According to Mercer , Amsterdam (the only Dutch city on the list) ranks 11th in the 2019 quality of life ranking, and according to the OECD Better Life Index, life satisfaction of the Dutch is above the national averages. We noticed that the discussion of moving to this country is very controversial: someone scolds the humid climate, someone - on the contrary, some talk about the development of the IT sphere, others - that there are not enough large tech companies. So what are the opportunities for a developer in the Netherlands? What are the benefits of immigrants? We deal with the pros and cons of moving to this country.
Why the Netherlands?
IT environment of the Netherlands
FDI Intelligence and TNW Tech have published a rating of cities with the best prospects for investment in the IT sector and startups - “tech cities of the future”. Evaluated, among other things, "Economic potential", "The number of foreign direct investment" - for these aspects Amsterdam entered the top ten, and in the overall rating took the fourth place.
Overall Ranking of the Best 'Tech Cities of the Future' .pdf
The report notes that the Dutch government is working to make Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven attractive cities to work with. So, for example, in 2015 Startup Amsterdam appeared . It is an initiative that brings together the public and private sectors of the economy to develop an ecosystem that supports startups. Dealroom ranked Startup Amsterdam as the third largest in Europe in terms of the total value of tech companies formed since 2000. The same Dealroom in another report estimated the number of jobs in tech startups at 77,000, of which 34,000 are in foreign companies with a presence in Amsterdam. In 2019, the number of vacancies increased by 11%.
Examples of tech companies in the Netherlands
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the growth of some companies. This mainly applies to areas such as tourism and marketing, companies from the areas of digital health, eCommerce, gaming, on the contrary, showed growth.
How the pandemic has affected different industries, Dealroom report
Some big tech companies like Netflix, Uber, Tesla have chosen Amsterdam as their European headquarters. In the capital, of course, the density of IT companies is higher, but in other regions of the country there is plenty to choose from. Utrecht Science Park hosts 60 companies, including those from the IT and gaming industry, for example, Fujitsu, Oracle, Nintendo. Startups are also represented in the regions: Rotterdam , The Hague ,Arnhem .
Kennismigrant
You can also work in the Netherlands with the Blue Card EU , which we talked about in the article about Germany . But it is rarely issued , because this country also has a national relocation program for highly qualified specialists (or kennismigrant) from other countries.
To relocate to the Netherlands with an offer from a local company, several conditions must be met:
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Setting up the @g_jobbot bot
For employment in the Netherlands for less than 3 months, you need to obtain a work permit - tewerkstellingsvergunning, TWV (work permit). Kennismigrants are specialists who come for a longer period - more than 90 days. To work, they need to obtain a residence permit - a residence permit.
In addition, in order to travel to the territory of the country, we - people not from the EU, America and some other countries - must have an MVV (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf or temporary residence permit), a visa for long-term residence in the country.
The employer submits an application to the migration service both for obtaining an MVV and for obtaining a residence permit.
Within five days after moving, you need to register with Gemeente (city municipality) and receive a BSN - burgerservicenummer, citizen service number ( brochure from the government about BSN, pdf ), and also take out insurance within four months (about it below). BSN will be needed to open a bank account, draw up an insurance policy, and file taxes.
Interesting fact: it is possible to move to the Netherlands not only with a family - a registered spouse and children, but also with a partner with whom you are not in a legal relationship . Changes should come into force
on January 1, 2021enabling start-up employers to hire migrant Kennies faster and easier. The authors explain it this way: some young companies do not have the opportunity to pay employees the amount agreed by the ministry. After these changes, the minimum wage for obtaining a residence permit will be lowered, and startups will have to cover the missing part of the amount with an option.
30% steering
After moving, an immigrant can take advantage of tax incentives - 30% tax regulation or tax regulation . Rouhling does not reduce the tax burden, but allocates a part of the salary (maximum 30%) that is not taxed. Formally, this is explained by the reimbursement of expenses for moving - extraterritorial costs .
Rouhling is provided to a hired specialist with a work contract if he:
- 16 , 150 2 ,
- , . , , 38 347€ 29 149€ 30 , .
Rouling is valid for 5 years, it is issued for one person, if you come as a couple, and you can submit documents even before receiving your first salary: together with the employer, you need to fill out an application and then contact the tax office.
What other bonus does taxi give? It is possible to exchange a Russian driver's license for a Dutch one. You can use the old ones for the first 6 months. Without taxiing, you will have to go through training and take exams to receive them (~ 1000 €). According to expats, the authorities transfer the Russian rights to the Russian embassy, and some immigrants go there and take them back.
