Disclaimer: This article was started in the summer. Not so long ago, there was a surge of articles on the topic of finding work abroad and moving. Each of them gave my fifth point some acceleration. Which eventually made me overcome my laziness and sit down to write, or rather add, another article. Some of the material may repeat the articles of other authors, but on the other hand, everyone has their own felt-tip pens.
So, before you is part three, and at the moment the last, about the adventures of the prodigal programmer parrot. IN I went to live and work in Cyprus. In I was trying to get a job at Google and move to Switzerland. In the third part (this one) I got a job and moved to the Netherlands. I must say right away that there will be little about finding a job, since it actually did not exist. It will mainly be about settling down and living in the Netherlands. Including about children and buying a house, which was not described in detail in recent articles by other authors.
Work searches
The last article from this cycle (who would have thought 4 years ago that it would take a whole cycle) ended with me and Google passing like plywood and Paris. In principle, we both did not lose much from this. If Google really needed me, I would be there. If I needed Google so badly, I would be there. Well, it happened the way it did. As already mentioned in the same place, the thought has ripened in my head that for a number of reasons it is necessary to leave Cyprus.
Accordingly, it was necessary to decide where to move on. To begin with, I continued to monitor vacancies in Switzerland. There are not many vacancies, especially for Android developers. You can of course retrain, but this is a waste of money. And the salaries of even Senior developers not at Google do not allow them to roam especially when they have a family. Not all companies are eager to bring employees from wild countries (not Switzerland and not the European Union). Quotas and a lot of hassle. In general, having not found anything worthy of attention, my wife and I were puzzled by the search for a new candidate country. Somehow it so happened that almost the only candidate was the Netherlands.
Here with better vacancies. There are quite a lot of offers and there are no special problems with registration if the company offers moving under the kennismigrant program, that is, a highly qualified specialist. After reviewing the vacancies, I settled on one company, where I decided to try. I looked at vacancies on LinkedIn, on Glassdoor, some local search engines and websites of large companies, which I knew about the presence of offices in the Netherlands. The process of getting into the company consisted of several stages: an interview with a recruiter, an online test, an online interview with writing code in some kind of online editor, a trip to Amsterdam and an interview directly with the company (2 technical and 2 for talking). Shortly after returning from Amsterdam, a recruiter contacted me and said that the company was ready to make me an offer. In principle, even before that, I was given information about what the company offers, so the offer contained only specific details. Since the offer was very good, it was decided to accept it and start preparing for the move.
Preparing for relocation
Here is an almost exclusive tractor model, so I don’t know how useful the information from this part will be. Initial data. Family of 5, 2 adults and XNUMX children, XNUMX of whom were born in Cyprus. Plus a cat. And a container of things. We were at that moment naturally in Cyprus. In order to get to the Netherlands and then get a residence permit (residence permit, verblijfstittel) you need an MVV visa (at least for citizens of many countries). You can get it at the embassy or consulate, but not everyone. What is funny, in Cyprus, when traveling to the Netherlands, a Schengen visa is done at the German embassy, but they already do the MVV themselves. By the way, a visa to Switzerland is done at the Austrian embassy. But it's all poetry. As I said, you can get a visa at the embassy, but you need to apply for it ... in the Netherlands. But everything is not so bad, it can be done by the company that sponsors the trip. Actually, this is exactly what the company did - they filed documents for me and my family. Another nuance was that we decided that I would first go to Amsterdam alone with a cat, and the family would go to Russia for a month on business, to see relatives, and in general it’s calmer.
Therefore, the documents indicated that I was getting a visa in Cyprus, and the family in Russia, in St. Petersburg. The acquisition takes place in 2 stages. First you need to wait until the Dutch Immigration Service gives the go-ahead for issuing a visa and provides a piece of paper for this. With a printout of this piece of paper, you need to get to the embassy, give it to them along with your passport, application and photographs (by the way, they find fault with the photo a lot). They take it all away, and after 1-2 weeks they return the passport with a visa. With this visa, within 3 months from the date of its issuance, you can enter the Netherlands. A piece of paper issued by the IND (immigration service), by the way, is also valid for 3 months.
What documents are needed to get this treasured piece of paper. They asked us (all in electronic form): passports, a couple of completed applications (stating that we did not commit any crimes and that I will be a sponsor for the family, and the company for me), a Cypriot permit (so that you can pick up a visa there), legalized and translated marriage and birth certificates. And here a northern furry animal almost waved its tail at us. All our documents were Russian. The marriage certificate and one of the certificates were issued in Russia, and two at the Russian Embassy in Cyprus. And now they cannot be apostilled, from the word at all. Read a bunch of documents. It turned out that you can get duplicates in the Moscow registry office archive. They can be apostilled. But the documents do not arrive there immediately. And the certificate for the youngest child has not yet been received there. They began to ask the company that organized the filing of documents about other legalization options (long, complicated and dreary), but they did not recommend them at all. But they recommended trying to get Cypriot birth certificates. We didn't do them, because we used the Russian one, received at the embassy. Cypriots did not require an apostille, as the child was born in Cyprus. We went to the municipality and asked if we could get a couple of birth certificates. They looked at us with big eyes and said that despite the presence of the Russian one, we should have received the local one when we registered the birth. But we didn't do that either. After consulting, we were given that we can do it now, we only need to pay a fine for the delay and provide the necessary documents. Hurray, think, a fine.
