The Amsterdam office is situated between a charming canal and the magnificent Rijksmuseum. The local office doesn't have a library or information centre any more, so the place can only be visited by appointment. From the train station Amsterdam Centraal you can take tram line 16 or 24. After 12 minutes, exit at Weteringcircuit station and walk to the right onto Weteringschans. After another 200 metres you will reach number 85A, the Museum Plaza building, which is just opposite the Rijksmuseum.

The organisation ensures lots of background reading on the issues concerning the UK, from finding the right course, to opening a bank account in the UK as well as the future of UK Higher Education. Candidates will find a scheme that provides financial support for professionals wishing to visit the UK. For students, the British council offers other sources of funding. Information on additional qualifications in English for teachers and students of English at schools in the Netherlands is also available.

The British Council promotes and co-hosts participative networking projects for inceptive and mid-career professionals in the field of arts and in arts policy. With these projects the institution brings people together to share different ideas and to gain new skills. One of the projects of the British Council in the Netherlands is called On Top of the Town. It is a sign of cooperation between Noord Nederlands Toneel (Groningen) and Northern Stage (Newcastle) in terms of theatrical performances. The aim is to integrate the 16 to 19-year old youth from the UK and the Netherlands. The premiere of 'The Making of On Top of the Town' took place in the setting of the Realness Media Festival (June 2007), at Nowhere in Amsterdam. This was the first documentary and media festival for young people in the country, initiated by AllAboutUs FilmFactory.

In 1999, Prime Ministers of both countries Wim Kok and Tony Blair met on a bilateral conference: the Apeldoorn Conference. The aim was to bring representatives of both governments together in order to expose issues of political topics and shared concern. The first conference took place in 2000 in Apeldoorn, and resulted in the series of conferences of the same name, all organised by the British Council in Netherlands, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

When the Foreign Ministers of both countries Jack Straw and Jozias van Aartsen met in 2002, they arrived at an agreement to organise the Young Apeldoorn Conference. It was meant to bring together young people who want to make a change. The first Young Apeldoorn Conference took place in 2004 in London at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Whether you want a short English language course, you need a full-time degree, or you want to receive some additional information about the British council’s work, look at the web site that can help you find whatever you need.