Expat The Netherlands News

19 Oct at 6 PM 2018

Dutch expat tax reprieve causes more confusion

Rather than being a solution to the Dutch government’s sudden changes to the 30 per cent expat tax relieve scheme, the recent changes are causing yet more confusion. Expat professionals attracted to the Netherlands by the government’s 30 per cent of salary tax free deal for eight years were horrified when lawmakers suddenly shortened the tax break’s timescale to five years without ‘grandfathering’ those already in the scheme. The move devastated the financial plans of thousands of expats, with those who’d taken on...

16 Oct at 6 PM 2018

Dutch government backtracks on 30% expat tax relief ruling

As the Dutch government delays implementation of the widely unpopular 30% rule changes, lawyers for the expats affected declare the rule violates Dutch law. Faced with lobbying by major international Netherlands-based companies as well as expat professionals' grassroots protest groups, the Dutch government has announced the inception of the hated law will be delayed until January 2021. Whilst the delay gives those affected time to reorganise their finances or find new jobs overseas, it still means expats who arrived in 2015 would...

11 Oct at 6 PM 2018

Costa del Sol Brit expat community warned as gang war escalates

Expats and tourists along the Costa del Sol have been warned to be alert after two bomb blasts shook a gated Benahavis estate and an industrial area. Expatriates and visitors awoke in horror as two explosions shook the popular resort town in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The first bomb went off outside a villa in a popular gated estate, with the second exploding outside a car wash owned by the householder whose home was targeted. According to local police, the two incidents are almost certainly linked to the discovery last...

9 Aug at 6 PM 2018

Dutch residency for US citizens getting harder

US expats are having increasing problems getting Dutch residency. The Netherlands’ popularity with expats is drawing ever-increasing numbers of US citizens to Amsterdam and other Dutch cities, but residency permits seem to be harder to get. Normally, American citizens have a head start as regards residency permits due to the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty which permits entrepreneurs to reside in the country. Requirements are straightforward and set in tablets of stone within the treaty, giving US expats an easy ride as regards...

25 Jul at 6 PM 2018

Is cow cuddling the answer to expat executive stress

Every expat who owns a pet knows cuddling a dog or cat is a stress reliever but, for those without furry best friends, what’s the best thing to do? In the ‘60s, tree hugging was widely recommended as a stress-buster, but finding a tree in today’s fashionable architectural wastelands could be tricky. However, for expats who’ve relocated to the Netherlands, there’s a way forward – cuddling a cow! Cow-cuddling is highly recommended by Dutch scientists as a way to relieve the stresses of the average workplace as it reduces...

23 Jul at 6 PM 2018

Expats in Netherlands warned over swimming in toxic waters

During the one of the hottest summers in living memory, Netherlands citizens and expats are being warned not to swim in canals and other tainted waters. Over the past week, an increasing number of sightings of poisonous blue-green algae and reports of undesirable bacteria and botulism spores have hit Dutch media, with government warnings now being sent out. According to local water boards and the Rijkswaterstaadt, water temperatures are expected to increase during the rest of this week as the temperature continues to soar, thus...

19 Jul at 6 PM 2018

Buy to let curse hits Amsterdam property market

Along with a number of other global cities, Amsterdam is asking the UN to help with the issue of investor purchases of local properties. With the Dutch housing market at its highest level ever and demand exceeding supply, the Amsterdam authorities, together with New York, London, Barcelona and Paris, is begging the UN to help deal with the worsening situation. The problems are being caused by ever-increasing numbers of international investors buying up real estate in order to flip or rent at high prices unaffordable either by locals...

17 Jul at 6 PM 2018

Dutch property prices now at record high

House prices across the Netherlands are now at record levels, with the boom expected to continue. Long-stay expats who had the foresight to purchase a home several years ago are more than pleased with the house price rises over the last year or so. Figures for this year’s second quarter revealed a 10.4 per cent increase over the same period in 2017, although actual sales have declined considerably over the past year. At the present time, the average cost of a home in the Netherlands is around 288,000 euros, with a further increase of...

6 Jul at 6 PM 2018

Its more fun in the Netherlands

The growing popularity of the Netherlands with younger expats isn’t only down to its startup opportunities. All work and no play makes the average expat professional a very dull person but, for those living and working in Netherlands, there’s plenty of festivals and events to banish the boredom of the daily grind. The epic Dutch pop festivals are famous across Europe but, for those more suited to less extravagant celebrations, there’s also a long list of unmissable events celebrating the country’s cultural and historic events....

27 Jun at 6 PM 2018

Expats in the Netherlands warned about ticks and Lyme disease

As the Netherlands becomes ever more popular with expat professionals, there’s one unfamiliar danger they need to watch out for. Given the challenges of moving to a new country, expats arriving in the Netherlands could well be forgiven for not knowing about a serious threat to their health which could easily result in totally wrecking their expat experience – ticks! A combination of the country’s rural habitat, an increase in the number of animals hosting the horrid little insects and the warmer than normal Dutch springtime has...