(Read this information carefully before preparing for your travel to ITC and follow the instructions)

Final information for course participants at ITC Enschede

1. Preparation for departure

If your course brochure describes the desirability of bringing aerial photos, map materials and field data of an area of interest for practical exercises, please comply. When you take your admission letter to the Royal Netherlands embassy in your country, at the latest six (6) weeks before leaving, you will receive an authorization for temporary residence (MVV or D-document) in the Netherlands. Two weeks is the minimum period to obtain an authorization for temporary residence. At the embassy you can also ask for the booklet The Netherlands in Brief to get an impression of this country and you can also acquaint yourself with certain aspects of Dutch law that might differ from those in your country. You should enter the Netherlands with a normal passport and not a service passport, a special passport or a diplomatic passport. For fieldwork and study trip purposes your passport must be valid for all countries (no exclusions), and for six (6) months longer than the total duration of your course. Otherwise ITC Student Affairs cannot obtain visa for the foreign countries you are obliged to visit as part of your study program, and you will not receive the requested authorization to stay in the Netherlands for the whole duration of your course. Please note that you should not arrive in the Netherlands with a tourist visa, as that expires after three months and cannot be exchanged for a temporary residence permit. If your studies last longer than three months, a short stay visa will cause serious problems, and you will have to return home after expiration of the visa and not be allowed to return to the Netherlands within the following six (6) months. When obtaining the authorization to stay in the Netherlands (MVV/D-document), you should apply for a multiple entry MVV/D-document. The process of obtaining in the Netherlands a residence permit might take a long period of time. A multiple entry MVV/D-document will enable you to travel in and out of the Netherlands during this process period more easily. Please note the special information enclosed on the procedures for obtaining a permit to stay in the Netherlands. For your registration as a student at ITC you should send beforehand at least four (4) color passport-size photographs, according to the photomatrix guidelines 2007 of the Immigration Office of the Netherlands Ministry of Justice (IND). Information can be found on their website www.paspoortinformatie.nl. Return tickets valid for one year should have the option to remain valid for a longer period in case you return home after the twelve (12) month period of validity has expired. If the airline cannot comply with this request, buy a single ticket with a voucher to use later for the return ticket. If you have a fellowship from the Netherlands Fellowship Program, the Netherlands embassy will give you all required information on the preliminary authorization to stay in the Netherlands. ITC will send to NFP (or ITC) fellowship holders their (single) air ticket by e-mail or book the ticket at a local travel agent in your country approx. one month before your travel to ITC should take place. The communication on the NFP fellowship runs through the NFP officer of the respective embassy. ITC organizes a compulsory x-ray for all course participants in the first week of their arrival. No costs are involved. If the participant is not properly insured or has not taken the above-mentioned x-ray, the Immigration Office will refuse to issue the residence permit and the participant has to return to his/her home country immediately. The above also applies to family members of course participants. 1

