Maria Aguilar
Nov 3 · 5 min read

After living in Germany for one year and a half, my adventure in Europe wasn’t over yet. After evaluating my options, I decided I wanted to move to the Netherlands. I mean, have you been to Amsterdam? The city is so beautiful! Also, Dutch people are so nice and welcoming, they will respond in English if they see you’re having difficulties with their language and they will not make you feel bad if you don’t speak dutch.

However, as a Canadian, the process is difficult. There are a few options and each requires a lot of requirements and research. If you’re Canadian and thinking of moving to The Netherlands, here are the ways of doing it. I’ll try to make it as simple as possible for you to not get lost in the many options available like I did.

Maria standing next to a canal in Amsterdam
Maria standing next to a canal in Amsterdam
Amsterdam, the Netherlands in March
  1. Working Holiday Program

This visa is a great way to visit the Netherlands and be able to work at the same time. It is very easy to get. First, to get this visa, you need to be between 18 and 31 years old. This allows you to work and live in the country for a maximum of one year. Many countries offer this option for Canadians, but the Netherlands is particular.

Five years ago, it was possible to work for the same employer all year. After, they changed the rules and decided that the purpose of this visa is a cultural exchange, so you shouldn’t have a full-time job for longer than three months. From what I heard, this is their way to keep employment exclusive for citizens and permanent residents.

Since October 2019, the Netherlands changed its mind again, and it is now possible to have an “incidental” job for less than a year. This is very unclear, but, since I wanted to be safe, I reached out to an immigration law firm and they confirmed that you’re allowed to work full-time or part-time, as long as you don’t work for the same employer for a whole year¹.

The application is very easy and costs only 57 euros. These are the steps:

  1. Make sure your passport is valid for at least two years from the moment you apply.
  2. Get a bank statement that proves you have sufficient funds to buy a ticket back to Canada.
  3. Complete the application online.
  4. Wait for their decision. This can take up to three months, so you have to be patient.

The IND says that they will send you a letter in three weeks to confirm the reception of your application, but this is not always the case. You can call them after three weeks and ask if they received it if you’re worried and haven’t heard from them. The chances they do not accept your application and very minimal. I did my research, and I didn’t find any testimonial or story about someone that applied and wasn’t accepted, so your chances are good.

Once they have reviewed everything, they will reach out to you by e-mail and ask you to make the payment. Once this is done, they will let you know that you’ve been accepted and ask for your arrival date.

2. Highly Skilled Migrant

This one is mainly based on your skills. If you have experience in one field and would like to live abroad, this could be a visa for you. However, this is not one that you can easily apply to. You must get a job first and let the company do the sponsoring process.

It is very important for you to know that the company must be registered with the IND as an official sponsor. During interviews, you can always ask them if they are eligible to sponsor you, but you can also check it by yourself. Sometimes, the HR manager is not aware of this, so you can double-check here.

For them to be registered, there are a lot of requirements, the company will have to spend around 5000 euros, excluding lawyers, and the process can take up to five months. I am letting you know because a company may want to hire you and tell you they will apply when you get hired, but they must know what it implies.

Since Canada and The Netherlands are an ocean apart, employers may be doubtful to hire you to start with. What if you are too homesick and want to go back home? What if, once you’re here, you can’t find an apartment? What ifs. There are so many risks to employ a foreigner, especially if you don’t have any experience abroad. Keep in mind that the Netherlands is full of expats with lots of skills, languages and talents under their hat. If you really want to give it a chance, I would highly recommend getting the Working Holiday Visa, make the move, get a flat (good luck with this) and once you’re here getting interviews and finding a job will be much easier.

Haarlem, the Netherlands in August

3. Spouse, registered or unmarried partner

This method is not applicable for everyone, but it is worth knowing that it exists if you’re ever in this situation. If you have a European partner or a partner that has a Dutch resident permit, they can help you get the visa. The main requirements are:

  • Both you and your partner must be married or can prove that you’re in a long-term and exclusive relationship: this means that, if you can’t prove that you’re married, you must have proof that you’ve been together for at least a year, such as pictures. Also, you will have to complete a relationship declaration stating that you’re in an exclusive relationship, which is considered as official as a marriage license in the Netherlands.
  • Both you and your partner must be 21 years or older.
  • You will live together in the Netherlands.
  • Your partner must have the right to live in The Netherlands and have sufficient income for both of you.
  • The cost of this application is 171 euros.

Note that your right to work will depend on which residency permit your partner has. I don’t want to dive too much into this application because I don’t have experience with it, but we can find here more details.

To conclude, it is not impossible; you got to put in the work and the time, be patient and hope it goes smoothly. Once you arrive in the country, there will be more bureaucratic steps to follow, so do not stress. Be prepared to be at least one month without a job, because the procedure can be long and you will need to do everything before a company hires you.

If you ever feel stuck, feel free to call the IND. You can find their contact information on their website, and the agents are usually very nice! And if you feel lonely, reach out to me and we can get a coffee if I’m still in Amsterdam. Good luck!

Written by

Canadian, lived in Germany and now based in Amsterdam. I'm here to share my moments, good and bad, because we can all relate to being human.

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