- What kind of documents do you need?
- And references from the hospital.
References are given in the amount of one piece. And they are taken away at the issuance of a birth certificate. We were taken away at the Russian embassy. Bad luck.
— And you know, our references are somehow lost. Maybe you will be satisfied with a copy certified in the hospital (we took a couple of them, just in case).
Well, not really, but come on.
That's why I love Cyprus, here they are always ready to help their neighbors, and those far away too. In general, we received the certificates and did not even have to translate them, since there was an English text. Documents in English were accepted. There was also a problem with Russian documents, but a small one. Apostille on documents must be no older than six months. Yes, this is nonsense, perhaps wrong and not at all according to Feng Shui, but there was no way to prove it remotely and delay the process of desire. Therefore, they asked relatives in Russia to obtain duplicates by proxy and affix apostilles on them. However, it is not enough to apostille documents, they still need to be translated. And in the Netherlands, translation is not trusted to just anyone, and translation from local sworn translators is preferred. Of course, it was possible to go the standard way and make a translation in Russia, having certified it with a notary, but we decided to go north and do the translation with a sworn translator. The translator was advised to us by the office that processed the documents for us. We contacted her, found out the prices, sent scans of documents. She made a translation, sent scans by e-mail and official papers with stamps in the usual way. On this adventure with documents ended.
There were no problems with things. We were provided with a carrier company and a limit on things of one sea container per 40 feet (approximately 68 cubic meters). A Dutch company put us in touch with their partner in Cyprus. They helped us to draw up the documents, figured out approximately how much the packaging would take and how much the things would take in terms of volume. On the appointed date, 2 people arrived, everything was dismantled, packed and loaded. I could only spit at the ceiling. By the way, it was pushed into a 20-foot container (about 30 cubic meters).
Everything went smoothly with the cat. Since the flight was within the European Union, it was only necessary to update the vaccinations and obtain a European passport for the animal. All together it took half an hour. Nowhere at the airport was anyone interested in a cat. If you bring an animal from Russia, then everything is much more interesting and more complicated. This includes obtaining a special piece of paper at the Russian airport, and notifying the airport of arrival about arrival with an animal (in the case of Cyprus at least), and issuing papers for an animal at the airport of arrival.
After the family flew to Russia and the things were shipped, all that remained was to finish all the business in Cyprus and prepare for departure.
Move
The move went smoothly, one might even say trite. The company prepared everything in advance: a plane ticket, a taxi from the airport, a rented apartment. So I just got on a plane in Cyprus, got off in the Netherlands, found a taxi stand, called a pre-paid car, drove to a rented apartment, got the keys to it and went to bed. And yes, all this, except for the departure, at 4 o'clock in the morning. The presence of a cat, of course, added entertainment, but she traveled not for the first time, so she did not cause any special problems. There was a funny dialogue with the border guard:
— Hello, have you come to us for a long time?
“Well, I don’t know, probably for a long time, maybe forever.
— (big eyes, flipping through the passport) Ahh, duck you have an MVV, not a tourist visa. Welcome next.
As I already said, no one was interested in the cat and there was no one in the red corridor. And in general, at this time there are very few personnel at the airport. When I was looking for where they give out a cat at all, I found only a KLM employee at the counter, but she told me everything in detail, although I did not fly with their company.
There are a few things you need to do upon arrival, and it is advisable to take care of this in advance. In my case, this was done (took care of scheduling appointments in various organizations) by the company. And so, it is necessary:
- get BSN (Burgerservicenummer). This is the main identification number in the Netherlands. I did it in , formerly known as Expat Center. Takes 20 minutes.
- get a residence permit (residence permit, verblijfstittel). It is done in the same place, in about the same time. This is the main document for an expat. It is recommended to carry with you, and shove your passport far away. For example, when we came to complete the purchase of a house and brought, among other things, passports, they looked at us as strange people and said that they do not work with this, only with Dutch documents, i.e. in our case with permits.
- register at gemeente Amsterdam (or another if you are not in Amsterdam). It's kind of like a residency. Taxes, services provided and other things will depend on your registration. It is done again in the same place and in the same way.
