By Andrew - September 2024
Moving to the Netherlands from South Africa is an exciting adventure, but it’s also a journey that requires thoughtful planning and preparation. Whether you’re moving for work, study, or a fresh start, there are a number of essential steps you’ll need to take before boarding that plane. From handling visa applications to figuring out where to live, understanding Dutch healthcare, and getting your finances in order. We know the preparation process can feel overwhelming but with this, we try and help you feel a little less overwhelmed.
In this blog post, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know about planning your move to the Netherlands, helping you feel organized and ready for a seamless transition. Whether you're relocating on your own or with family, this guide will cover all the key details - ensuring that you arrive feeling prepared, confident, and excited for your new life in the Netherlands. Let’s dive into the checklist to get you started on the right foot!
No amount of research or discussions you have with others will fully prepare you for the move abroad. After about 3 months in the Netherlands, we would regularly say “I wish I knew this…” and “I wish someone told me that…” So then we thought, why not share the things that we wish we knew with others who might be contemplating the move? So, below you will find information that is based on what we experienced in our time in the Netherlands as well as months leading up to our departure as well as lessons learnt from others.
So, let’s get started! From securing the right visas to finding a place to live, sorting out your finances, and understanding the Dutch healthcare system, we’ve broken down the key steps you need to tackle before your move. Whether you’re a meticulous planner or just getting started, this guide will help you cover all the bases, making sure your transition from South Africa to the Netherlands is as smooth and stress-free as possible. Let’s dive in!
Passport:
Before considering the move, ensure you have a valid passport. We would suggest that your passport be valid for more than 7 years, as it can be a bureaucratic nightmare to apply for one from abroad (sometimes taking between 6 and 12 months). This will also make it easier if you decide to stay in the Netherlands for longer than 1 year and need to obtain a 5-year working visa. You can always fly back to South Africa and renew your passport within 2 weeks, but it is a costly exercise.
Finding a Job:
Depending on the industry you work in, the next step would be to go “job hunting”.
Firstly, start by updating your LinkedIn profile with as much detail as possible.
Also, set up a comprehensive, professional CV.
As we were already in audit, it was easier for us because we applied internally to the office in NL. If not in audit, we would recommend working through recruiters (contact us for more information) and keeping an eye on vacancies advertised on LinkedIn.
Generally, the main corporate hubs are:
Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht; however, looking for a job might send you to another city.
Engineering and High Tech industries are also located in the city of Eindhoven.
Visa:
Prospective employers will usually ask if you have an EU passport. If not, then it would mean that you would need sponsorship to be able to come and work in the Netherlands, as you need a visa and work permit to work in the Netherlands. The Netherlands has developed a specific visa to encourage highly skilled individuals from around the world to work in the Netherlands; this is called the MVV, or long-stay visa.
For more information on this visa: https://ind.nl/en/work/working_in_the_Netherlands/Pages/Highly-skilled-migrant.aspx.
You will be responsible for the appointment at the embassy in Pretoria, or at the visa center (when applying for a Schengen visa). Please do not leave this for the last minute. Visa’s take between 10-15 business days. Your employer should apply for the this visa on your behalf at the IND.
Transport to Netherlands:
Try to purchase your airplane tickets as early in advance as possible, as prices change dramatically the closer you get to the departure date. We flew with KLM on a direct flight. I would recommend this, as a layover flight will increase the stress you will already be experiencing should your flight be delayed, etc. There is also an increased risk that your baggage might not arrive in the Netherlands the same day that you do. We had to pay for our flight tickets upfront and were reimbursed by our employer later on. A direct flight from OR Tambo to Schiphol was between R20,000 and R26,000 (this included an extra suitcase per person, and we also chose the seats we would like to sit in).
Note* - Ask you employer about the reimbursement plan for the flight ticket beforehand.
You don’t need a visa to be able to book your ticket, but you do need a passport. Your visa needs to be approved before you leave. The visa agency websites recommend not booking your tickets before you have your visa, and this might be true. When we applied for our visas, we were informed that it would take about 15 business days. Your flight is generally reimbursed. Also, buy an additional bag for each person when you book your tickets, so you will have 3 bags per person when coming here. It sounds ridiculous, but once you start packing up your life, you will notice you want to bring more than you thought. Don’t be scared to pack some personal things; make sure to include them in your list, such as photos, magnets, etc. You will need these small things to make you feel more at home. Some food items like rooibos tea and chutney can be brought over if they are not meat or dairy goods. Make sure what you can and cannot bring; the fines are heavy if you get caught.
Accommodation:
So, while you are busy planning, the odds are you would want to find a place to live first. I would recommend making sure you have a job first. Our employer offered us the option to stay in a serviced apartment for the first 30 days, free of charge, to enable us to search for a home when we were in the Netherlands. However, we decided to find a place while we were still in SA (what a daunting task), and our employer then decided to pay our first month’s rent. There is a big shortage of housing, so we highly recommend asking for help from friends in the Netherlands. If you don't know anyone, we can assist in connecting you with the right companies.
There are a few things to consider when searching for accommodation:
The websites we used the most were:
You can also make a list of all the local real estate agents who advertise on Funda. Go directly to their websites and monitor them on a weekly basis. That is how we found our place.
Since we’ve been here, we also noted a good option for accommodation, generally well situated for public transport and good value is https://www.the-fizz.nl/ or a similar type of apartments.
You WILL NOT be able to get the type of house we are used to in South Africa in the Netherlands. Places are small and economical. They utilize the small spaces they have quite well here unless you stay further from the main hubs.
