Emigration to Netherlands
Area: 41,543 km²
Residents: 17,290,688 (January 31, 2019)
Population density: 416 E / km² Type of
Government: constitutional monarchy
System of Government: parliamentary democracy
Neighboring countries: Belgium, Germany
Capital: Amsterdam National
language: Dutch, Frisian (province of Friesland)
Religions:
27% Roman Catholic,
16.6% Protestant,
5.7% Muslim,
1.3% Hindus,
1% Buddhists,
0.2% Jehovah’s Witnesses
Currency: Euro
Telephone area code: +31
Time zone: CET (UTC + 1) CEST (March to October) (UTC + 2)
In 2020, 3,411 Germans officially emigrated to the Netherlands and 2,706 came back to their homeland. Within the 10 years from 2010 to 2019, 34,543 Germans officially emigrated to the Netherlands and 28,396 moved back to Germany. In 2020 there were officially 79,470 Germans living in the Netherlands, but over 360,000 are considered German-speaking.
About 20 percent of the population are foreigners. Notable groups of migrants come from Turkey (397,000), Morocco (386,000), Indonesia (367,000), Suriname (349,000), Netherlands Antilles (151,000), Poland (150,000) and Belgium (116,000). The population is very friendly to foreigners.
The official language is Dutch and Germans can learn it very quickly. Lower Franconian dialects are spoken in the southwest. The local dialects in the southeast belong to Ripuarian and in the northeast to Lower Saxony. Many speak or learn German as a foreign language.
The territory of the Netherlands includes, in addition to the twelve provinces of the European part, the Caribbean islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (with their neighboring islands), which are special municipalities of the country. Autonomous countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands are Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
The Netherlands is also often referred to as Holland (this name refers to the former province of Holland in the western part of the country). The provinces are often divided into four groups:
- Utrecht, North and South Holland in the west
- Zeeland, North Brabant and Limburg in the south
- Flevoland, Gelderland and Overijssel in the east
- Drente, Groningen and Friesland in the north
Around half of the country is less than a meter above sea level and around a quarter of the country is below. But the country has much more to offer than windmills, cheese and cafes. The country’s social system is one of the best in the world. And there is a good supply of jobs.
General travel regulations (up to the corona pandemic)
Since the Netherlands is a member of the EU, there are no problems with the immigration authorities for Germans. You do not need a visa, neither for a short-term nor for a long-term / permanent stay.
Immigration, permanent residence,
residence permit
Health insurance must be taken out within the first 4 months after entry. Those who are more than four months want to stay in the Netherlands and work, which must be at the registration office in the future Location Register. A valid identification document (e.g. passport), proof of address (rental contract) and possibly a legalized birth and marriage certificate translated into Dutch must be presented.
When you register, you receive the so-called BSN (Citizen Service Number), which is needed when looking for work, opening a bank account, taking out health insurance and many other things. If you don’t have a rental agreement yet, you should register as soon as you have received one. A valid passport counts as a residence and work permit.
Labor market – vacancies, jobs
According to countryvv, there are few unemployed. There is a need for personnel in many industries. There is a high demand for workers, especially in the service sector and in the trades. It is strongly advised to learn Dutch. This is indispensable in your job and in offices (a requirement for most employers). Dutch is closely related to the German language and can therefore be learned relatively easily. Test here for free how well you speak and understand Dutch (takes about 3 minutes).
Homeschooling, homeschooling, free learning
An increasingly popular alternative to normal school attendance is homeschooling (home tuition or home tuition) or free learning (unschooling). Home schooling is currently still illegal in the Netherlands as public or private education is compulsory. There are, however, a few exceptions.
Cost of living
The cost of living is comparable to that of Germany.
You would need around € 4,885.90 in Amsterdam to maintain the same standard of living that you could have in Berlin with € 3,700.00 (assuming you rent in the cities).
