Information for Ukrainian refugees

Housing

Right now, all municipal shelters are full. We have no room for new arrivals. You can report to the central reception locations in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Rotterdam. There you will receive immediate emergency accommodation and from these locations you will be mediated to a shelter in the country.

General information

You can find a lot of practical information on the website of RefugeeHelp. The information is available in Ukrainian, English or Russian. 
For more information visit the Dutch branch of the Red Cross. You can also get in touch with them.

Shelter if you can no longer live with the host family

If you cannot longer stay at your host family and want to be transferred to a shelter offered by the municipality, you need to contact the municipality. The municipality will not automatically arrange for you to be transferred from a host family to a municipal shelter. Or vice versa.  

Please send a mail to: vluchtelingen.oekraine@velsen.nl. The municipality will try to arrange a shelter for you. Bare in mind that all municipal shelters are now full. Shelters are spread across the Kennemerland region. Therefore, it's possible that you will be accommodated outside the municipality of Velsen. Please, do not contact us lastminute. We need time to find a solution. 
You need to arrange your own transport to your new shelter. The municipality does not provide this. 

Register

You can register yourself (and your family) in the Personal Records Database. Through this process you receive a citizen service number (BSN). This will enable you to get work, health insurance or a Dutch bank account.

Refugee Council Consultation Hours 

• Every Friday from 10.00 to 12.00 AM– Spitsaak 70, Velserbroek (until August, then at Plein 1945 no. 98). 
• Every Thursday from 13.30 to 15.30 PM– Plein 1945 no. 98 (6th floor).

Appointments can be made via muceyhan@vluchtelingenwerk.nl. Topics that can be discussed during this visitation:

Explanation of procedures

• Referrals to the appropriate organizations.
• Legal support, such as help with questions about residence status and assistance with objections and appeals.

Administrative support

• Help filling out forms and registrations.
• Help applying for or referring to support with financial arrangements such as income, living allowance, benefits, education, and childcare.
• Explanation of letters from government agencies.
• Support with obtaining official documents.

Municipality Visiting Hours 

• Every Wednesday and Friday from 13.00 to 15.00 PM– Plein 1945 no. 98 (6th floor) . 

Appointments can be made via vluchtelingen.oekraine@velsen.nl.

Topics that can be discussed during this visitation:

• Housing, relocations, and (temporary) departures.
• Incidents and safety measures.
• Important (personal) matters the municipality should be aware of.
• Shared topics with Refugee Counsil such as healthcare and employment can also be discussed. 

Important documents

Please bring the following documents to your appointment:

• A valid international passport. If you do not have a valid international passport, a proof of identity from the Ukrainian embassy will suffice.
• Your birth certificate, if you are able.
• Your marriage certificate, if you are married and if you are able.
• A Ukrainian residence permit, if you are a third-country national who lived in Ukraine.

Safe handling of information

Rest assured, we handle your personal information with the utmost care. Your information will only be reviewed by municipality employees and will not be shared with third parties.

Moving within Velsen or moving abroad

Are you Ukrainian and moving within Velsen or are you leaving the Netherlands? It is important to let the municipality know, as this is obliged by law and you may risk having to pay back living allowance if you don't let us know. Please contact us at vluchtelingen.oekraine@velsen.nl if you are moving within or from Gemeente Velsen. 

Passport

Under normal circumstances you would need a valid passport to register in Velsen municipality. However, given the current situation you can contact the Ukrainian Embassy in the Hague to receive a proof of identity. There are multiple ways to get in touch with the embassy:

• Visit the embassy, which is located at Zeestraat 78 in the Hague. From Monday to Friday you can visit from 9.00 AM to 1.00 PM. Please  fill in the online registration form to inform the embassy of your proof of identity application.
• Give them a call on +31 70 362 6095.
• Send an email to emb_nl@mfa.gov.ua.

Living allowance

If you do not have enough money to live on, you can apply for a living allowance.

Personal contribution from refugees in Ukraine

Refugees from Ukraine receive living expenses in the Netherlands if they do not have enough to live on. If they have a job or their own income, they must contribute to their shelter in a municipality starting from October 1, 2024.

The government considers it reasonable that refugees from Ukraine who can contribute to the costs do so. This includes costs such as gas, water, and electricity, which are currently paid by the municipality. Other refugees and asylum seekers who do not come from Ukraine and have their own income also pay a personal contribution to their shelter.

This contribution amounts to €105 per person or €210 per family.

Which Ukrainian refugees pay a personal contribution?

This applies to refugees who:

• Are 18 years or older.
• Are staying in municipal shelters. 

And who:

• Have a job or business in the Netherlands or abroad; or
• Receive unemployment benefits; or
• Receive benefits because they are ill for a long time or are unable to work; or
• Receive an allowance from the UWV.