- open a bank account. Cash is not used very often in the Netherlands, so having a bank account and a card is highly desirable. Done at a bank branch. Again, at the appointed time. It took longer. At the same time issued liability insurance. A very popular thing here. If I accidentally break something, the insurance will pay for it. It works for the whole family, which is more than useful if you have children. The account can be shared. In this case, the spouses can use it on equal grounds, both in terms of replenishment and in terms of withdrawing money. You can apply for a credit card, since the cards that are in use here are Maestro debit cards and you cannot pay with them on the Internet. You can not bother and create an account in Revolute or N26.
- buy a local sim. I was given one when I completed all the paperwork. It was a prepaid SIM from Lebara. I used it for a year, until they began to charge some strange amounts for calls and traffic. He spat on them and left for a contract with Tele2.
- find permanent housing for rent. Since the company provided a temporary one for only 1.5 months, it was necessary to immediately start looking for a permanent one, due to the great excitement. I will write more in the housing section.
Basically, that's all. After that, you can safely live and work in the Netherlands. Naturally, you need to repeat all the procedures for the family. It took a little longer, as there were some inconsistencies in the documents, plus for some reason the youngest child had not yet received a permit. But in the end, everything was resolved on the spot, and I just stopped by for a permit later.
Life in the Netherlands
We have been living here for more than a year, during this time we have accumulated quite a lot of impressions about life here, which I will share further.
Climate
The climate here is moderately bad. But better than, for example, in St. Petersburg. To some extent, we can say that it is better than in Cyprus.
The advantages of the climate include the absence of large temperature differences. Mostly the temperature hangs somewhere between 10 and 20 degrees. In summer it goes over 20, but rarely over 30. In winter it drops to 0, but rarely below. Accordingly, there is no particular need for clothing for different seasons. I wore the same clothes for a year, varying only the number of clothes I put on. In Cyprus, this was also the case in principle, but it is too hot there in the summer. Even assuming that you can move around in a bathing suit. In St. Petersburg, a separate set of clothes is required for the winter.
The disadvantages include very frequent rains and strong winds. In many cases, they are combined, and then the rain falls almost parallel to the ground, which makes the umbrella useless. Well, even if it can bring some benefit, then it will simply be broken by the wind, if this is not a special model. In especially strong winds, tree branches and poorly tied bicycles fly by. Leaving the house in such weather is not recommended.
As a resident of St. Petersburg, such a climate is generally familiar to me, so I don’t feel a strong upset from its presence.
Work
There are quite a lot of IT vacancies here, much more than in Cyprus and Switzerland, but probably less than in Germany and the UK. There are large international companies, there are medium-sized ones, there are local ones, there are start-ups. In general, there is enough for everyone. The work is both permanent and contract. If you come from another country, it is better to choose a larger company. Her conditions are usually quite good, and as a kennismigrant, she will issue you, and they can give you an open-ended contract. In general, there are a lot of goodies. Cons are standard for working in a large company. If you already have a permanent permit or passport, then you can play around with the choice. Many companies also require knowledge of Dutch, but this is usually the case for small and possibly medium-sized companies.
Language
The official language is Dutch. Looks like German. I do not know German, so for me it is quite similar to English. It is quite simple in learning, but not so much in pronunciation and listening comprehension. In general, its knowledge is optional. In most cases, it will be possible to manage in English. In extreme cases, a mixture of English and basic Dutch. I have not passed any tests yet, it feels like for a little over a year when studying for half an hour a day, the level is somewhere between A1 and A2. Those. I know a couple of thousand words, I can generally say what I need, but I understand the interlocutor only if he speaks slowly, clearly and simply. A child (8 years old) in a language school for 9 months has learned to the level of a fairly free conversation.
Accomodation
On the one hand, everything is sad, on the other hand, everything is fine. It's a shame about rent. There are few options, they fly like hot cakes and for big money. To rent something in Amsterdam for a family is very, very expensive. The neighborhood is better, but still not great. We rented a house a year ago for 1550 euros 30 kilometers from Amsterdam. When we left it, the owner rented it already for 1675. If you are interested, there is a website , through which, in my opinion, almost all real estate in the Netherlands passes, both in terms of rent and in terms of buying / selling. You can see the current price list there. Colleagues at work who live in Amsterdam constantly complain that the landlords are trying to deceive them in every possible way. You can fight this, and in principle it works, but it costs time and nerves.
Taking into account all of the above, those who plan to stay here buy a house with a mortgage. Getting a mortgage and the buying process is outrageously simple. And that's a great side. The price tags are really not very joyful and are also constantly growing, but it still turns out to be less than when renting.
