Students of Machiavelli Study Society of Amsterdam Visit Consulate General

December 3, 2008  Members of the University of Amsterdam's Studievereniging Machiavelli (Machiavelli Study Society) for political science students visited the Consulate General in Amsterdam to discuss their recent trip to the United States to observe U.S. electoral processes in the midwestern state of Ohio.  The students presented to Consul General Marjorie Ames and Consular Section Chief Michael Barkin a report of their observations.  The participants were, from left to right:

Jasper Rischen, Consul General Marjorie Ames, Alexander Scholtes, Mira Levi , Iris du Pon, Lisette Brackel, Consul Michael Barkin, Esmé Cartens. Click on the picture for a larger view.

Online Video Contest — Enter your 3-minute video before January 26!

ESTA Authorization Required for All Visa Waiver Program Countries Beginning January 12

Release Date: November 13, 2008

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced today that beginning Jan. 12, 2009, eligible citizens or nationals from all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries must obtain approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to traveling to the United States under the VWP.  On Monday, DHS will formally announce the addition of seven allies to the list of countries authorized to participate in the VWP.  The seven countries are the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia.

More ....

New dollar-euro exchange rate affects visa Application fee.

Machine Readable Visa application fee will be €107,42 on December 1, 2008. 

Diversity as an asset

November 18, 2008  Consul General Ames attended an event hosted by the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam in honor of the visit of Dr. Charles Alexander, Associate Vice Provost for Student Diversity at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). The event was supported by the ECHO Foundation. Dr. Alexander is the director of the prestigious Academic Advancement Program (AAP) at UCLA and shared his thoughts about how to create and support an academic environment that values diversity. Dr. Alexander and officials from the Vrije Universiteit also discussed how they might collaborate in the field of diversity. 

	Consul General Ames's remarks ...
left to right Consul General Ames, Dr. Alexander, Mrs. Mary Tupan-Wenno, Director of the ECHO Foundation

President Elect Barack Obama Accepts

November 5, 2008  Americans have elected Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States in an historic national election that saw record breaking voter turnout.         (image Reuters)

AABC Reception held at the American Consulate General in Amsterdam

AABC Vice President Bill Sharo, Consul General Ames, Victor Horcasitas, Tara Shain and AABC Sponsor Coordinator Dennis Cowles

October 27, 2008  The Consulate General hosted a reception for members of the Amsterdam American Business Club and their guests. AABC is a professional networking organization whose main purpose is to improve business to business contacts between Dutch and American businesses. The club consists primarily of American and Dutch professional people but also includes a broad variety of nationalities and professional backgrounds. This event included two guests   visiting from the American Society of Barcelona, pictured here. Additional information about the AABC (www.aabc.nl)

Consul General Marjorie A. Ames presents Dutch NS Publieksprijs

Dutch author Arthur Japin

October 28, 2008  Consul General Marjorie A. Ames presented the 2008 NS Publieksprijs for the Dutch book of the year to Arthur Japin for his novel, De Overgave, in a ceremony at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.  This year 47,724 people voted to choose the prize recipient from among the authors of six books in the 22nd edition of the Publieksprijs, sponsored by NS in cooperation with the Stichting Collectieve Propaganda van het Nederlandse Boek.  Japin's novel is based on real events and tells the compelling story of an American pioneerwoman who lives through terrible loss during the fight for territory between Comanche Native Americans and settlers in Texas.

Consul General Ames's remarks ...

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Open Skies Inaugural Flight

from left to right, Marcel, Marjorie Ames and Dale Moss

October 15, 2008  The first airline created as a result of the U.S. - EU Air Transport Agreement that went into effect in March 2008 began operations between Amsterdam's Schiphol International Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy Airport on October 15 with the inagural flight on this route by Open Skies airline. Dale Moss, Managing Director of Open Skies, and Consul General Marjorie Ames cut the ribbon opening the new transatlantic service and were joined by Marcel Lekkerkerk, Director of Aviation Marketing at Schiphol.

Consul General Ames's remarks ...

U.S. Consulate General Amsterdam Helps promote Breast Cancer Awareness

New Website for Overseas Voters

We encourage you to visit the newly redesigned Federal Voting Assistance Program website at www.fvap.gov, the official U.S. government website for overseas voters. The updated website features an automated Voter Registration and Ballot Delivery tool that will greatly improve the vote-by-mail process.

There are two options for overseas voters using the FVAP website:

Visit www.fvap.gov and click "Get Started" to be directed to an online Federal Postcard Application and instructions for your state; or

visit www.fvap.gov and click "Use our New Automated Tool to Register/Request a Ballot" under Quick Links in the lower right-hand corner of the home page. You will be redirected to www.fvap.com, a fully automated site that requires you to create a user account and password.

