Moving to the Netherlands for the love of your life? Let these tips guide you

When moving to another country, there is a lot that needs to be arranged. Maybe you move for a job. But what if you are the one that moves for love? Your partner might already have a job and lots of friends in the country you are planning to move to. And how do you build a new life in a foreign country when your partner is busy with their work?

Diana from Romania gave up her old life to live with her boyfriend Florin in the Netherlands. Read her tips on building a new life in a new country.

Finding a job

It helped that Florin had been living in the Netherlands for a few years and had gathered a great group of friends there. So, Diana wasn’t too worried about her new social life, though she was concerned about finding a good job. For Diana, work is more than just earning a living: it gives her energy, and she feels it should give her a sense of purpose too. Like the job she had back home in Romania.

Once in the Netherlands, it was difficult for Diana to find a good, enjoyable job. It became increasingly clear to her that, to find a job, she needed a good network. It took a full six months, over which time Diana sent out hundreds of applications, before she finally found a job.

Her biggest tip for finding a job is to get in touch with as many people as possible who have also moved to the Netherlands from abroad and ask them as many questions as you can think of. Questions like: what should you keep in mind when looking for a job, which organisations can help you, and what’s the best way to build a network in the Netherlands?

Open a bank account

Furthermore, her advice is to quickly open a bank account. Most financial transactions in the Netherlands are done online. Many people use a system called iDEAL for that, which lets you pay online from your Dutch bank account without prior registration or having to download anything. If you need cash for anything, you can withdraw it at a Geldmaat cash machine or at bank branches. Find out more about payments and cash withdrawals in the Netherlands.

Learn the language

It’s so much easier and more fun if you learn the language. A lot of Dutch people speak English very well. Ask them to speak Dutch with you, so you can learn by doing. The Dutch language is filled with amusing sayings that will probably make no sense to you whatsoever. Perhaps you’ve already heard your colleagues use some of them by the coffee machine.

Take ABN AMRO’s quiz and test your knowledge of the Dutch language. You’ll quickly learn the meaning of a few frequently used expressions and won’t get lost in translation.

Find your dream house

There’s a huge housing shortage in the Netherlands at the moment, which means that rents are really high. The competition in houses for sale is big as well - so it's quite a difficult market. If you’re interested in what you can loan when buying a house, you can check ABN AMRO’s mortgage calculator to calculate your monthly payments. It takes just two minutes.

It’s important that your mortgage suits you. You can easily make an appointment with an expert at ABN AMRO. They will explain the process and look at what you can borrow based on your salary.

Be open to your child growing up Dutch

Diana and Florin’s second love of their lives was born in the Netherlands: their daughter Gloria. A second tip they have is to be open to your child growing up Dutch. They have no problem with Gloria growing up as a Dutch woman; it is their job as parents to teach her about her background. Read the full article to get to know more tips about starting your new life in the Netherlands as the partner of an expat.

Also handy: digital events for expats

Once you’ve adjusted somewhat to your new life with your partner in your new country, you will undoubtedly need further tips about financial matters, for example. To help you with these questions, ABN AMRO regularly organises free events especially for expats, covering topics like investing and buying a home in the Netherlands. You can attend these webinars by logging in on your own PC, tablet or smartphone.

View the calendar of upcoming events, and if you’re interested, sign up!