2. Arrival Course participants are advised to arrive two or three days before their course starts. This ensures a reasonable period for acclimatization and orientation in Enschede before the course registration at ITC (on Monday morning at 8.30 a.m.). ITC does not organize a pick-up or meeting service at Schiphol. Participants arriving at Schiphol International Airport Amsterdam should take the train to Enschede (in the east of the country) leaving Schiphol station. The journey lasts approx. 2 hours. Check our attached train itinerary on the possibility of direct lines to Enschede. Trains leaving for the cities of GRONINGEN/LEEUWARDEN (in the north of the country) can also be used, but require a change at the city of Amersfoort railway station after traveling for one hour. The train from Amersfoort to Enschede leaves on another platform of this railway station. If you are carrying several heavy bags, you will find it easier to wait at Schiphol for the direct train to Enschede. Do not take a taxi from the airport to Enschede: a two (2) hour drive is quite expensive! Please note that trains have a 1st and a 2nd class section. The train fare between these two differs extensively. Buy your train ticket at the ticket booth in the railway station at Schiphol. Buying a ticket on the train is more costly, since you also have to pay a fine. Make sure you have at least 30 for the fare and miscellaneous expenses. A reduced taxi rate of 4.70 is applicable for a trip from the station to the ITC Hotel, or any other place within the Enschede area, by so-called train-taxi. If you want to use this service you must buy a special train-taxi railway ticket at Schiphol airport railway station (not on the train!), where you will pay 4.70 in addition to your train ticket fare. Note that at Enschede station you should take a taxi with the trein-taxi sign on top. When you arrive at Enschede, you can take a taxi to the ITC Hotel, ITCs student guesthouse, although it is only a 10-minute walk to the ITC Hotel (No. 4, Boulevard 1945). Please consult the enclosed map of Enschede carefully; you will then easily find your way. If any problems should arise, please ask the official to call ITC in Enschede (tel. 053-4874444) or Saturdays between 14.00 and 17.00 p.m.; the ITC Hotel (tel. 053-4803999/fax 053-4803997/e-mail: hotel@itc.nl). The ITC Hotel has a 24 hours service. If you have informed ITC two weeks in advance of your arrival date and time by returning to ITC the Entrance Acceptance Form, the service desk of the hotel will arrange a possibility for checking in the hotel. Information can also be obtained at the special government travel counter in the main departure hall at Schiphol airport, located opposite check-in counters 11 and 12. Opening hours of these information counters on weekdays are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Those who have been offered fellowships from the Netherlands Fellowship Program and NUFFIC; any of the UN agencies or from the EDF will not receive their first payment before Tuesday at ITC, Enschede. It is therefore advisable to have sufficient cash (at least 150) available for general expenses during the first few days before the fellowship allowance is paid. If you bring money in another currency and if you arrive on a Friday evening, Saturday or Sunday, it is necessary to change this currency at the ABN-AMRO bank at Schiphol airport (in the arrival hall) or at the exchange offices in the large railway station (in Enschede it is the GWK bank). They are open from Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All other banks are closed from Friday 4 p.m. until Monday 10 a.m. Please note that the shops/supermarkets are closed on Sundays. Most cafeterias, however, will be open and can provide you with food at a reasonable price. Regular restaurants are somewhat expensive in the Netherlands. 3. Accommodation As a participant at ITC, your stay in the ITC Hotel or its annex is obligatory for the full duration of your course. A room is reserved for you (automatically) when we receive your entrance acceptance form. The front office/reception desk has a 24 hours service. Upon your arrival, personnel at the front desk will advise you on the conditions of accommodation. You will also receive a set of information material and ITC registration forms to complete. Telephone calls can be made from the telephone booth in the ITC reception or the green boxes at the general post office and the railway station. Information on mobile telephones will be available upon arrival in the ITC Hotel. At the registration in ITC on Monday (on Thursday morning for those who arrive after Sunday), 08.30 a.m., you will receive all other information required. It is only a few minutes walk from the residences to the ITC main building at the Hengelosestraat 99. 2

4. Insurance and ITC health service All residents of the Netherlands are obliged by Dutch law to have a health insurance. Those receiving a fellowship offered by the Netherlands government and the international organizations will be automatically covered by (partial) health insurance for the duration of their course in the Netherlands. Other participants should use the health insurance issued by ITC, which is equal to the one offered by the Netherlands Fellowship Program. Any other health insurance might not be acceptable, since it should be according to the Dutch standards. The health insurance obtained through ITC also covers liability towards third parties. Any participant with an insurance, which does not provide this cover is strongly advised to take out additional insurance, which is quite costly, compared with the all-in package via ITC. Course participants of the latter category will receive their insurance policy through the ITC after the advance payment of the full premium ( 40 per month). We strongly advise you to read the insurance policy very carefully. Be aware of the exclusions like costs of spectacles/glasses, dental costs (except in case of a medical urgency) and of those costs that are related to health conditions (including pregnancy) already existing before the starting date of the insurance. ITC can and will in no way be held responsible for covering those medical risks, financially or otherwise. Please bring all vaccination certificates you have with you. You will need these when you go on fieldwork outside Europe. ITC wants you to benefit as much as possible from the education offered. A good preparation and an excellent health are important. Please inform the Student Affairs Office or your Student Recruitment and Registration officer of ITC if any action has to be taken for your health and well being during your stay in the Netherlands. All information will be treated in confidence, according to the Netherlands "Law on Privacy". 5. Mailing address After registration you will receive a private ITC mailbox number and key to facilitate our internal mail distribution. All your private mail should be addressed as follows: course participants name, Private Mail Box Number, c/o ITC, P.O. Box 6, 7500 AA Enschede, the Netherlands.