To get a mortgage, you will most likely need to meet certain criteria. Each bank has its own conditions. In my opinion, I was required to have the status of a kennismigrant and live in the Netherlands for six months. In principle, you can do everything yourself, in terms of choosing a bank, mortgage, finding a house, etc. You can use the services of a mortgage broker (a person who will help you choose the right bank and mortgage and arrange everything), a real estate agent (a broker, a person who will help you look for a house and arrange it) or a real estate buying agency. We chose the third option. We contacted the bank directly, they told everything about the terms of the mortgage, they said the approximate amount that they would give. They can also give you mortgage advice for extra money. to tell you how best to organize a mortgage under the existing conditions, what risks there may be, and so on. In general, the mortgage system is a little different here. The mortgage itself is given for 30 years. But the interest rate can be fixed for an arbitrary number of years, from 0 to 30. If 0, then it is floating and changes constantly. If 30, she is the highest. When we took it, the floating rate was 2 percent, about 30 percent for 4.5 years, and about 10 percent for 2 years. If the rate was fixed for less than 30 years, then after the expiration of the period it will be necessary to fix it again for a certain period or switch to a floating one. In this case, the mortgage can be beaten to pieces. For each part, you can fix the rate for a certain period. Also, for each part, payments can be annuity or differentiated. Initially, the bank gives just preliminary information and prior consent. There are no contracts or anything else.
After the bank, we just turned to an agency specializing in assistance in finding housing. Their main task is to connect the buyer with all the services he needs. It all starts with a realtor. As I said, you can do without it, but it's better with it. A good realtor knows a couple of dirty hacks that can help you get the right home. He also knows other realtors with whom he plays golf or something similar. They can give each other interesting information. There are many options for realtor assistance. We chose the one in which we ourselves are looking for the houses we are interested in, and he comes to view on request and if we are ready to go further, then he takes the following steps. The easiest way to search for houses is through the same site - funda.nl. Most will get there sooner or later. We looked after the house for 2 months. On the site, we looked at several hundred houses, personally went a dozen and a half. Of these, 4 or 5 were watched with an agent. A bet was made on one, and thanks to the agent's dirty hack, it was won. Have I talked about rates yet? And in vain, at the moment it is a very significant part of the buying process. Houses are exhibited at the bidding price (the starting rate in fact). Then there is something like a closed auction. Everyone who wants to buy a house offers his own price. It can be less, but in the current realities, the probability of being sent is close to 100%. Can be higher. And this is where the fun begins. First, you need to know that there is a norm for "above" in each city. In Amsterdam it could easily be +40 euros on top of the starting price. In our city, from a couple of thousand to 000. Secondly, you need to understand how many other applicants and how much they are overbidding; how much more bet. Thirdly, the bank gives a mortgage only in the amount of the appraised value of the house. And the evaluation is done after. Those. if the house is listed for 20K, the rate on it is 000K, and then it is valued at 100K, 140K will have to be paid out of pocket. Our agent used some trick from his arsenal so that he was able to find out how many people besides us bet on the house and what rates. So we just had to bet higher. Again, based on his experience and assessment of the situation in the area, he assumed that our rate would fit into the estimate, and guessed it, so we did not have to pay extra. In fact, the high rate is not everything. Homeowners evaluate other parameters as well.
For example, if someone is ready to pay the entire amount out of his own pocket, and the other has a mortgage, then most likely they will prefer a person with money, unless of course the difference in rates is small. If both have mortgages, then preference will be given to the one who is ready to refuse to terminate the contract if the bank does not give a mortgage (I will explain a little later). After winning a bid, there are three things: signing a contract to buy a house, estimating the house (estimation cost report) and assessing the condition of the house (construction report). I have already talked about evaluation. It is done by an independent agency and reflects more or less the real value of the house. A home condition assessment identifies structural defects and provides an estimate of the cost to fix them. Well, the contract is just a contract of sale. After its signing, there is no going back, except for a few nuances. The first one is defined by law and gives 3 working days to think (cool down period). During this time, you can change your mind without consequences. The second is related to mortgages.
As I said earlier, all previous communication with the bank is purely informative. But now, with the contract in hand, you can come to the bank and say - "give me money." I want this house for that kind of money. The bank takes time to think. At the same time, it may turn out that the contract bought the sale requires a security deposit of 10%. It can also be requested from the bank. After some thought, the bank either says that it agrees to everything, or sends it through the woods. Here, in the case of sending by forest, a special clause can be stipulated in the contract, which again allows you to painlessly break the contract. If there is no such item, the bank refused a mortgage and there is no money of your own, then you will have to pay just the same 10%.
After receiving approval from the bank, and maybe before, you need to find a notary to complete the transaction and a sworn translator. For us, all this, including estimates, was done by our agency. After finding a notary, he needs to provide all the information on the transaction, including all sorts of different invoices and documents. The notary sums up the result and says how much money he needs to transfer. The bank also transfers money to the notary. On the appointed date, the buyer, seller and translator gather at the notary, read the contract, sign it, hand over the keys and disperse. The notary passes the transaction through the registers, makes sure everything is in order and the ownership of the house (and possibly the land, depending on the purchase) is transferred, after which he transfers the money to all parties involved. This is preceded by a home inspection process. On this, in general, everything. From pleasant. Personal presence was required only when viewing the houses, signing the contract (the agent brought it to our house) and visiting the notary. Everything else is via phone or email. Then, after a while, a letter arrives from the registry, which confirms the fact of ownership.
