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To find work or being offered a job as a non EU foreigner in the Netherlands is not easy. Most jobs require you to speak and write Dutch. There are very restrictive regulations regarding the employment of non EU/EFTA citizens. The only areas where there is a shortage of labor are low paying jobs in retail, restaurants/bars or teaching English as a Foreign Language (for which you need a TOEFL teaching certification) and in highly skilled IT or software engineering jobs. (Masters degree or PhD level, not web design, computer technicians etc.) All residence and work permits for non EU/EFTA citizens have to be issued by a Dutch Embassy abroad. Therefore, do not travel to the Netherlands in the hope of getting a job and a work permit. You should also note, that the Netherlands have now introduced a test which is intended to show, whether your social values are those that the host country cherishes, i.e. reflect Dutch liberal views or, at least, tolerate them. This is not an unreasonable step, since, many of the new immigrants views run contrary to what Dutch society wants. There are now also new government requirements about learning Dutch. Therefore, inform yourself well, before you depart and take on a new job in the Netherlands!

A Dutch work permit is employer specific. The company must demonstrate that you have a certain set of skills necessary for the position and that they were not able to fill the position with an EU/EFTA candidate. If you have a permit to work for one company and then want to switch jobs, you will need a new work permit.

EU/EFTA nationals have the right to live and work in the Netherlands without a work permit. If you have a job and a work permit you have to register at the local Foreign Police (Vreemdelingenpolitie) registration office within 8 days of your arrival. That office will give you all the details about what papers to bring etc. Do not delay that, because you will get a fine if you do not appear within the 8 days.

Wages are below average compared to the rest of Europe. They are higher than in Spain and Italy, but lower than in England, Germany, Ireland, France and especially Switzerland. The cost of living in the Netherlands used to be fairly low. But, since the introduction of the Euro, prices have gone up significantly. For instance, a single room (studio of about 30 square meters) apartment in Amsterdam, Den Hague or Rotterdam, outside rent control, on the free market, will cost you about Euro 800 (just below US$ 1,200 - 2010) a month. Good housing is extremely difficult to find.

The Importance of having a solid and well written Résumé/Curriculum Vitae

The first contact point between a potential employer or his executive recruiter and a candidate is generally the résumé and your cover letter. Thus, the quality of presenting yourself to a potential employer or an executive recruiter is crucial in your job search. Remember, you have, maybe, 5 minutes to convince your counterpart, when he looks at your résumé, that you are the person for the job. That is why having a top professionally written résumé is an important investment!

There are numerous good résumé writing services available to help you create the right format. You can find some of the ones we have tested at our Resume Advice Page . They are all good quality, but vary in price and you get what you pay for! There is also an Interview Advice Page which you might want to consult.

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Housing in the Netherlands

The Netherlands are a densely populated country. It is therefore not surprising that good rental housing, in the free market ("vrije" - not rent controlled) is not easy to get, at a reasonable price. This is especially true of the major urban centers and its surroundings, e.g. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Breda, Maastrich, Eindhoven, etc. Most expatriates will remain for a limited time (2 to 5 years) in the Netherlands. Consequently, we only deal with rental accommodation here and not with how to buy a property. Just one small thing about buying: Unlike in the USA, people in the Netherlands "buy a property for life". They do, in general, not buy several properties, upgrading or downgrading, over their lifetime. Once they have acquired a property, that is where they will stay!

The majority of new dwellings are constructed by private developers, followed by housing associations and private builders in that order. Vacancy is very low at 2.2% of the housing stock (in 2008) and compares very favorably with most other EU-countries. The Dutch housing market is therefore fairly complicated and if you rent a place in a town and country you do not know, it is probably better to get an agent to help you. They will give you advice where to rent and of which areas to stay clear. They will also know, what the usual price, quality, contractual and rental procedures are. Sometimes the prospective employer will have a person to help. The agents should also have a good selection of properties on their books.

The Dutch rental market, even the free market, is highly regulated. The government regulates rents up to about Euro 650.00 a month (2010). Everything above that, is in the "liberalized" market. The basis for the rental rate is a points system (woningwaarderingsstelsel) that rates everything from floor space to the quality of heating, size of rooms, the quality of the finish, etc. This applies to both the rent controlled and the liberalized market. If you feel you are paying too much you can go to the local huurteam, who will then set the rent. You can do this even after you signed a contract. Everything will be taken into account when the new rent is assessed, including your economic link to the area (e.g. whether your employer is in or out of the area). You can find out more about the system by going to www.vrom.nl (The Ministry of Housing, Planning and the Environment - the site is in Dutch and English)

Do not sign a sub let, because you can be evicted with very short notice.

The Initial Costs of Renting and the Rental Contract

You should expect to pay two months rent as a deposit, plus one month rent in advance to the landlord. If you used an agent, he will charge you a commission of one month rent plus VAT (at the moment 19%). This is fairly standard all over Europe.

Your rental contract should include

	The status of your property (furnished, unfurnished, semi furnished) with an exact inventory of what is included. Make photos of the condition of any furniture, before you move in!
	The duration of the lease (usually one year)
	The notice period (usually three months)
	Any service charges (cleaning of the stairwells and common areas etc) described
	Utilities (heating and hot water) if they are included. But make sure that the charge for these these are exactly defined!
	Americans often like to include what they call a "diplomatic clause", i.e. a clause that breaks the lease if the occupant is recalled to his home country. This is not common in the Netherlands, though you can always try!

One you have decided on an area and a property, make up your mind quickly and then agree the terms in writing, e.g. in the rental contract. Make sure, that the property is ready when you need it and move in quickly!

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