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As a Tech Expert with over a decade of experience, I’ve always been curious about the opportunities available for highly skilled migrants in Europe. So, when the chance to move from South Africa to the Netherlands with my wife and three kids presented itself, I couldn’t resist the adventure. Today, I want to share with you our incredible journey, the lessons we learned, and the benefits we’ve discovered since moving to this charming country.

The opportunity arose when I stumbled upon a job vacancy on www.relocate.me, a website dedicated to helping skilled professionals find international job opportunities. After a two-month-long interview process, I received the job offer. The company provided a relocation specialist who guided us through the entire relocation process, from the visa application to finding a new home.

The first step was to apostille or legalize our documents, including unabridged birth certificates and marriage certificates. This process took about 11 weeks and 4 days, and we used easyapostille.co.za for assistance.

Once our documents were ready, we provided copies to the relocation specialist, who initiated the online visa application process. It took roughly 3 weeks and 5 days for our temporary 3-month visas to be approved, which would later be converted to 5-year residence permits upon arrival in the Netherlands.

With our visas in hand, we embarked on the challenging task of house hunting. You might think that finding a new home in the Netherlands would be as easy as riding a bike (they do love their bikes here!). However, the Netherlands is notorious for its housing shortage. So, our quest for the perfect family abode quickly turned into a wild goose chase that took us to websites like funda.nl and pararius.nl. We even had to pen a heartfelt motivation letter explaining why we deserved to call their rental property our home. Luckily, our trusty relocation specialist was our eyes and ears on the ground, sending us video tours of prospective homes and ultimately saving the day by securing a place just days before our arrival.

Before departing South Africa, we had to sort out our belongings, sell most of our items on Facebook Marketplace, and cargo a few essentials to our new home. It’s important to note that dealing with import officers can be quite costly and time-consuming, so we recommend using a company that can deliver your items directly to your doorstep in the Netherlands.

We booked our flight at night to ensure the kids could sleep during the journey, and upon arrival, we had a taxi waiting for us at the airport, courtesy of our relocation specialist. After settling into our new home, we began the process of acclimating to Dutch life.

Our first tasks included obtaining mobile SIM cards and ov-chipkaart for public transportation.

We also had to adapt to Dutch culture, such as the widespread use of bicycles, navigating furniture delivery logistics, and learning how to read Dutch labels on groceries with the help of Google Translate.

Over the next few months, we completed several registrations and formalities, including registering our address, obtaining our BSN numbers, setting up a DigiD account, opening bank accounts, getting medical insurance, registering with a local doctor, and setting up utilities. We also enrolled our eldest child in a Dutch school and began homeschooling our younger children due to the high cost of daycare.

I was eligible for the 30% ruling, a tax benefit for highly skilled migrants, which exempts 30% of our income from taxation for five years. Additionally, my wife and I were able to convert our South African driving licenses to Dutch licenses without any tests, thanks to the 30% ruling.

Now that we have settled into our new life in the Netherlands, I can reflect on the benefits of moving here as a highly skilled migrant:

1. The 30% ruling, which allows only 70% of our salary to be taxed for a period of five years.

2. Easy access to essential amenities such as water, internet, electricity, transportation, and shops.

3. A safe environment and an excellent place to raise our kids.

4. A residence permit valid for five years, allowing us to live and work in the Netherlands.

5. Free education for children from the age of five, along with child benefits to support their upbringing.

6. Visa-free travel within the Schengen Area, opening opportunities to explore Europe.

7. The ability to convert our South African driving licenses to Dutch driving licenses.

8. A healthy work-life culture that encourages a balance between professional and personal life.

Though the first three months were overwhelming due to the cold weather, paperwork and information overload, our new life in the Netherlands has become increasingly enjoyable. The support we received from our employer, the relocation specialist, families, and the local authorities made our transition smoother than we could have imagined.

Overall, our experience relocating from South Africa to the Netherlands has been a remarkable journey filled with challenges, growth, and discovery. We are grateful for the opportunity to live and work in a country that values skilled migrants and offers numerous benefits to support our family’s well-being.

Useful steps we followed after we arrived in the Netherlands

1. Registered our physical address and received our residence permit cards

2. Setup DigiD account: https://digid.nl This enables online identification when dealing with government agencies, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and pension funds.

3. Bank account: Apply for a bank account because some other steps below depend on this step

4. Medical Insurance: Mandatory coverage is available through https://www.fbto.nl

https://www.government.nl/topics/health-insurance/question-and-answer/when-do-i-need-to-take-out-health-insurance-if-i-come-to-live-in-the-netherlands

5. Doctor registration: Consult your local municipality for information on registering with a General Practitioner (GP) after moving.

6. Utilities setup: PartnerPete https://partnerpete.com can simplify the process, but be prepared to share meter readings with utility providers.

7. School registration: Enrolling children aged 5 and above in school is mandatory — https://www.government.nl/topics/compulsory-school-attendance/exemptions-from-compulsory-school-attendance. Our son attends a Dutch school with no fees, while we homeschool our younger children due to the high cost of daycare.

8. Applied for the 30% ruling as a highly skilled migrant, which exempts 30% of your salary from taxation for 5 years.

9. The company provided tax return support.

10. With the 30% ruling, convert your South African driving license to a Dutch one without taking any driving tests. This also applies to spouses.

11. Applied for child benefits at https://www.svb.nl/nl

If you have any questions or would like more information about our relocation experience, please feel free to reach out to me at codewithfemi@gmail.com. Our journey may serve as inspiration and guidance for others considering a similar move, and we are more than happy to help.

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Thanks for sharing, will definitely reach out to you.



Best wishes out there