Transport
All is well with transport. There is a lot of it and it goes according to the schedule. There are applications that allow you to get directions and track the situation. During my stay here, I did not feel the need to have a car. Perhaps in some cases it would be nice, but if it was absolutely necessary, then it would be possible to close these cases by renting or car sharing. The main modes of transport are trains and buses. In Amsterdam (and possibly other big cities) there are metros and trams.
Trains are either regular (Sprinter) or intercity (InterCity). The first ones stop at each station, they can also stand at some stations and wait for another sprinter to arrange a transfer. Intercity go from city to city without stopping. The time difference can be quite noticeable. It takes me 30-40 minutes to get home on a sprinter, 20 minutes to the intercity. There are also international ones, but I didn’t use them.
Buses are also intracity, intercity and international. Trams are quite popular in Amsterdam. When I lived in an apartment provided by the company, I often used them.
I use the metro every day. There are 4 lines in Amsterdam. Not very long compared to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Some of the lines go underground, some on the ground. From the convenient that the subway docks with trains at some stations. Those. you can get off the subway train, go to the next platform and go further by train. Or vice versa.
The disadvantage of transport is essentially one - it is expensive. But you have to pay for comfort ... A tram ride around Amsterdam from end to end is about 4 euros. The road from home to work is about 6 euros. It doesn’t really bother me, since my employer pays for my trips, but in general, you can spend several hundred euros a month on trips.
The price of a trip is usually proportional to its length. First, a landing fee is taken, approximately 1 euro, and then it goes for mileage. Payment is mainly made using OV-chipkaart.
A contactless card that can be topped up. If it is personal (not anonymous), then you can set up auto-replenishment from a bank account. You can also buy tickets at the station or in public transport. In many cases, this can only be done with a local bank card. Visa / Mastercard and cash may not work. There are also business cards. There is a slightly different calculation system - first you drive, and then you pay. Either you drive and the company pays.
It's expensive to have a car here. If you take into account depreciation, taxes, fuel and insurance, then owning something used with moderate mileage will cost about 250 euros per month. Owning a new car from 400 and more. This does not include the cost of parking. Parking in the center of Amsterdam for example could easily be 6 euros per hour.
Well, the king of transport here is a bicycle. There are a huge number of them here: ordinary, sports, "grandmother's", electric, cargo, three-wheeled, etc. For trips around the city, this is probably the most popular mode of transport. Also popular folding bikes. I got to the train, folded it, got off the train, unpacked it and drove on. You can also carry ordinary ones on the train / metro, though not at rush hour. Many people buy a used bicycle, get to the transport, park it there and then go by transport. We have an entire garage filled with bicycles: 2 adults (pretty used), a cargo one if you need to carry a pack of children within the city and a set of children. All are actively used.
Shops
I am not a frequent visitor, but I can probably tell the general impression. In fact, you can divide stores (as probably everywhere else) into 3 types: supermarkets, small shops and online stores. Small ones I probably never even visited. Although, as they say, there you can, for example, buy the same meat or bread of higher quality. By the way, there are markets, in our city 1-2 times a week, where you can buy food and other goods from private traders. That's where the wife goes. Supermarkets are not particularly distinguished from a number of counterparts in other countries. A fairly large selection of products and goods, discounts on various of them, etc. Online shopping is probably the most convenient thing here. Everything can be bought there. There are those that specialize in food (they tried it a couple of times, everything seems to be normal, but it didn’t become a habit), there are some categories of goods, there are aggregators (the most popular is probably bol.com, a kind of analogue of Amazon, the normal version of which is by the way No). Some stores combine the presence of branches with an online store (MediaMarkt, Albert Heijn), some do not.
Delivery of almost everything happens through the mail. Works which just with a bang. Everything is usually fast and clear (but of course there are incidents). The first time they deliver (yes, themselves, at home) when it is convenient for them. If no one is at home, they leave a piece of paper that they say they were, but they did not find anyone. After that, you can choose the time and day of delivery yourself through the application or on the website. If you miss, then you already have to go to the department with your legs. By the way, they can leave the parcel to the neighbors so as not to travel once again. In this case, the recipient is given a piece of paper with the number of the apartment / house of the neighbors. Sometimes there are deliveries through transport companies. It's more fun with them. They can throw a parcel in the garden or under the door, they can just throw a piece of paper that no one was at home without even ringing the doorbell. True, if you call and quarrel, they still bring it in the end.