- Consumer prices in Amsterdam are 19.61% higher than in Berlin (excluding rent)
- Consumer prices in Amsterdam are 32.05% higher than in Berlin (including rent)
- Rental prices in Amsterdam are 59.18% higher than in Berlin
- Restaurant prices in Amsterdam are 41.40% higher than in Berlin
- Food prices in Amsterdam are 14.22% higher than in Berlin
- The local purchasing power in Amsterdam is 11.96% lower than in Berlin
Average cost of living in Amsterdam (from 07/2020 – 06/2021)
| Restaurant | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Food, price w. restaurant | 15.00 | 10.00-30.00 |
| Middle class, 3 courses for 2 people. | 75.00 | 57.67-100.00 |
| Local beer, 0.5 l | 5.00 | 3.50-6.00 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 l | 5.00 | 3.50-6.00 |
| cappuccino | 3.30 | 2.00-4.00 |
| Coca / Pepsi (0.33 l) | 2.74 | 2.00-3.00 |
| Water (0.33 l) | 2.22 | 2.00-3.00 |
| Food | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Milk (1 L) | 1.05 | 0.90-1.50 |
| White bread (500g) | 1.86 | 0.95-3.31 |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | 2.00 | 1.30-3.50 |
| Eggs (12) | 2.52 | 1.63-4.20 |
| Local cheese (1kg) | 11.01 | 7.00-22.00 |
| Chicken breast fillet (1kg) | 7.92 | 5.00-10.00 |
| Beef (1kg) or other red meat | 18.41 | 6.99-27.49.00 |
| Apples (1kg) | 2.45 | 1.50-3.00 |
| Bananas (1kg) | 1.43 | 1.19-3.00 |
| Oranges (1kg) | 1.68 | 1.10-3.50 |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | 2.24 | 1.50-3.50 |
| Potatoes (1kg) | 1.40 | 0.96-2.40 |
| Onions (1kg) | 1.13 | 0.89-2.00 |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 0.82 | 0.69 – 1.50 |
| Water (1.5 l) | 0.82 | 0.60-1.50 |
| Bottle of wine (middle class) | 6.00 | 5.00 – 8.00 |
| Local beer (0.5 l) | 1.18 | 0.89-1.90 |
| Imported beer (0.33 l) | 1.88 | 1.50-3.00 |
Average costs for local transport, utilities, clothing, leisure, education in Amsterdam (from 07/2020 – 06/2021)
| Mode of Transport | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| One-time ticket | 3.20 | 2.50-4.00 |
| Monthly pass | 97.50 | 90.00-100.00 |
| Taxi base amount | 5.25 | 3.19-8.00 |
| Taxi 1 km | 2.35 | 1.95-3.11 |
| Ancillary housing costs | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| for 85 sqm apartment (electricity, water, garbage, etc. | 164.28 | 120.00-215.00 |
| 1 minute prepaid mobile tariff | 0.14 | 0.08-0.19 |
| Internet (60 Mbps or more, unlimited data, cable / ADSL) | 47.10 | 30.00 – 67.00 |
| Clothes, shoes | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Jeans (Levis 501 or similar) | 93.48 | 50.00-120.00 |
| Summer dress (Zara, H&M,… | 41.21 | 20.00 – 50.00 |
| Nike sports shoes, middle class | 95.31 | 60.00-130.00 |
| Leather business shoes | 127.13 | 80.00 – 200.00 |
| leisure time | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Fitness center, month / adult | 41.78 | 25.00 – 60.00 |
| Tennis, 1 hour on weekends | 31.88 | 25.00 – 40.00 |
| a movie ticket | 12.00 | 10.00-15.00 |
| training | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Preschool / Kindergarten, private, whole day, monthly per child | 1,826.37 | 1,425.55 – 2,200.00 |
| International primary school per year and child | 14,269.24 | 8,500.00 – 25,000.00 |
Average rental prices / purchase and salaries of Amsterdam (from 07/2020 – 06/2021)
| Monthly rental price | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in the city center | 1,532.77 | 1,300.00 – 2,000.00 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) outside the center | 1,267.95 | 1,000.00-1,500.00 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in the city center | 2,622.06 | 2,100.00 – 4,000.00 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) outside the center | 2,010.00 | 1,700.00 – 2,500.00 |
| Purchase price of apartments | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Price per square meter for an apartment in the city – purchase | 7,450.51 | 6,000.00 – 9,000.00 |
| Price per square meter – apartment outside the center – purchase | 5,079.54 | 4,000.00- 6,500.00 |
| wages | Ø € Price | € Price from / to |
| Average monthly salary (after taxes) | 3,008.55 | – |
Average rental prices Rotterdam (July 2020 to June 2021)
1-room apartment in the city center: € 1,208
1-room apartment outside the city center: € 900
3-room apartment in the city center: € 1,997
3-room apartment outside the city center: € 1,360
Emigration and living in the Netherlands
Emigrating to the Netherlands or Holland is not a big change in their lives for Germans, because the standard of living is about the same. There are hardly any differences in culture either – but you should definitely learn Dutch. Some advantages of the country: high quality of life, many speak German.
