Hello everyone! My wife and I (+1 Siberian husky) recently started a 12-18 month plan to expat to Amsterdam from North America. I am a software and devops engineer currently working in a primarily remote capacity. My wife currently works in logistics, but has a degree in biochemistry.
Originally, I had intended on building out an IT/Software consulting practice to further supplement our income. After reading a few blog posts regarding the struggle of renting and the income requirements to be eligible to rent, I am fairly uncertain on how to go about this.
If I were to pursue consulting, I am not sure I would be able to provide the necessary income history to obtain a rental. Should I pursue a full-time software engineering role in or near Amsterdam? Does anyone have any recommendations?
I feel as though I'm missing something regarding average salaries in Holland. From my research, software engineers make roughly €45,500 annually. That's under €4,000 monthly. If you must show proof that your salary is 1/4 or 1/6 of your monthly income with an average rental at €1,200, how do others manage this with a position located in Holland?
Just to be clear, we're both:
- Native English speakers (currently pursuing Dutch with intermediate German and Spanish fluency)
- Bachelor's of Science degrees from universities located in the USA
- Working full-time in our native country
- Interested in possibly pursing a Master's degree at UVA
Any recommendations, suggestions, or critiques welcome!
Thanks again!
Jobs and housing
Hi and welcome to the Forum. At the top of the Forum is our Handy Tools section, containing our Expat Guides on moving to the Netherlands. My advice is to read through them, then if you have any specific questions, come back and ask us.
One comment up front; you haven't said what passports you have, assuming you both have US passports, your first hurdle will be finding a job that will get you both through the Immigration barrier; this link takes you to the IND website that deals with this.
Hope this helps.
Cynic
Expat team
Articles to help you in your expat project in Amsterdam
Despite being a small country, the Netherlands has so much to offer, especially in terms of leisure. Seeing as you ...
Perhaps you're a student, a freelancer, or someone who works minimal hours. Whatever it is, you've got ...
Just 4% of the Dutch say they don't do any exercise weekly, and most spend 12.8 hours a week doing physical ...
While you live in Amsterdam, you may find yourself in different social situations. You might have some free time ...
Amsterdam is a rich melting pot of many cultures; half of its residents are Dutch, while the other half are of ...
In 2021, there were around 1.6 million single women and 1.5 million single men living on their own. This means ...