In our case, we buy part of the products on the market (mostly perishable), some in supermarkets and order some (something that is difficult to find in ordinary stores). We probably order and buy household goods in half. We almost completely order clothes, shoes, furniture, appliances and other large items. In Russia and Cyprus, probably > 95% of goods were bought offline, here it is much less, which is very convenient. You don’t have to go anywhere, everything will be brought home, you don’t have to think about how to carry it all on yourself in the absence of a car.
Medicine
Quite a sick and holivar topic 🙂 First, about the system. Everyone should have medical insurance (well, or something close to this statement, I didn’t go into details, there may be exceptions). My wife and I have it, children under 18 automatically get the best that their parents have for free. Insurance is basic and advanced (top up).
The basic one costs something around 100 euros per month, plus or minus. And all insurance companies. Its cost and what it covers are determined by the state. These things are reviewed every year. Those for whom this is not enough can add various options to it. Here, each insurance company offers its own sets, with different contents and at different prices. Usually it is 30-50 euros per month, but of course, if you wish, you can find a package for a much larger amount. There is also such a thing as own risk (essentially a franchise). The standard is 385 euros per year, but you can increase this amount, then the cost of insurance will be lower. This amount determines how much money you have to pay out of your pocket before the insurance starts paying. There are also nuances here, for example, children do not have this, a home doctor does not count, etc.
So, we gave money. What do they give for it? First you need to register with the clinic, more precisely, with the family doctor (huisarts). And also to the dentist. By default, you can only go to those doctors to whom you are assigned. If they are on the weekend, on vacation, on sick leave, etc., then you can try to get to someone else. And yes, except for the family doctor, you can’t go to anyone (without his referral). At least in terms of insurance. The family doctor conducts an initial examination, prescribes paracetamol (or does not prescribe), and sends him to walk more or lie down more. Most visits end like this. The diagnosis is nothing to worry about, it will go away on its own. If it hurts, take paracetamol. If, in their opinion, something more serious, then they will either prescribe something stronger, or offer to come in case of deterioration. If you need specialist advice, you will be referred to a specialist. If everything is very sad - go to the hospital.
In general, the system surprisingly works. We have probably encountered most aspects of local medicine and it is quite good. If they undertake to do an examination, then they take the matter more than seriously. If the doctor does not know what to do, then he is absolutely not shy about sending the patient to another doctor, transferring all the data received by him electronically. We were once sent from a children's clinic in our city to a more advanced clinic in Amsterdam. The ambulance is good too. It was we who did not call the ambulance, since it is for very emergency cases, but we had a chance to go to the emergency room when the child injured his leg with a bicycle on the weekend. We arrived in a taxi, waited a bit, visited a therapist, took an x-ray, got a cast on my leg and left. Everything is fast and to the point.
There is certainly a feeling that there is some kind of trickery. Living in Russia, and even in Cyprus, you somehow get used to the fact that any sore heals at the very least, I don’t want a huge amount of medicine. And you have to constantly run to the doctor for checkups. And here it is not. And perhaps that's for the best. Actually, the holiness of the topic is precisely this. People have a feeling of inadequacy. And sometimes, of course, the system fails in the opposite direction. It happens that you come across family doctors who until the last refuse to see the problem until it's too late. Some in such cases go and do an examination in another country. Then they bring the results and finally get to a specialist. Incidentally, insurance covers receiving medical care abroad (within the cost of similar care in the Netherlands). We have already brought bills for treatment from Russia several times, which we were compensated for.
Children
All is well with the children. If you look in general, there is something for children to do here and a lot of things are done for children. Let's go with the official system of employment of children. I myself am a little confused in Russian / English / Dutch terms, so I'll just try to give a description of the system itself. Something can be understood from the picture.
So, the paid maternity and parental leave here is very short - 16 weeks for everything about everything. After that, mom (dad) either stays at home with the child, or sends him to a full-time kindergarten. This pleasure is more than free and can easily cost 1000-1500 per month. But there is a caveat, if both parents work, then you can get a hefty tax deduction and the price will drop by almost 2-3 times. I myself have not come across this institution or the deduction, so I will not vouch for the numbers, but the order is something like this. In general, in this institution, a child is ready to nurse around the clock (the price tag will still grow). Up to 2 years there are no other options (nanny, private kindergartens and other personal initiatives do not count).
From the age of 2, the child can be sent to the so-called preparatory school. In fact, this is the same kindergarten, but you can go there only for 4 hours a day, 2 times a week. Under some circumstances, you can get up to 4-5 days a week, but still only 4 hours. We went to such a school, it went quite well. It is also not free, part of the cost is compensated by the municipality, it turns out something like 70-100 euros per month.
From the age of 4, a child can go to school. This usually happens the day after the birthday. It may, in principle, not go until 5 years, but from 5 years it is already obligatory. The first years at school is also like a kindergarten, only in the school building. Those. In fact, the child simply gets used to the new environment. In general, there is no special study here until the age of 12. Yes, they learn something at school.
