Moving from the USA to the Netherlands

Published: immigration

I occasionally get messages with some version of this same question:

“Hey, I’m thinking about moving to the Netherlands. How did you do it? Was it hard? What’s it like for someone in tech?”

This post is a short summary of my answers to this type of question.

Note: As you are no doubt aware, we live in chaotic times. The political attitudes regarding immigration are in flux. When in doubt, always consider information from the IND to be leading.

Visa Pathways

I know of a few ways for Americans to move to the Netherlands. Some are much easier than others.

1. Be Recruited by a Dutch Company (Highly Skilled Migrant Visa)

If you can get hired by a Dutch company before moving, they can sponsor your visa as a Highly Skilled Migrant (kennismigrant).

Once hired, the process is straightforward — your employer handles most of the paperwork. They will in most cases also cover the costs of the move, which are significant.

2. Start a Business Under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT)

If you freelance or run your own business, the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) is an excellent option. It lets U.S. citizens start a business and live in the Netherlands with relatively low investment requirements. The IND recently (2024) made this process even easier.

3. The Zoekjaar (Orientation Year) Visa

This is the path I took. The zoekjaar visa is for recent Masters or PhD graduates from top universities (including many in the U.S.) who want to look for work in the Netherlands.You can apply within three years of earning a master’s or PhD from an eligible university.

It gives you one year in the Netherlands to find a job without already being employed. Once you find a job, the visa automatically converts to a Highly Skilled Migrant permit.

Upsides:

Downsides:

Still, it worked. I arrived, found an entry-level tech role and used it as a foothold to build a long-term career here.

Warning: Start and Finish in the Same Country

One mistake we made early on: we started our visa paperwork at the Dutch Embassy in Washington, D.C. — but before it was approved, we moved to the Netherlands (U.S. citizens can stay 90 days visa-free). This was November of 2021 and it was just a logistics thing -- COVID lockdowns + selling our home in South Philly meant we needed to do things in this order.

When the IND reviewed our case, they said that because the application began outside the Netherlands, it had to be completed outside the Netherlands. Their initial instruction was to fly back to the U.S. to finish it. This would have been dangerous and potentially impossible, since this was happening during the COVID lockdowns of late 2021 / early 2022.

We convinced them to let us complete it in Luxembourg instead — but it was a bureaucratic headache and delayed everything.

So:If you start your visa application abroad, finish it abroad. Don’t move to the Netherlands mid-process.

Other Miscellaneous Thoughts

The Tech Market

Generally easier than in the U.S. — especially in software, data, and infrastructure roles. Many Dutch tech companies are used to hiring internationally. There is also a shortage of skilled tech workers in the Netherlands.

If you’re burned out by U.S. work culture, this is a major quality-of-life upgrade. At least it was for me.

If you want to work in the public sector at the intersection of education and research, I can highly recomend my employer SURF. Look for job openings that are located in the Amsterdam Science Park location (as opposed to Utrecht) because that location is more international and will use English in daily work.

Housing

The housing crisis in the Netherlands is serious. It’s not impossible to find a place, it is really difficult especially in Amsterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague. We ended up with a tiny place in Bussum for our first couple years, before finding a fantastic house in Amersfoort. Basically, unless you are independently wealthy, I don't recommend trying to live in Amsterdam.

→ Government of the Netherlands: Housing and renting
→ IamExpat Housing Guide

Language and Integration

Almost everyone speaks English, but learning Dutch makes life much easier and opens doors professionally.

After living in the Netherlands for five years on a valid residence permit, you can apply for permanent residency or citizenship. But for citizenship, you would have to renounece your US citizenship. So probably permanent resident is the move. The process includes inburgering (civic integration), which means passing Dutch language and culture exams.

→ IND: Permanent residence permit
→ Inburgeren in Nederland

Politics

The Netherlands is safer than the US but not perfect. Do some reading through English-language Dutch news so you have a realistic sense of the country.

→ NL Times
→ DutchNews.nl

If I Could Do It Over

I’d aim for either the Highly Skilled Migrant route (if you can land a job before moving) or the DAFT route (if you can freelance or consult).
The zoekjaar worked fine, but it came with more housing stress and paperwork headaches than I’d recommend if you have other options.

Important Reference Links

These are official or widely trusted resources:

If you’re seriously considering the move and have specific questions, feel free to reach out — I’m happy to share what I can or point you toward the right resources. Email is the best route to reach me.