Voter Registration & Requesting an Absentee Ballot

Voters who have not yet registered to vote and requested an absentee ballot should do so now using the FVAP website. You may also pick up a hard copy of the Federal Postcard Application (FPCA) from any U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

You should also complete a new Federal Postcard Application if you have moved or changed your name since the last time you voted.

Voting

Your local voting officials should mail your absentee ballot 30 to 45 days before the November 4 general election. Return your voted ballot as early as possible. Be aware of your state’s ballot receipt deadline, as well as any postmarking requirements.

Emergency Ballots

The Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) serves as an emergency ballot for voters who registered in time but fail to receive an official ballot from local election officials. You can access the FWAB using www.fvap.gov as well.

Questions?

The Voting Assistance Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Amsterdam is also always available to answer questions about absentee voting. To contact the Voting Assistance Officer, please see our U.S. Citizen Services contact information page, or send an e-mail to USCitizenServicesAms@state.gov .

Expatica Fair in Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam, October 12, 2008

Representatives of the American Consulate General, Amsterdam, at the 2007 Expatica Fair.

October 2, 2008  Representatives of the American Consulate General, Amsterdam, will attend this year's Expatica 'I am not a tourist' Fair. The fair will be held October 12, in the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam. Our representatives will be able answer questions on a wide range of topics, from how Americans residing abroad can vote in the U.S. elections, to how to apply for U.S. visas.

 For more information: Voting pages, immigration pages, non-immigrant visa pages.

And on the Expatica Fair itself: http://www.expatica.com/iamnotatourist/visitors_info.php

Diversity Lottery Entry Instructions published!

October 2, 2008  The DV-2010 Lottery online entry begins at Noon EST on October 2, 2008, and ends at Noon EST on December 1, 2008.  Information and instructions for the DV-2010 lottery are available from the State Department Travel website.

Please note that these instructions are carefully drafted and contain all information necessary to participate in the DV-2010 lottery. The Consulate has no additional information and is not able to answer any questions on DV-2010 instructions.

Click here to read the State Department Media Note on the DV-2010 lottery.

Click here to go to the Diversity Visas page of the American Consulate General in Amsterdam. Here you will find a link to the State Department Lottery Fraud Warning.

Second Annual MBA Fair Amsterdam

September 28, 2008  Consul General Marjorie Ames delivered opening remarks at the second annual MBA Fair Amsterdam organized by the Ivy Circle Organization and sponsored by Booz & Co., AT Kearney, AEGON, and FD Mediagroep. The MBA Fair strives to increase the participation of young Dutch professionals in the top MBA programs in the United States and Europe. The Consul General spoke to the 250 attendees about the unique advantages of education in the U.S., noting that diversity and excellence are the hallmarks of the U.S. educational experience. Remarks …

The Voter Decides

September 25, 2008  Consul General Ames delivered remarks at an election event hosted by the ABC Treehouse:

"Obama or McCain: The Voter Decides

The American Book Center presents two conversations (September 25, & October 9, 8 pm.) with the Netherlands Chairs of Democrats Abroad and Republicans Abroad. More information available at: www.abc.nl."

You can read Consul General Ames's remark by clicking here.

New dollar-euro exchange rate affects visa Application fee.

Machine Readable Visa application fee will be €98,25 on October 1, 2008. 

New Honorary President of the American Women's Club of The Hague

September 10, 2008 Consul General Ames addressed the annual kickoff meeting of the American Women's Club of The Hague and introduced Honorary President Germaine Culbertson. Information about the club's activities can be found at: www.awcthehague.org.

Pictured (from left to right): Consul General Ames, Mrs. Courtney Smith van Rij, Mrs. Germaine Culbertson, Mayor of Wassenaar Jan Hoekema, Ms. Pamela Musselman, President of the American Womens' Club of The Hague.