Thanks for the photo to Maria Gurova
What you need to know before moving
Work, money, taxes
According to the local portal Adzuna , the salary of IT specialists for the position of Software Engineer in Amsterdam is on average 60 515 €, Glassdoor offers a similar amount: about 63 163 €. According to expatriates, outside the capital, developers' income may be 1.5-2 times less.
Depending on the specialization, there is a variation in the level of income: an average C ++ developer can earn about 73,000 € per year, but a php programmer - 48,000 € . At the same time, the IT sector remains one of the highest paid in the country.
Jobs in Amsterdam on Glassdoor
Moving as a Kennist will be possible with an offer from an employer. Therefore, the search for offers must be done before immigration. You can use the sites:
Of course, it is advisable to fill out a profile on LinkedIn - most likely, it will be looked at before the invitation to interview.
The net income of a hired specialist in Holland is significantly lower than gross figures: taxes “eat up” almost half of the amount. In 2019, the Netherlands switched from a four -tier progressive tax system to a two-tier one :
- for income up to 68,508 € - 37.35% tax,
- for income above 68 508 € - 49.50%.
Also, in 2019, tax benefits increased: algemene heffingskorting - a general tax benefit and arbeidskorting - a tax benefit for employees. In addition to these, there is also a tax credit for employees with children . The amount of benefits depends on the person's age and income. So, for example , for a conditional € 25,000, the total discount will be € 5,924 instead of € 9,370 excluding benefits.
Plus don't forget about taxiing: with it, a salary of 55,000 € per year turns into tax-free 16,500 € and taxable 38,500 €. Then a specialist without children, but taking into account two tax benefits, receives € 50,926 per year or € 4,243 per month instead of € 45,361 and € 3,780, respectively.
All tax benefits provided by the tax office, translated by Google Translate :)
Besides the taxes from the tax office ( belastingdienst ), there are local taxes from the municipalities (gemeente). The first are clearly fixed, the municipalities differ in different regions. These include : real estate tax (OZB, onroerendezaakbelasting), land improvement tax (garbage disposal, sewage, lawn mowing), dog tax, tax on keeping canals clean, road tax. The road tax is calculated separately every three months, depending on the parameter of the car, like this .
There are online calculators for calculating net income: Thetax , Berekenhet .
Rent and mortgage
The cost of renting a house in Holland is quite high, the market is overheated, according to locals, apartments are flying away like hot cakes. The highest prices, of course, are in Amsterdam: for a furnished apartment with one or two bedrooms in popular areas among expats - 1500-2000 €, in small towns prices are much lower . In general, according to reviews of Russian expats, rent in the Netherlands is twice as expensive as in Moscow.
The apartment is rented with flooring - which is not often found
Bargaining is most often appropriate in the big direction, not vice versa. Some may ask for confirmation of financial stability, but there is no legal basis for this. The contract is usually concluded for a year, but you can move out earlier by giving a month's notice.
It is more expedient to start looking for an apartment after the move, as there are scammers on the rental housing market. For example, you can stumble upon a nice spacious apartment at a suspiciously low price (700-750 €), the owner will demand to transfer an advance payment in confirmation of the "seriousness of intentions" of the tenant, and then disappear along with the money. To quickly find a suitable "permanent" apartment, you can use the services of a realtor. Some large companies provide their employees with their own realtors - this will save you time and money.
Rental housing in the Netherlands is regulated by law. The landlord cannot demand an arbitrary amount from the tenant or take over the deposit made upon arrival. If the tenant believes that the price of the rented apartment is too high, then within 6 months after the conclusion of the contract, he can contact Huurcommissie . In this case, a special commission makes a decision on a mandatory reduction in rent. The Huurcommissie will help you evaluate your rental property, return overpaid money or a deposit upon departure.
In the Netherlands, apartments are most often rented unfurnished and without floor coverings - there will only be bare concrete. Sometimes the floor can be bought from previous tenants. Or buy at Praxis stores ,Gamma , Hornbach , Karwei , IKEA.
The apartment is rented with a concrete screed.
Utility bills in a large apartment are ~ 160 €, in a house for a family of 4–5 people - ~ 250 €. In general, the size of a communal apartment strongly depends on the temperature you choose to maintain in the room, because there is almost no central heating anywhere. According to expats, the average cost of utility bills is 1.5-2 times higher than in Moscow. Please note that when renting an apartment, you will most likely have to conclude contracts for the supply of electricity, gas and water - it is better to clarify this point while watching.
Where to look for housing?
Locals say that there are fewer offers on the following sites, but you can find “exclusive” options that are not available on Funda.
Search for an apartment in Amsterdam , you can and with the help of groups on Facebook: Amsterdam is Apartments is 4 Rent , Apartments is / rooms in Amsterdam is , Apartments is For Rent Amsterdam is of The Netherlands Netherlands , the All Apartments is Amsterdam is , Amsterdam is Housing .