There is no homework, they walk during breaks, sometimes go on excursions, play. In general, no one is too stressed. And then comes the well-fed polar animal. Around the age of 11-12, children take CITO tests. Based on the results of these tests and the recommendation of the school, the child will have 3 further paths. The school from 4 to 12, by the way, is called basisschool (primary school in English). We have encountered this, so far it is quite satisfied. The child likes it.
After it comes the turn of middelbareschool (secondary school). There are just 3 types of them: VMBO, HAVO, VWO. From which one the child gets into, it depends on which higher educational institution he can get into. VMBO -> MBO (something like a college or technical school). HAVO -> HBO (university of applied science, in Russian there is probably no special analogue, something like a specialist at an ordinary university). VWO -> WO (University, full university). Naturally, transition options are possible within this entire zoo, but personally, we have not yet grown up to this.
People
The people here are fine. Polite and friendly. At least the majority. There are a lot of nationalities here, so you can’t figure it out right off the bat. Yes, and there is no special desire. On the Internet, you can read a lot about the native Dutch, that they are quite peculiar people. There is probably something in this, but in real life it is not particularly striking. In general, everyone (or almost everyone) smiles and waves.
Position in Europe
The Netherlands is a member of the EU, the Eurozone and the Schengen area. Those. fulfill all agreements within the European Union, have the euro as a currency, and you can travel here on a Schengen visa. Nothing unusual. The residence permit of the Netherlands can also be used as a Schengen visa, i.е. safely ride around Europe.
Internet
I can't really say anything about him. My requirements for it are very moderate. I use the minimum package from my operator (Internet 50 Mbps and some TV). It costs 46.5 euros. The quality is normal. There were no breaks. Operators provide more or less the same services at more or less the same prices. But the service may be different. When I connected, I got the Internet in 3 days. Other operators can do and month. For a colleague, I had something for two months to make it work. Mobile Internet is probably the cheapest that Tele2 has - 25 euros unlimited (5 GB per day) via the Internet, calls and SMS. The rest are more expensive. In general, there are no problems with the quality, but the prices bite compared to Russian ones. Compared to Cyprus, the quality is better, the price tag is similar, maybe more expensive.
Security
In general, this is also all right. Accidents do happen, of course, but they don't seem to happen very often. As in Cyprus, they mostly live in houses / apartments with wooden or glass doors with locks so that the door does not open with the wind. There are more prosperous areas and less prosperous areas.
Citizenship
Everything seems to be fine with this as well. At first, as usual, a temporary residence permit is given. The duration depends on the contract. If the contract is not permanent, but for 1-2 years, then they will give that much. If permanent, then for 5 years. After 5 years (there are rumors about 7), you can either continue to receive temporary residence permits, or obtain a permanent residence permit, or obtain citizenship. With temporary everything is clear. With constant in general too. It is almost like citizenship, only you cannot vote and work in government structures. And most likely you will have to pass a language proficiency test. In the case of citizenship, everything is also easy. You need to pass a language proficiency exam (level A2, there are rumors about an increase to B1). And renounce other citizenships. Theoretically, there are options not to do this, but in most cases it is still necessary. By themselves, all procedures are simple. And yes, the times are short. Especially when compared, for example, with Switzerland.
Prices
What is precious to one, not so much to another. And vice versa. Everyone has their own standard of living and consumption, so there will be further subjective assessments.
Flat rent
Expensive. Prices for separate housing (not a room) start in Amsterdam from 1000 euros. And they end at 10. I would be guided, if I go with my family, at 000-1500. The price strongly depends on the location, type of house, year of construction, availability of furniture, energy class and other parameters. But you can not live in Amsterdam. For example, within 2000 km. Then the lower limit is shifted towards 50 euros. When we moved, we rented a house (semi-detached house) with 750 bedrooms and a very decent area for about 1500. In Amsterdam, for that kind of money, I saw only a 4-bedroom apartment somewhere in the north. And that was a rarity.
Machine maintenance
Also expensive. If you take depreciation, taxes, insurance, maintenance and gasoline, you will get about 350-500 euros per month for an ordinary car. Let's take a car worth 24 euros (it can be cheaper, but there is very little choice). Suppose that she lives for 000 years and runs 18 with a run of 180 per year. after that, it will cost ridiculous money, so we believe that it was fully depreciated. It turns out 000 euros. Insurance costs 10-000 euros, let's say 110. Transport tax is about 80 euros (depending on the weight of the car). MOT let's say 100 euros per year (from the ceiling, according to Russian and Cypriot experience), 90 per month. Gasoline 30-240 euros per liter. Consumption let it be 20 liters per hundred. 1.6*1.7*7/1.6 = 7. Total 10000 + 100 + 112 +110 + 90 = 30 euros. This is essentially the minimum. Most likely, the car will change more often, maintenance will be more expensive, gasoline and insurance will grow, etc. Based on all this, I didn’t get a car, because I don’t see a special need for it. Most transport needs are covered by bicycle and public transport. If you need to go somewhere for a short time, there is car sharing, if for a long time, then rent a car. If urgent, then Uber.