September 11, 2001, Remembered
 

September 11, 2008  Ambassador James B. Culbertson spoke at an interfaith service hosted by the English Reformed Church of Amsterdam commemorating the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The event was open to the community, and included remarks by Rev. John Cowie, English Reformed Church of Amsterdam, Mrs. Michele Hendrikse-Dubois, President of the American Women's Club of Amsterdam, Rabbi Menno ten Brink, Liberal Jewish Community of Amsterdam, and Dr. Bülent Şenay, Counselor for Religious Affairs for the Republic of Turkey. Ambassador Culbertson's remarks: Rabbi Menno ten Brink's remarks: Dr. Bülent Şenay's remarks: Reverend John Cowie's remarks: Remarks by the president of the Amsterdam American Women's Club:

ESTA informatie in het Nederlands

12 augustus 2008  Een ESTA aanvragen kan voorlopig alleen nog in het Engels maar het Department of Homeland Security, Custom and Border Protection, heeft nu ESTA informatie in meerdere talen beschikbaar gemaakt.  U kunt hier de Nederlandse en een aantal andere versies bekijken:

• ESTA Nederlandse versie (PDF File, 192Kb)
• ESTA French version (PDF File, 190Kb)
• ESTA Spanish version (PDF File, 189Kb)

Traveling visa-free and carefree

Since 1990 citizens of a number of countries can visit the United States without a visa, under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).  Travelers who wish to visit the U.S. visa-free should be aware of the rules for traveling this way, of course. A few pointers:

• Your passport must be machine-readable.
• Children listed in a parent's passport CANNOT travel visa-free, as their information is not machine-readable. A child would need a visa in the parent's passport, or an own individual passport.
• Your intended visit cannot exceed 90 days and must be to visit only, for business or pleasure.
• If you have ever been arrested or convicted you will need to apply for a visa, even if you hold a passport issued by a Visa Waiver country.

For details, a list of Visa Waiver countries, etc., see the links below.

All intending travelers are strongly advised to check our Visa Waiver Program page and use our Visa Wizard, to see if they can indeed travel without a visa.

• Visa Waiver Program Information
• Visa Wizard (an easy question and answer program that will tell if you can visit without a visa.)

U.S. Elections featuring in Dutch News Magazine

July 25, 2008  Elsevier's Editor in Chief, J.A.S. Joustra and Chief Foreign Editor Oene van der Wal and Senior Foreign Correspondent Rik Kuethe visited the U.S. Consulate General. Mr. Joustra presented Consul General Marjorie Ames with a copy of Elsevier's special edition focusing on the 2008 U.S. elections.

Photo of Consul General Ames by Olaf Hartong

July 4 Celebration of the American Consulate General Amsterdam, 2008

The USS Elrod docked at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam. Click on the picture for a larger view.

Friday, July 4, the Consulate General in Amsterdam celebrated Independence Day aboard the USS Elrod. This U.S. Navy vessel visited the port of Amsterdam and generously made its helicopter flight deck available to host the Consulate's annual celebration of the Fourth of July. Many esteemed guests accepted our invitation to celebrate with us, and honored us with their presence. Christa Oudshoorn-Hobo of the Consulate General sang the U.S. national anthem, and Captain Todd Beltz and Consul General Marjorie Ames delivered remarks. To read Consul General Ames's remarks, click here. To read Captain Beltz's remarks, click here.

July 15, 2008 Photo Report added. Download as PDF file, 1,217Kb.

Consul visits World War 2 crash site Opijnen

Mayor de Zeeuw and Acting Consul General Barkin lower the U.S. flag to half-mast in honor of Dutch Remembrance Day.

May 4, 2008

From left to right, Greg Bruce, Mayor Loes de Zeeuw, Sheri Bruce, and Acting Consul General Michael Barkin.

You can click on the pictures for a larger view.

For more information on the story of this plane and its crew please click on the links below:

Operation Chowhound: Famine relief for occupied Holland, May 1 through 7, 1945

Food rations are gathered at Schiphol Airfield, May 2, 1945.

May 1, 1945  Nearly four hundred B-17 bombers of the 8th United States Army Airforce take off from their bases in Great Britain. This time they are not carrying a load that means death and destruction for Nazi Germany. This time they are carrying a load that will bring hope and salvation to the starving population of Nazi occupied western Holland.

After the Allied operation Market Garden, intended to capture the Rhine bridge at Arnhem, had stalled, leaving parts of Holland still in German hands, the food situation for the Dutch became increasingly critical. What little transport and food was available was reserved mainly for the occupying German troops.

Hard to imagine now perhaps, in our days of abundance, but the winter of 1944-1945, meant famine for the citizens of western Holland, causing thousands to die of starvation. The Allied commanders realized that something had to be done. In January '45, the Germans allowed food to arrive from neutral Sweden by ship, but it was not nearly enough. So a truce was negotiated with the German commanders, for food to be delivered by air. The British Royal Airforce carried out the first mission of what they called Operation Manna, by April 29. America flew the first mission of what was called Operation Chowhound, on the first of May.

Click on the picture to see the contents of a 10-in-1 ration.

