bank Holiday);

Monday 1 October (Labour Day)

Appointment Visa Application

Can't make it to your appointment? Please cancel!

Applications for passports are by appointment only. Book an appointment using our appointment website.

If, for any reason, you are not able to make the appointment, please cancel the appointment. At the moment we are experiencing a waiting list for appointments. Other applicants would really appreciate it if you would cancel your appointment to shorten the waiting list.

Bring a complete application to shorten processing time

Almost 80% of the passport applications is incomplete which causes delay in the processing of the application. Top 3 of missing items: a copy of the Dutch passport, proof of legal residence in Australia, correct passport pictures.

On the Dutch website you can use the new passport tool to get a check list of all documents you need to bring to your appointment. A passport tool for the English website is in development.

Applicants with only Dutch citizenship can obtain proof of legal residence at https://www.border.gov.au/Busi/Visa. Applicants that also have Australian citizenship can bring the original and a copy of their Australian passport.

All foreign documents must be legalised/authenticated by the appropriate authorities. Australian documents (e.g. birth certificates, marriage certificates) must be authenticated by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs with a so called ‘apostille stamp’. Apostille stamps are obtainable from the Australian Passport Office, authentication section in your state’s capital.

Passport photos

Bring correct passport photos. In general, passport photos used for Australian passports are too big to use for your application for a Dutch passport. Please check the website for the requirement.