By the way, rights are exchanged elementarily in the presence of 30% of the ruling. Otherwise, training and exams, if the rights are not European.
Electricity
Something like 25 cents per kilowatt. Depends on the provider. We spend something around 60 euros per month. Many people use solar panels. At the moment, you can donate electricity to the network (they seem to want to cover it). If the return is less than consumption, then it is given at the price of consumption. If more, then 7 cents. In the winter months (of course it depends on the number of panels) it can run up to 100 kWh per month. In the summer and all 400.
Water
A little more than a euro per cubic meter. We spend about 15 euros per month. Drinking water. Many people (including myself) just drink water from the tap. The water tastes good. When I come to Russia, the difference is felt instantly - in Russia, the water tastes like rust (at least in the place where I consume it).
Hot water and heating
Everything is different here. There may be a gas boiler in the house, then you have to pay for gas. There may be an ITP, then central heating is brought into the house, and hot water is heated from the ITP. Hot water and heating can come separately. It takes us about 120 euros if we average.
Internet
The price tag varies from provider to provider. My 50 Mbps costs 46.5 euros, 1000 Mbps costs 76.5 euros.
Garbage removal
There are, in principle, several municipal taxes, garbage collection is included in them. For everything it turns out 40-50 euros per month. Garbage here by the way is collected separately. Each municipality may be slightly different. But in general, the division is as follows: biowaste, plastic, paper, glass, etc. Paper, plastic and glass are recycled. Gas is obtained from biowaste. The remains of biowaste and other garbage are burned to generate electricity. The resulting gas is generally used as well. Batteries, light bulbs and small electronics can be thrown away in supermarkets, many have bins. Bulky garbage or carry to the site, or order a car through the municipality.
School and kindergarten
Kindergarten is expensive, something like 1000 per child per month. If both parents work, it is partially offset from taxes. Preparatory school less than 100 euros per month. School is free if local. International about 3000-5000 per year, I didn’t know for sure.
Мобильный телефон
Prepaid 10-20 cents per minute. Postpaid is different. The cheapest unlimited is 25 euros per month. There are operators who are more expensive.
Products
We spend 600-700 euros per month for 5 people. I really do have lunch at work for token money. Well, it can be less, if you set a goal. You can have more if you want delicacies every day.
Household goods
If necessary, 40-60 euros per month will be enough.
Small items, consumables, clothing, etc.
Somewhere around 600-800 euros per month runs into the family. Again, this can vary greatly.
Classes for children
From 10 to 100 euros per lesson, depending on what you do. The choice of what to do is more than large.
Medications
Oddly enough, almost free. Something is seriously covered by insurance (with the exception of eigen risico). There is paracetamol, and it is cheap. Of course, we carry something from Russia, but in general, compared to Russia and Cyprus, the costs are small.
Hygiene products
Also probably 40-60 euros per month. But here, again, according to needs.
In general, for a family of 5 you need something around 3500-4000 euros per month. 3500 is somewhere along the lower border. You can live, but not very comfortable. You can live quite comfortably at 4000. There are additional benefits from the employer (payment for food, travel expenses, bonuses, etc.) that's even better.
The salary of a lead developer is on average about 60 - 000 euros. Depends on the company. 90 are goons, don't go to them. 000 is pretty good. In large offices, it seems like you can have more. If you work under a contract, you can have much more.
Conclusion
What can I say in conclusion? The Netherlands is more than a comfortable country. Whether it works for you, I don't know. It seems to suit me. So far I haven't found anything here that I don't like. Well, except for the weather. Whether it is worth going here depends on what you are looking for here. Again, I kind of found what I was looking for (except for the weather). The weather for me personally is probably nicer than the Cypriot one, but unfortunately it does not suit everyone. Well, in principle, in my opinion, going to another country to live there for several years is more than an interesting experience. Whether you need this experience is up to you. Whether you want to go back - it happens for everyone. I know both those who stayed (both in Cyprus and the Netherlands) and those who returned (again, both from there and from there).
And finally, briefly about what you need to move. To do this, you will need three things: desire, language (English or the country where you are going) and work skills. And exactly in that order. If you don't want to, you won't do it. You can't even learn a language if you don't know it. Without a language, no matter how cool a specialist you are (well, well, maybe this item is not needed for geniuses), you will not be able to explain this to a future employer. And finally, skills are what you actually interest the employer in. Some countries may require different bureaucratic things, including a diploma. For others, it may not be necessary.
So if you have item one available, then try it, and everything will work out 🙂
Source: habr.com