If you plan to stay in the country for at least a few years, it is more profitable to buy real estate with a mortgage: often the monthly installment is less than the rental payments. The rate is low, about 1.07-2.27% for a period of 10 years: here you can see the current rates.
A mortgage to a foreigner with a stable income can be obtained relatively easily, an initial payment is not required. Plus property values are rising, so an apartment in the Netherlands can be a good investment. When buying, you can use the services of a broker, broker or real estate agency - the process itself is well described by nobodyhave . In the Netherlands, there is an auction system: all interested people look at the apartment, then offer their bids, and the bargaining is exclusively in the big direction. In most cases, according to the comments of expats, the apartment is sold for 10% more than the original price.
Products
The opening hours of supermarkets are not very different from ours: in big cities - until 9–10 pm, in smaller cities, shops close early, but they also work on weekends.
Where to shop? For example, in Jumbo, Dirk van den Broek , Vomar , there are well-known budget chains - Lidl , Aldi . We've put together a 'typical' grocery basket for one at Albert Heijn , the largest local chain.
A liter of milk, a loaf of bread, a dozen eggs, local cheese, a package of chicken breasts, a kilogram of apples and potatoes and a bottle of Belgian beer will cost € 19.86.
The grocery basket we have collected
Transport
You can travel by public transport throughout the country with OV-chipkaart . These transit cards come in two flavors: personal and anonymous . Buying a personal card with contact information linked to it offers several advantages. Can:
- add subscriptions for a month,
- activate auto-top-up from a bank account,
- link discount subscriptions,
- enjoy discounts by age,
- view travel data.
In Amsterdam, a monthly pass for all types of transport, including night trips, will cost 100 € in all areas of the city . But the tariff can be adjusted more flexibly, there are discounts . Subscriptions in Rotterdam and The Hague are cheaper : rates start at 35 € for a monthly subscription. There are also special passes for trains: for example, monthly rate for travel with a bicycle: 7.5 € .
The authorities are concerned about the environment by limiting the amount of heavy metal emissions into the atmosphere. Hence the national love for bicycles , which in large cities are the main means of transportation. There are separate bike paths almost everywhere in the Netherlands .
Expats advise buying used bicycles first, because "the new one will be stolen quickly anyway . " You can search for them at the local Avito: Marktplaats . Here you can find a cool Cube for 400 €, and something simpler for 85 €. There is a city rental : the basic rate for a month of use is 16.50 €.
You can bring your car to the country or buy it on the spot , but expats say it is profitable: paid parking, narrow streets, fines, expensive gasoline and a large tax .
Thanks for the photo to Maria Gurova
What to look for
Medicine and insurance
Within 4 months after arrival, you must take out a medical insurance policy. To do this , you need the BSN, which you receive at the time of registration.
A standard policy without additional options costs about the same in all insurance companies, about 110 € ( data of 2019 ), and includes the following set of services :
- medical assistance of general practitioners, specialist doctors and obstetricians and gynecologists,
- hospital treatment,
- dental care for children under 18,
- social security of motherhood,
- medicines.
Additional options include adult dental treatment, glasses and contact lenses, homeopathy, or other alternative therapies.
Children under 18 are included in the parents' policy - the insurance is free for them .
The government has established a deductible for insurance companies in the amount of 385 € - the costs of more than this amount will be paid by the insurance company .
Medicine in the Netherlands differs from the Russian one: doctor's home visits are not accepted here, and treatment begins with a visit to the family therapist - huisarts to which you need to attach. He decides whether the sick person needs an appointment with a specialist. Doctors try to prescribe as few medicines as possible for mild patients. A popular “recipe” is walking in the fresh air and sleeping.
Language
To pass interviews and get a job in local companies, you need to know English at least at the Intermediate level, or better - Upper-Intermediate: communicate with recruiters and pass interviews by phone and Skype. In most cases, knowledge of only English is sufficient for all interactions with people.
In large cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague), where many migrants live, English-speaking expats will have no problems communicating with sellers and government officials: many townspeople speak English sufficient to carry out transactions or help newcomers.
But all official documents, including parking tickets and fines, are drawn up in Dutch. Plus, learning Dutch will be useful for thosewho counts on career growth . Where can this be done? In the "People's Universities" , in free courses , in language schools. For example, these are the famous Babel courses .
What to read about moving:
- Legalization of documents for moving .
- Moving to Amsterdam with a child. Main (Medium).
- Forum "Dawn" - with answers to questions about moving and living in the Netherlands.
- List of job boards with IT jobs in Amsterdam .
- A detailed English-language guide to all the peculiarities of an expat's life in the Netherlands, including the intricacies of renting and buying a home .
- Site about long cycling trips around the country .
conclusions
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