Renting in the Netherlands is very, very expensive and will make up the majority of your fixed expenses in a month. You will have to look for a furnished apartment as it won’t be feasible to furnish an apartment in the first few months; thus, this increases your rent.
TIP: Attached is a budget you can use and all the small things you will need to pay, such as additional taxes.
A few other things to take into consideration:
Will your employer offer you a car? Or will you be buying a car? Or will you be using public transport? If you come to an audit company, chances are you will get the option of a mobility allowance or a car lease. This will impact your decision to determine where you want to live.
Where is your office located? Will you be traveling around to clients, or is your job office-based?
What is the time you are willing to travel? Are your job hours flexible?
How many rooms do you want in your apartment/house?
It is possible to buy a house; however, there are a few things to take into account:
Contract period and the current housing market, which is crazy. Thus, a fairly steep deposit is required, but it remains, in my opinion, a great investment.
We were fortunate enough that we were able to use a “relocation agent” who went and viewed the prospective apartments we were interested in. If you do not make use of a relocation agent and you’d like to have an apartment secured when you arrive in NL, perhaps ask someone you know living in NL if they would be willing to go and view the apartment on your behalf, and then ask them to make a video of the place. This is what we did, and it helped us to decide on the place we are staying in now.
However, I would also not advise looking for a place too far in advance. Apartments that you see today will more than likely be gone in a few days, so try and postpone the search to a month before you will be arriving in NL.
“Nice to knows while still in South Africa”
Below is some information on things we knew/would’ve liked to know while still in SA:
You will need some savings to get by during the first month in NL. Some companies do pay upfront and cover costs; however, it might not always be the case. In the budget I have given, there is a breakdown of what you can expect to save up before coming here.
The assigned number of suitcases you can take with you on the flight from SA to NL will not be enough, more likely than not. We flew with KLM and were allowed 1x check-in luggage and one hand luggage. We purchased 1x additional check-in per person the day we bought our tickets and 1x additional check-in a few days before we left.
TIP: The closer to the date of departure, the more expensive additional luggage gets. Don’t be scared to pack some personal things, as these will make you feel a bit more “at home”, if that is even possible. Turkish Airlines allows two suitcases in the flight cost; however, a layover is part of the flight.
Certain food items are not available in the Netherlands: Rooibos tea, Five Roses tea (they do have English Tea, but it isn’t the same), Milo, Bovril, Chutney, Braai Spices, Rajah Curry Powder, Potato Bake, Salt and Vinegar Simba Chips, etc. There is an online store (Die Spens), but don't expect to pay South African prices. You can bring certain things with you, but all fresh produce, dairy, meats, etc., are not allowed. Please make sure before you pack something, as the fines for prohibited items are very excessive. There are South African shops here so you can buy your favorites at a premium.
You need an apostille stamp on your UNABRIDGED birth and marriage certificate that will be handed in at the expat center/gemeente when you go for your BSN number. This stamp can be obtained from DIRCO in Pretoria. You drop the document and pick it up a few days later. There are also companies in South Africa that can assist with this service.
You need an unabridged birth certificate. If you do not have one, you will need to apply at the Dept. of Home Affairs, and this can take between 3 and 6 months to obtain.
Get someone you know in NL to meet you at the airport. It is one of the most uncomfortable feelings you will have when arriving in a new country with all your stuff and not knowing a familiar face. If you can’t get someone, try and make sure you have a taxi ordered to get you to where you will be staying.
While you will mostly hear the nice things about being in the Netherlands, there are also the not-so-nice things. The best advice we have is to just go with the flow. Of course, we didn’t do this. We wanted to fit in and have everything organized as easily as possible. Now looking back, we wish we didn’t try so hard, as you just put too much strain on yourself.
The language is a lot more difficult than we expected. We thought because our native language is Afrikaans, we would be able to understand most of the Dutch and learn the language quite easily. This could not be farther from the truth. Only now, after 5 months, it feels like I can understand about 80% of the Dutch, as people tend to speak very fast and have different dialects and accents. Speaking Dutch is very difficult, as the grammar is totally different from Afrikaans grammar. Download the Duolingo app, and start to learn the basics before coming over, or even better go for lessons or make use of online platforms where people teach you how to speak Dutch. This will give you the advantage you need. I would suggest, apart from Duolingo, to do a Dutch course in South Africa already if you have time to do so. You can google several online Dutch courses; most employers will reimburse this if you request them to assist with a Dutch course, which will really make the adjustment easier. Apart from trying to learn the grammar, get a course that assists in talking Dutch; this means more than the grammar for you to feel a bit more included in the culture. If you want to use a good translation application, DeepL is very accurate.
There are plenty of one-off costs you will be paying when you get here. This includes: your rental deposit, double payment for water, electricity, heating, and medical aid. You will also be hit by all the taxes you, as the tenant, need to cover. The owner has separate taxes from what you pay, so although you think it is the owner’s responsibility, it is most probably yours. I have included an estimate of these costs in the budget.
As you can see, proper planning is the key to a successful move from South Africa to the Netherlands. By taking the time to handle these essential tasks before your departure, you’ll set yourself up for a smooth transition into your new life. From organizing your paperwork to preparing for the cultural shift, each step will bring you closer to feeling at home in the Netherlands.
But your journey doesn’t end here. Once you’ve planned your move and arrived in the Netherlands, the next phase begins — settling in! Be sure to check out Part 3 – Arriving in the Netherlands, where we’ll walk you through what to expect when you land, from navigating Dutch bureaucracy to finding your community and making those first important connections.
Click here to continue your journey with Part 3!
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