Last summer, I initiated, and a few months ago, I successfully completed the job change process that led me to relocate to the Netherlands. Want to know how it went? Welcome to the continuation. Caution — it's a very long post.
Part one — while we are still here
Last spring, I started to think about wanting to change jobs. I wanted to incorporate some of what I had previously only done as a hobby into my work. Expand my own profile, so to speak — to be not only an engineer but also a programmer. Specifically in Erlang.
In the city where I lived, probably no one writes in Erlang. So I was already preparing for a move… but to where? I really didn't want to go to Moscow at all. St. Petersburg... maybe, but it didn't exactly spark much enthusiasm either. What if I tried abroad? And I got lucky.
One of the international job search websites showed me a vacancy that perfectly matched my desires. The position was in a small town near the capital of the Netherlands, and some points in it didn't quite match my skills, but I still sent my application to the specified address, formatting it as a 'checklist' — requirement such and such check, such and such check, but this one failed, with a brief explanation of why. For example, I noted fluent English in the failed section. To be fair, all my work skills were in check.
While waiting for a response, I started to look into the relocation process to the Kingdom. Everything is fine with it — the Netherlands offers several programs for relocation, and we are interested in the one called High-Skilled Migrant (Kennismigrant). For a skilled IT specialist, this is a treasure, not just a program. Firstly, a higher education diploma is not a mandatory requirement (hello, Germany with its profile requirements). Secondly, there is a minimum salary threshold for specialists, and this figure is quite substantial, especially if you are over 30 (I am :)). Thirdly, part of the salary can be exempt from taxes, which gives a solid increase to the net amount, this is called the 30% ruling, and getting it is at the employer's discretion, not a mandatory process, so definitely check its availability! By the way, there's another amusing point related to it — the processing takes up to three months, during which time you pay the full tax, but upon approval, you will be refunded all the overpaid taxes for the previous months, as if you had it from the very beginning.
Fourthly, you can bring your wife with you, and she will automatically get the right to work or start her own business. The downside is that not all companies are authorized to invite employees under this program; there is a special registry, and I will provide the link at the end of the publication.
In parallel, I was researching everything about the company itself, luckily it has a very informative website, and there are several videos on YouTube, in general — I sought out everything I could.
While I was learning the basics, literally the next day I received a very polite response. HR was interested in me, asked if I agreed to relocation, and immediately scheduled several (specifically two, then added one more) interviews. I was extremely nervous since I consistently had issues understanding spoken English, and for extra comfort, I used the large headset from Sony PS4 — and it actually helped. The interviews themselves took place in a pleasant atmosphere, there were both technical and personal questions, no pressure, no 'stress interviews', everything was very well done. Moreover, they were not held on the same day, but on different occasions. In the end, I was invited for a final onsite interview.
Soon, I received my plane tickets and hotel reservation, got my first Schengen visa, and on a beautiful August morning, boarded the flight from Samara to Amsterdam with a layover in Helsinki. The interview took two days and consisted of several parts—first with specialists, then with one of the company's top executives, and finally, a group interview with everyone at once. It was amazing. Plus, the team suggested going for an evening stroll in Amsterdam because 'coming to the Netherlands and not visiting Amsterdam is a big mistake.'
Some time after returning to Russia, I received an offer letter stating that we were preparing the contract, and I should start gathering documents for the IND - Immigration & Naturalisation Department, the government body that decides whether to allow a specialist into the country.
I can use started.
Some documents were sent to me right away—I just needed to fill them out and sign. This was the so-called Antecendents Certificate—a document in which I declared that I had not been involved in any illegal activities (there was a whole list). My wife also needed to sign a similar document (we were discussing our joint relocation from the start). Additionally, a copy of our marriage certificate was required, but it had to be legalized. Legalized copies of both our birth certificates were also necessary (they would be needed later). There was also a humorous certificate stating that I agreed to be a sponsor for my family—in simpler terms, that I would support my family myself.
Legalization involves the following. First, you need to place a special stamp on the document, called an "apostille." This is done at the issuing authority of the document — that is, at the civil registry office. Then the document, along with the apostille, needs to be translated. On a thematic forum dedicated to moving to the Netherlands, I read some wild stories about having the document apostilled, notarized, translated, having the translation apostilled, and then notarized again... well, that's complete nonsense, and you only need to do the following: place the apostille (2,500 rubles, I was struggling with greed), and send a scan of the document to a certified government translator of the Kingdom (also known as a sworn translator). A translation done by such a person is automatically considered accurate. On the same forum, I found a girl who did an excellent job translating three of our documents — a marriage certificate and two birth certificates; she sent us the scanned translations, and at my request, she sent the original translation of the marriage certificate to the company. A nuance with the marriage certificate is that you need to have a notarized copy of the Russian version, which takes three minutes to get at any notary, and this will be useful when obtaining a visa. In general, there are some small pitfalls here.
Around this time, I received the official contract, which I signed, scanned, and sent back.
Now all that was left was to wait for the IND's decision.
A small digression — I had a birth certificate from the USSR era, a small green booklet issued very long ago, in Zabaykalsky Krai. I had to request reissuance and the apostille via email — I just downloaded sample applications, filled them out, scanned them, and sent them to the civil registry office's email with a simple letter saying "I request reissuance and apostille." The apostille costs money, and I paid for it at a local bank (making a payment with a strictly defined purpose to another region turned out to be quite difficult), and I sent the payment receipt by registered mail to the civil registry office, and also called them periodically to remind them about myself. But overall, it worked out, although it did take quite a bit of time. If anyone is interested in the details of this procedure — leave a comment, and I'll share more.