For the young crews of the bombers it was a radical change from the dangerous, flak ridden, high altitude bombing missions they had carried out so far. These food dropping missions had them fly so low and slow, the crowds gathered around the dropzones could see them wave. The food dropped by the Americans consisted of U.S. Army 10-in-1 rations. Sturdy boxes designed to feed 10 soldiers for one day. And though many a GI may have been 'fed up' with eating such rations day after day in the lines, for the hungry Dutch it was like manna from heaven. For many it must have been a first encounter with American foodstuffs like candy bars, soluble coffee, American bacon, cereals, chewing gum and American cigarettes, still highly prized at the time.

After the German surrender on May 5, 1945, food was brought in, in much greater quantities, by trucks and ships. But those bomber crews will never be forgotten for their spectacular delivery of life saving food, those memorable days in May 1945.

For more information on the terrible plight of the Dutch people in the Hungerwinter of 1944-45, Operations Manna and Chowhound, and how these came about, please see: http://operationmanna.secondworldwar.nl/index.html.

 

Acting Consul General Michael Barkin

Click here to read Acting Consul General Barkin's speech.

What's that green I-94W form doing in my passport still?

 
Visa Waiver Departure Record I-94W

All visa-free travelers to the United States are asked to fill out a green arrival/departure record form I-94W, before admission (the white I-94 applies to travelers with a visa). The departure record part you must return to the U.S. Custom and Border Protection (USCBP) upon your departure. But if you forget this, it could be a problem for future visits as there will be no record of you leaving the U.S. Thus it may appear you violated the conditions for visa-free travel and you may be found inadmissible and turned around on a next trip. So if you have returned from your visit with your green I-94W visa waiver slip in your passport still, here's what to do and what not to do: 

• Carefully follow the instructions offered by the USCBP. Here you will find where in the United States you must send your departure record.
• Do NOT send your departure record to the Consulate in Amsterdam. This office has no means or authority to process it. You must close your entry record by sending it to USCBP in the United States (see instructions above).

Of course these same instructions help out if you visited with a visa, and find your white I-94 departure record is still in your passport.

U.S. IRS warns of Phony E-mails claiming to be from the IRS

Following a recent increase in scam emails, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reminds individuals in Europe to be on the lookout for bogus emails claiming to be from the U.S. tax agency.

The IRS does not send out unsolicited e-mails.  The IRS never asks people for the PIN numbers, passwords or similar secret access information for their credit card, bank or other financial accounts.

Also, U.S. taxpayers do not have to complete a special form or provide detailed financial information to obtain a refund.  Refunds are based on information contained on the federal income tax return filed by the taxpayer.

The only genuine Internal Revenue Service (IRS) web-site is www.irs.gov.

For the full IRS warning, please visit the IRS pages of the website of the American Embassy in Germany.

American Consulate General Amsterdam website turns one!

April 2, 2008  Exactly one year ago today, this website went live. We at the Consulate General in Amsterdam feel it has served us well in, we hope, serving you well. But we always welcome your comments and suggestions for improvement. You can send and e-mail to our webmaster at: ircthehague@state.gov .

ATTENTION ALL VISA APPLICANTS!

March 27, 2008  Effective April 1, 2008, the official dollar-euro exchange rate is $1 = €0.68.  This means that non-immigrant visa applicants must transfer an application fee of €89.08 (= $131), prior to coming in for their visa interview.

Please see our visa application pages for the complete instructions for preparing a visa application in Amsterdam.

The new exchange rate also applies to all consular fees, e.g. passport application fees, notarials, immigrant visa fees, etc.

See our payment instructions pages for more details.

Press Reports on Currency Exchange in Amsterdam

March 20, 2008  A report in the International Herald Tribune on March 19, 2008, stated that some currency exchange bureaus in Amsterdam had stopped changing U.S. dollars into euro. The Consulate General has verified that the exchange providers in Amsterdam, listed on our website as a courtesy, are currently providing currency exchange services for dollars. The list, which is not meant to be an exhaustive list, can be found on our Transferring and Changing Money page.

For over sixty years on the Museumplein, Amsterdam

March 19, 2008  Today, exactly 60 years ago, the building known as Museumplein 19, Amsterdam, was purchased by the United States Government to be used as 'a permanent office for the Consulate General'.

March 19, 1948, the Ambassador and a representative of the 'Nederlandsche Beheersinstituut, the Dutch organization that controlled former German property, signed the contract at the American Embassy in The Hague.

The event was duly recorded in the Miscellaneous Records Book of the time. Click on the picture for  a larger view.

More on the history of the American Consulate General in The Netherlands.