6. Finances

a. Living allowances. Those participants receiving a fellowship from the Netherlands Fellowship Program and the European Development Fund are granted an allowance of 970 a month, meant only as a contribution towards the expenses of board, lodging and most personal needs. This amount is somewhat higher than the minimum needed for a single persons subsistence. Your accommodation in the ITC Hotel or its annex must be paid one month in advance (first payment upon arrival). Please note that an ITC participant has the right to benefit from the subsidized special student rate no sooner than three days before his/her course begins and no longer than three days after the official closing ceremony of that course. Any longer stay at the residences will be charged at the much higher general hotel rate. b. Fieldwork expenses (Master, postgraduate diploma and diploma courses) As fieldwork is an integral part of most ITC courses, ITC will provide group transport for all participants to and from the fieldwork area and accommodation in the field. All other expenses, however, must be paid by the participants themselves. Permanent residence at the ITC Hotel or its annex must be maintained during the fieldwork.

c. Fieldwork expenses (MSc courses) Some MSc participants will carry out their fieldwork in their home countries. Because ITC sets maximum amounts for the expenses involved, we strongly advise you to arrange accommodation, transport and other facilities with your employer or organization at an early stage, or to claim financial compensation from your employer. d. Other expenses Fellowship allowances for books, lecture notes, calculating, drawing and photographic equipment amounts to 280 from the Netherlands Fellowship Program and the European Development Fund for MSc and Master course. For other courses the amount might be less. Participants of some courses should be aware that this amount does not cover all their needs 7. Miscellaneous If you arrive in our winter season, between October and March, it is sensible to bring warm clothing (at least a sweater and a lined raincoat or jacket and a woolen scarf). You can buy these items in Enschede but they might be a costly expense. During your stay in the Netherlands, you will have many opportunities to get acquainted with students and staff of different nationalities. Many of you might want to speak about your work and your country. In this regard, it would be an asset if you could bring national costumes, musical instruments, records, slides and illustrative material with you. The ITC student association organizes an International Evening each year with contributions of ITC course participants from various countries. 8. Shopping after arriving in Enschede Supermarkets are open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 08.00 h. till 20.00 h.; on Thursday from 09.00 h. till 21.00 h.; on Saturday from 09.00 h. till 17.00 h. On Sunday the supermarkets are closed. If you arrive on Sunday and you wish something to eat or drink, but you do not wish to take a meal at an expensive restaurant we advise you to look for cheaper snack bars or sandwich bars. Opposite the ITC Hotel you will find one, but also in the center of the town many can be found. 9. Family and visiting relatives Because of the severe lack of family accommodation, we regret to inform you that it is IMPOSSIBLE to bring your family at the beginning of your studies in any ITC course.

WARNING: to prevent theft we advise you not to leave your luggage unaccompanied at the airport or at railway stations at any time.

FACULTY FOR GEO-INFORMATION SCIENCE AND EARTH OBSERVATION (ITC) University of Twente Hengelosestraat 99 - P.O. Box 6 7500 AA ENSCHEDE The NETHERLANDS

Enschede, August 2010 ITC/MPS/SR 4