And one fine day, I received a message stating that IND had issued a positive verdict. The entire decision-making process took less than two weeks, although it can take up to 90 days.
The next step is to obtain the MVV visa, which is a special type of visa for entry. It can only be obtained at the Embassy in Moscow or St. Petersburg, and only by booking an appointment online for a specific time, and the booking is not for 'tomorrow', it takes about two weeks, plus the link to make this appointment is quite hard to find. I can't provide it here, as it might be considered advertising for the commercial resource where it is located, only with the moderator's permission. Yes, it’s that strange. Anyway, there’s also personal messaging.
Around that time, I submitted my resignation 'of my own accord' at my current job. Of course, it was not a surprise, I informed my boss before my trip for the first interview in the Netherlands, which was in August, and now it was November. Later, my wife and I went to Moscow and received our MVV — this is done in one day: in the morning, you submit a pack of documents and your passport, and in the afternoon, you pick up your passport with the visa already stamped.
By the way, about the pack of documents. Print everything you have in several copies, especially the translations. We submitted a copy of my employment contract to the Embassy, printed scans of the translations of the marriage and birth certificates for both of us (plus they asked to see the originals), copies of our passports, completed applications for the MVV, 2 color 3.5x4.5 photos, and they had to be recent (don’t paste them into the application!!!), we had a special folder filled with all these items, quite a lot.
Did you receive your passport and admire the visa? Well, that’s it. You can now buy a one-way ticket.
Part Two — now we are already there.
Housing. There’s so much in this word… Even while in Russia, I began to explore the rental housing market in the Netherlands, and the first thing I learned is that you cannot rent anything remotely. Well, unless you are a tourist, but then go to Airbnb.
Secondly, finding a rental is difficult. There are few offerings, but many applicants.
Thirdly, landlords prefer to rent for a long term (from a year), so renting something for a short stay of a month is unlikely.
I received assistance at that moment. Essentially, I was shown an apartment and the owners via Skype; we talked, and then I was told it would cost so much per month. Do I agree? I agreed. It was a great help; I signed the papers and received the keys on the day I arrived in the Kingdom. There are two types of apartments — in shell condition (bare walls) and furnished (fully ready for living). The latter, of course, is more expensive. Additionally, there are many small details and nuances — if you're interested, comment.
I'll say right away — the apartment costs me quite a bit. But it is well-equipped, genuinely spacious, and located in a very good neighborhood. All renting is done on two large websites; for links — DM me, they might think it’s advertising again.
The first thing you need to do upon arrival is to register your place of residence (yes, there is registration here, it's amusing), get a BSN — which is a unique citizen identifier, and obtain a residence permit. There are two options here — for free and slow, or for a fee and fast. We chose the second option; on the day of my arrival, I already had an appointment at the IN Amsterdam expat centre, where I went through all the necessary procedures — that's when I needed my birth certificates! Overall, everything was very quick and convenient: place your finger here, look here, sign here, please listen to the introductory information, here is your residence permit. Without a BSN, you can't do anything; simply put, you won’t be able to receive a salary without it.
The second necessity — to get a bank account and card. Cash is very inconvenient here (and I brought cash because their card system is different, and a card issued by a Russian bank might not be accepted outside the tourist zone). Did I mention that everything here is by appointment only? Yes, it's the same with the bank. It turned out that during my first week, I didn't have an account, and my biggest headache was… transportation. Because while cash is accepted in department stores, transportation… is paid for with a special plastic card: you tap it when you enter and tap it again when you exit. It mainly gets recharged electronically; very few places accept cash. We had quite a few adventures and gained useful experience; if you're interested — message me, and I'll share.
Third — utilities. Contracts must be signed for the supply of electricity, water, and gas. There are many companies to choose from based on price, and contracts can be signed via email. A bank account is required. When we moved into the house, everything was included, and we just reported the move-in date and the utility meter readings at that time; in response, we received a fixed monthly payment amount. At the end of the year, we will check the meter readings again, and if I overpaid, I will be refunded the difference; if I underpaid, they will charge me the overdue amount. It's straightforward. The contract is for a year, and terminating it early is very difficult. However, there are advantages — if you move, the contract moves with you; you simply change the address. Convenient. The same situation applies to the internet. With mobile services, it's also usually a minimum of a year, or you can use expensive prepaid options.
Regarding heating, there’s a nuance. Keeping a steady 20 degrees all day is incredibly expensive. I had to get used to adjusting the thermostat and only heating when necessary — for example, at bedtime, I switch it to 18 degrees. Getting up in a cool apartment isn't particularly comfortable, but it is refreshing.
Fourth — health insurance. This is mandatory and costs about a hundred euros per month per person. Unfortunately, this is a necessary expense. You have three months after entering the Kingdom to arrange it. Additionally, a fluorography exam — TB test — is required.
Perhaps some won't like it, but I’ve decided not to disclose my salary amount or the specific benefits I received during relocation; it's a personal matter. However, I can easily share about expenses, so feel free to ask questions. And not just about expenses; this post has turned out a bit rushed, but if I start writing in detail, it would take ten articles. So if you're interested — ask me anything. I love sharing my experiences, and maybe the mistakes I made can help someone avoid them in the future.
Overall — I like it here. very Incredibly cool job, great people, a wonderful country, and all the opportunities for yachting that I’ve dreamed of for the past few years.
Links (please don’t consider them advertising; all resources are purely informational!):
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Thank you for your attention.
Source: habr.com
