Once you’ve set a date for your trip, it’s time to snatch a cheap travel ticket. Check the following

• Use Skyscanner or Google Flights to find the cheapest flight fares.
• The Dutch railway NS offers cheap saver fare tickets if you're travelling from within Europe. Check the promotion site for special offers and read the tips for the best rates.
• Another option if you're travelling within Europe and willing to travel by train might be an Interrail ticket. Interrail offers different passes that allow you to travel freely throughout Europe.

Tip: The Netherlands has five international airports, the largest of which is Schiphol, followed by Eindhoven Airport. If you can't find cheap flights to these airports, check if you can fly to Düsseldorf or Cologne in Germany, which are relatively close by. Check the German Railway for cheap saver fares to your final destination in the Netherlands.

When moving to the Netherlands, your priority will be finding a place to live. Due to the housing shortage in the Netherlands, this can be tricky depending on the city or place you're moving to. Therefore, part of your preparation will be exploring your living options and realistically assessing your monthly budget. Shared housing is an option if you don't have a considerable budget and is common amongst students and young professionals who don't live with a significant other. However, often, you'll compete with many others for a room or apartment. If possible, arrange a pre-visit some weeks before the actual moving date to kick off your accommodation search. This will allow you to visit possible options in person, which increases your chances and makes it more unlikely you will fall for a scam–unfortunately, this is not uncommon.

Tip: Manage your expectations, consider temporary solutions like housesitting or Airbnb for the beginning and practice perseverance. Check out our housing guide for links to common Dutch housing websites and options for housing search that you may not have thought of.

The type of visa and residence permit you need depends mainly on your nationality and country of origin. The type of visa and residence permit you need to move to the Netherlands depends primarily on your nationality and country of origin. Citizens of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland mostly don't need a residence or work permit to stay and work in the Netherlands. A valid passport or national travel ID of your country of origin is evidence enough; you don't have to report to the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service, and your employer doesn't need to apply for a work permit. However, you must register at your municipality if you plan to live in the Netherlands for more than 90 days.

For citizens outside the EU, obtaining a visa for the Netherlands can be a lengthy and more complicated process. Check out our extensive Visa Guide for more information about the options for various nationalities.

Are you moving to the Netherlands for work, study, or job hunting? You may want to complete specific steps before the big move, such as registering at the university or "dutchifying" your application documents to land your dream job in the Netherlands. Check out our specific moving guides for Students and Job Seekers to find even more helpful tips and links.

Before you move to the Netherlands, you should map out your financial situation. Will you start working or studying immediately upon arrival, or will you be living off your savings for a while? Either way, try to estimate your monthly expenses for rent, health and other insurance, travel costs, groceries, free time and sports, savings and pension.

Wages in the Netherlands are usually paid monthly, and the average gross monthly salary in 2023 in the Netherlands is €3.815. In addition, there is approximately one month's salary “holiday money” (vakantiegeld) paid in May. What you earn naturally depends on the industry and your level of education. On berekenhet.nl, you can calculate your net income based on your gross salary if you already found a job.

If you come to the Netherlands to work, you might be entitled to the 30% facility. To get 30% facility, you need to be recruited or seconded from a country other than the Netherlands. Furthermore, you need to have specific expertise that is not or is only barely available on the Dutch employment market. This also includes a certain income and degree level (Master's degree) and your age. Click here for more info about the specific requirements you need to meet.

Moreover, you have to have been living outside of the Netherlands before the 1st working day in the Netherlands as well as more than 150 km away from the Dutch boarder. Please check here for more detailed information about the conditions.

30% facility brings you some attractive financial benefits: your employer may provide you with 30% of your wage, including reimbursement, tax-free. Considering the tax rate in the Netherlands, which is around 40%, the 30% facility can bring you a couple of 100 Euros a month extra.

If you meet the requirements, you need to submit an application together with your employer. Please be aware that it costs money to send the application.

Make a list of all memberships, contracts and services you need to unsubscribe from or cancel before you move to the Netherlands. Think about memberships at sports clubs, societies, subscriptions for newspapers and magazines but also contracts for internet, telephone and supply companies like water, gas and electrical supply. Make sure you don't pay too much and choose the correct cancellation date. If you are leaving the country, usually you don't have to adhere to the allotted period.

A lot of internationals choose to travel light and sell their furniture or store it somewhere in their country of origin. Consider moving with just one suitcase since you might also not know yet where you will be staying and therefore what you need. As international moving services can be quite expensive, try to involve friends and family. If you are a European citizen, it might be a fun road trip to drive to the Netherlands with some of your boxes after you've found a place.

If you want to send some luggage from your country of origin to the Netherlands, try websites like sendmybag.com or eurosender.com.

After you've arranged your housing in the Netherlands, you might want to furnish your new house. There are multiple websites and Facebook groups where you will be able to find used furniture for a small amount of even for free. Free options are f.e. gratisaftehalen.nl (website in Dutch, type in your location and scroll through the ads) and gratisoptehalen.nl (website in Dutch, type in your postcode and check the section Aangeboden. In the footer of gratisoptehalen.nl you'll also find Facebook groups per region). Also check marktplaats.nl, which is the Netherlands' biggest marketplace for used things and search on Facebook for groups in your region.