INTRODUCTION OF APPOINTMENT SYSTEM FOR AMERICAN CITIZEN SERVICES

February 15, 2007 The Consulate General in Amsterdam is delighted to announce the introduction of a mandatory appointment system for all non-emergency American Citizen Services (applications for passports, Reports of Birth Abroad, extra visa pages, notarial services).  After March 3, 2008, these services will be available by appointment only. For more information, or to make an appointment, please visit the U.S. Citizen Services page (click here). A special edition of the Consulate's monthly newsletter Consul's Corner is dedicated to the new appointment system. Click here to read it.

Staff of the Consulate General in Amsterdam attended the Immigration Fair 2008

March 10, 2008  Interested immigrants formed queues at the U.S. Consulate General exhibit at the Immigration Fair (Emigratiebeurs) March 8 and 9 near Utrecht. The annual event drew thousands of people interested in moving to another country. At the Consulate's exhibit the most popular questions were regarding immigration based on working or investing in the U.S. Many potential immigrants noted that the strong Euro has made immigration through investment more appealling. The Diversity Visa Lottery was another popular topic. For more information about how to immigrate to the U.S., visit our immigrant visa pages.

NEW - Passports by mail!

February 1, 2008 The Consulate General in Amsterdam is pleased to announce that we have received authorization to accept certain passport applications for adults by mail, effective today, February 1, 2008. From now on it will be possible to use mail services to renew most adult passports, apply for additional visa pages, apply for a new passport if your name has changed through marriage or divorce, or replace an emergency passport with a regular passport. Please check our detailed instruction pages and prepare your application thoroughly. We have provided tips and checklists to help you avail yourself of this service that will save you time.

Not all passport services are available through the mail. Some applications will still have to be done in person in Amsterdam, e.g. when you need to apply for a passport for a child, or if you currently hold a five-year passport. You will find the conditions for mail-in-passport services in our Passport Services pages. A special edition of our consular newsletter is dedicated to this new service: Consul's Corner Passport Special.

New Passport Fee Schedule Starting February 1, 2008

January 31, 2008  Beginning February 1, 2008, the Department of State will institute a new fee schedule for passport services.  In addition, the age for which both parents must appear and sign a passport application on behalf of a child will increase from 14 to 16 years old.

Fees are being adjusted to cover the cost of providing efficient and secure passport services including infrastructure, technology and staff.  The Passport Execution fee collected by passport acceptance centers and U.S. consular sections abroad is being reduced from $30 to $25.
For a full overview of passport fees, please see our U.S. citizen services section.

Consul Dan King discusses U.S. immigration policy with students at Ludger College in Doetinchem. 

January 31, 2008  Students are studying the integration and assimilation of immigrants into existing cultures.   Following a hands-on demonstration of challenges presented by language integration, Mr. King and the students debated immigration policies.  The Ludger College students were well prepared for the discussion and posed many interesting questions.

A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Important Change in Application Process for passports for children coming soon!

January 16, 2007  As of February 1, 2008, the two-parent consent requirement for all passport services will be extended to include all children under 16.  This requirement is currently in effect for all children under age 14.  Either both parents must be present to provide signatures at the time of passport application, or in the event one parent cannot attend, provide notarized statement of consent and identification.  Alternately, the applying parent may present a death certificate or sole custody order for the child.  Please see our section on Passport for Minors for more details.

A Fire Station called 'DIRK'

January 14, 2008 Consul General Marjorie Ames, Defense Attache Devon Goldsmith and Mrs. Goldsmith visited the "Dirk Fire Station". They were hosted by Station Manager Hendrik Barink and Crew Chief Willem Stein. Captain and Mrs. Goldsmith exchanged with Mr. Barink a shirt from their son-in-law's fire station in Leesburg, Florida for a shirt from the Amsterdam fire squad, continuing a longstanding tradition among different fire services worldwide. The Amsterdam firemen provided a detailed briefing on their activities and a tour of their station, which is the oldest continually operating fire house in Europe. More photos ...

Amsterdam Consular Officer meets with University of Amsterdam Students

January 11, 2008  Chief of the American Citizen Services Unit Consul Alfred Boll spoke to the Machiavelli Students Association at the University of Amsterdam regarding US primary elections.  The Association is sending a group of political science students to Florida to observe the primaries there as part of their studies at the University of Amsterdam.  Professor of American Studies Rob Kroes gave a lecture on the development and nature of primaries in the United States, followed by a general discussion.  Members of the Students Association visited the Consulate General in 2007 after a trip to meet with various US government agencies in New York City.

Machiavelli students	Consul Alfred Boll	Professor Kroes