If the monthly income is lower than the amounts below, no personal contribution has to be paid:

Information must be provided to the municipality

Every Ukrainian refugee is required to provide information about their situation to the municipality. They can do this via leefgeldoekraine@velsen.nl. The municipality would like to know the following:

• What is their income;
• How many family members are in the shelter;
• They must report changes in their income or family situation as soon as possible.

If refugees do not report this information, they must also pay their own contribution.

Healthcare

Once you have a citizen service number (BSN), you can receive urgent medical care without health insurance.
Health is a fundamental human right. That is precisely why you can receive healthcare if you require urgent medical care. Both in our municipality and across the Netherlands. When you visit a general practitioner or hospital you are entitled to the right care. You do not need to be a registered civilian or have insurance to get the treatment you need, albeit psychological  or physical care.
More information about healthcare you can find at Refugeehelp or at Zorgverzekeringslijn. 

Where to go for medical care

If you are registered with the municipality of Velsen and you need medical care, you can contact your General Practitioner. If the General Practitioner thinks you need more care, you will be referred.  If you don't have a General Practitioner we can help you with that, please send an e-mail to  vluchtelingen.oekraine@velsen.nl.

General Practitioner

Ukrainian refugees who are taken in by host families can visit the host family's General Practitioner.

Urgent care

For emergency care, Ukrainian refugees can of course use hospital emergency services. The emergency phone number in the Netherlands is 112.

Pharmacies

Ukrainian refugees can get a prescription for medication through their General Practitioner. The pharmacy is familiar with the regulations that apply to this.

Education

Children aged 4 to 17 who came to the Netherlands from Ukraine have a right to education. 
Children aged 4 and 5 can be enrolled at a regular primary school. This can be any school near the reception address. Education is free of charge.
Children aged 6 and older can attend newcomer education, where they learn the Dutch language, among other things.

Newcomer education locations

There are four locations where children can attend. Parents can register their children themselves. Education is free of charge. After the child has been registered, the school helps with transport to and from school.

Primary school education - 6 to 12 years

• Children from Velsen-Noord can be registered at the ITK De Fakkel: Bachstraat 20, 1962 BD Heemskerk. Telephone number 0251 231093. E-mail: rinket@tabijn.nl.
• Children from the rest of Velsen can be registered with the ITK Haarlem: Pr. Beatrixdreef 6, 2033 TX Haarlem. Telephone number 023 7078260. E-mail: itk@twijs.nl.

Secondary education - 12 to 17 years

• Children from Velsen-Noord can be registered at the ISK Heemskerk: Van Riemsdijklaan 103, 1965 BE Heemskerk. Telephone number 0251 241 944. E-mail: j.duvalois@skillsvmbo.nl.
• Children from the rest of Velsen can be registered at ISK Haarlem: Schoterstraat 4, 2021 HH Haarlem. Phone number 06 46227731. E-mail: info@ISKHaarlem.nl.

Initiatives and free time

You can go to one of the three large playgrounds in Velsen for free with your child (up to 10 years). If your child is between 10 and 18 years old, your child is eligible for a free 10-bath card. Read the conditions below.

Swimming pool Heerenduinen

If your child is between 10 and 18 years old, your child can receive a free 10-bath card when you have a low income. Send your request by mail, in English to vrijetijdsbesteding@velsen.nl. Please let us know in your request the address of your stay. 

Please note! Does your child do not have a swimming diploma? Then your child will only be admitted to the swimming pool accompanied by an adult. The adult must pay an entrance fee for the swimming pool.

The house rules of the swimming pool can be found at zwembadvelsen.nl/huisregels. The house rules are also available in English at the bottom of the page.

Playgrounds

Children up to the age of 10 are eligible for a free season ticket at one of the following playgrounds:

• Stichting 'De Veilige Haven', Heerenduinweg 6a, IJmuiden 
• Speeltuin Santpoort, Valckenhoeflaan 2, Santpoort-Noord 
• Speeltuin Zeewijk Natuurlijk, Dennekoplaan 96, 1974 VC IJmuiden

Send your request by mail in English to vrijetijdsbesteding@velsen.nl. Please let us know in your request the address of your stay. 

Sports clubs

Registering with a sports club is goes directly via the sports club. Check the website of the sports club where you want to work out how you can register. This can often be done via a registration form or to contact them via email.

Still having trouble getting in touch with the sports club? Then we are happy to help you. Send an email (preference in English) to vrijetijdsbesteding@velsen.nl. Tell us how the name of the sports club you want to sign up. To speed up the process, please let us know:

• How many persons you want to register at the sports club?
• How old are you? How old are they?
• What is your gender? What is their gender?

Public transport

Public transport in the Netherlands is a paid service. You need a charged OV chip card. In the bus you can also buy a ticket directly from the driver with a debit card. Cash payment is not possible.