Living and Working in the Netherlands

Quick links: Accommodation / Bank Accounts / Phones / Healthcare / Pay & Bens / Tax / Visas / Travel

Accommodation

Reasonable priced housing in the big cities (especially Amsterdam and Utrecht) is easy to find and you can try to negotiate a discount rate. To find a place you like, try the newspapers (mostly the Wednesday papers) or friends. There are also housing agencies that may be able to help, however they can prove more expensive.

There's a vast amount of accommodation to rent and buy in the Netherlands in every price range and area. Before choosing where to live, it's advisable to check the public transport services, especially if you're commuting to a job from the suburbs.

The following are the best places to find information on renting properties in the Netherlands, whether you want to rent with a friend or flat share:

Bank Accounts

You need a bank or giro (post office) account for your salary to be paid into. There is actually very little difference between the two, the main advantage of a bank account being that your salary will arrive two or three days sooner than with a giro account. However, larger post offices are open on Saturday mornings whilst the banks are not.

Opening a bank account is straight forward in the Netherlands. You'll need as much ID as possible, including your passport, proof of address (bills, rental receipts or a lease) and a letter from your employer. The major banks are ABN AMRO, ING, Fortis, Postbank, Rabobank and SNS

Maestro/switch cards - Can be used at ATMs and as debit cards in shops (chip and pin).

Credit cards - The Dutch tend to avoid using credit cards and you will find that many places (including restaurants and bars) do not accept them. You will be asked to provide identification if you are able to pay with a credit card.

Mobile phones

The main mobile phone providers in The Netherlands are Orange, T-Mobile, Telfort, Vodafone and Debitel Nederland BV

Healthcare

Basic insurance covers all types of healthcare, except dental treatment for adults, some maternity and post-natal care and physiotherapy. Children under the age of 18 are automatically covered by their parents’ basic health insurance package and also receive coverage for dental care.

Look for Health Insurance companies with “foreign departments “who can explain everything to you in English. ZAO or VGZ are good options. They will send you the application forms and information in English to compare policies.

As of January 2006, a new insurance system for curative healthcare came into force in the Netherlands. Under the new Health Insurance Act (Zorgverzekeringswet), all residents of the Netherlands are obliged to take out a health insurance.

In general, healthcare in The Netherlands is very unique and most likely different to what you may be used to. Generally speaking, the Dutch believe that in many cases the body heals itself with minimal intervention, but medical training in The Netherlands is excellent and Dutch medical technology is among the best in the world.

The family doctor (huisarts) is key in the world of health care, treating patients for basic non-surgical problems and providing consults for most of your general health questions. The huisarts also serves as your link to most other services such as hospitals, specialists, midwifery, physical therapy, etc.

One must register with a family doctor (huisarts) upon arrival in the Netherlands, preferably located within 10 minutes of your home. To find a local huisarts you can try asking neighbours, friends or colleagues for recommendations or request a list from your insurance company. You can look in the phone book under Huisarts for listings near your post code.

Dentist (Tandarts)

Choosing a dentist in The Netherlands is very much like finding a doctor. You can ask neighbours for references, or look in the phone book under tandartsen. As with doctors, people generally stay with the same tandarts, so you should choose carefully. Further, most insurances do not cover basic dental care. However, for the highest quality of care it is advisable to find out if supplementary dental insurance is more beneficial.

Pay & Benefits

Average salary packages are calculated on 12 months + 8% holiday pay, with approximately 25 days holiday per year, based on a 40 hour workweek.

Bonus schemes vary from a 13th/14th month for non-commercial roles to a percentage of revenue or yearly salary. Employee benefits include healthcare and flexible working hours

Tax

The extensive national social system in the Netherlands requires its inhabitants to pay at least 32.35% in income tax (this includes national insurance contributions). Your employer deducts this income tax from your wages and pays it directly to the Tax Office. Any balance you have to pay eventually (including wealth taxes) depends on your own personal situation.

International employees are eligible for tax refunds.

Everyone who is liable for income tax in The Netherlands must acquire a SOFI number. Once you have registered with the Vreemdelingenpolitie (direct translation: Aliens' Police) and City Hall (and possibly a residence permit), a SoFi (sociaal-fiscaal) number can be obtained. This number identifies you within the tax and social security system and is essential if you wish to work. To obtain a SoFi number, you will need to contact the local Tax Office (Belastingdienst).

Visas

EU/ EER citizens do not need a work permit. Partners of EU citizens are also allowed to work in Holland.

The procedure for obtaining a work permit is complicated! Please check with the IND and the CWI (Centre for Work and Income) for specific details and more information.

If you are not an EU citizen, or a partner of an EU citizen, you cannot work in the Netherlands unless an employer applies for a ‘tewerkstellingsvergunning’ (work permit) on your behalf.

Residence Permits

As the organisation that permits entry into the Netherlands, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) arm of the Ministry of Justice is the first point of contact for information regarding the residence and Visa requirements related to your nationality, purpose and length of stay. Vreemdelingenpolitie (direct translation: Aliens' Police) for Amsterdam/Diemen handles the administration for processing these requests.

Travel

Holland’s population density is second only to Japan’s, so traffic jams are not unusual in the big cities.

In and around cities, public transport is well organised and frequent. This makes it the perfect alternative to owning a car.

Owning a bicycle, on the other hand, is highly recommended. The Netherlands has many well-constructed bicycle lanes and there is good bicycle parking everywhere.