The emergency number in the Netherlands is: 112.
Huisarts – general practitioner
You should subscribe yourself at a GP and you will get an intake.
Huisartsenpost – emergency GP outside working hours
Call: 046 400 9925.
Police non-emergency
When you need to call the police and it is not an emergcy, call 0900 8844.
Tandarts – dentist
You should subscribe yourself at a dentist practice before you can be treated. In case of an emergency, you call your own dentist first. If not on duty you will get a tape with the number you should call.
Apotheek – pharmacy
You should subscribe yourself at a pharmacy to get medicines subscribed by your general practitioner.
Before you open a bank account, you need to choose which bank suits your needs. Take into account that most banks charge a yearly fee for having an account with them.
Biggest banks in the Netherlands
Digital / Mobile banks
iDEAL is a Dutch online payment platform mostly used for e-commerce.
You can reach the municipality of Sittard-Geleen via their website. Select “Vertalen” in the top menu for machine translations offered by DeepL.
Information about public transportation (train, bus, tram) can be found at: 9292.nl.
Regional buses and trains are operated by Arriva; nation-wide trains are operated by NS.
Apps: 9292 reisplanner OV, Glimble + e-ticket or NS Reisplanner (only trains)
Information on checking in and out of trains, buses and trams: OV-chipkaart.nl.
Second hand bikes via bikeshops or Marktplaats (App, also for everything else secondhand). Bikeshops also have a small collection of secondhand bikes. Make sure you have a bike lock and lights.
A (paid) bike-sharing system (deelfiets) is offered by Arriva.
Waste has to be separated:
If you live in the city centres you might need to use trash bags in stead of trash containers.
More information can be found here: RWM. They also provide a useful app. Enter your postcode and see which rules and collection days apply to your home address.
There is an international school in Maastricht (https://www.uwcmaastricht.nl/).
A new international school, the Watersley Academy will be opened in Sittard in January 2026.
Local schools are all in Dutch There are 3 secondary schools:
In the bigger cities/villages (Sittard, Geleen, Born) there are schools in almost every neighbourhood. In the smaller villages (Limbricht, Munstergeleen, Einighausen) there is usually only one school but are always reachable by bike.
All schools are obliged to accept any child that is signed up for the school. There are special language classes for children who don’t speak Dutch yet.
Vocational education is offered by Gilde Opleidingen and the Vista College.
Higher education is offered by Zuyd University of Applied Sciences (Zuyd Hogeschool) and Maastricht University.
The local tourist office: www.visitzuidlimburg.nl is located at Rosmolenstraat 2 Sittard.
On these websites you find events that are organized in Sittard-Geleen: https://sittardgenietenvoorop.nl and https://centrumgeleen.nl/evenementen
All sports are organised by associations. Here’s an overview off all the sport associations (in Dutch): https://www.sportstichting.org/sportaanbod-per-sport
An overview of Dutch language courses can be found on this website: Expat Centre Maastricht Region
Every Thursday (10:00-12:00) there is a Taalcafé In the library of Sittard where you can practise the Dutch you have already started learning. This is not a language course.
For any questions about formalities in The Netherlands you can contact the Expat Centre Maastricht Region. They offer services for the entire Maastricht region in southern Limburg, including Sittard-Geleen. www.expatcentremaastrichtregion.nl
