In this guide
Hi, I’m Sarah van den Berg
[Photo of Sarah — Amsterdam, 2024]
I’m a certified relocation consultant and expat coach based in Utrecht. Half Dutch, half British, I’ve spent the last eight years navigating life in the Netherlands as a genuine outsider — even if the surname sounds like I belong here.
I moved from London to Amsterdam in 2018. I had a job offer, a suitcase, and the naive assumption that because my mother is Dutch, this would all be easy. It wasn’t. My DigiD application disappeared into a bureaucratic void for three weeks. My health insurance paperwork came back rejected twice because I’d ticked the wrong box. I rented a flat in De Pijp that turned out to have illegal sublet terms. I overpaid on currency exchange for six months before someone told me about Wise.
None of that was catastrophic. But it was exhausting — and it didn’t have to be. That experience is why I built Expat Netherlands Hub.
My Background
Before moving to the Netherlands, I worked in corporate HR and employee mobility in London, helping companies relocate staff to new countries. I knew the process from the employer side. Moving myself was a different education entirely.
After settling in Amsterdam, I started volunteering with expat community groups, helping newcomers deal with the same hurdles I’d stumbled through. In 2020, I completed my certification as a relocation consultant through the European Relocation Association (EuRA). Since then, I’ve worked directly with over 500 expats on relocations to the Netherlands — everything from visa applications and housing searches to tax registration and school enrollment for their children.
In 2022, I moved to Utrecht, where I still live. I now run a small consultancy alongside this site.
In summary:
- Half-Dutch, half-British. Grew up in London.
- Moved to Amsterdam in 2018. Based in Utrecht since 2022.
- Certified relocation consultant (EuRA)
- 8 years of personal expat experience in the Netherlands
- Worked with 500+ expats across all phases of relocation
- Fluent in English and Dutch. Conversational German.
- Former corporate HR and employee mobility specialist
What This Site Is
Expat Netherlands Hub is a practical resource for people moving to or living in the Netherlands. Everything here is written from personal experience and from the experience of clients I’ve worked with directly.
I focus on the questions that actually come up:
- Housing: How do you find a rental when landlords want three months’ salary as income proof and you haven’t started your job yet? What does kaal delivery mean and why is there no flooring?
- Finance: How does the 30% ruling actually work? Which bank will open an account for you before you have a BSN? How do you file a Dutch tax return?
- Health insurance: Which insurer is actually good? What does eigen risico mean in practice? Can you use it for dental?
- Daily life: Where do you buy groceries online? How does the OV-chipkaart work? What are the unwritten rules of cycling?
- Integration: How long does Dutch take to learn? What’s the difference between inburgeringsexamen and NT2? Is it even worth trying when everyone switches to English?
I also run a set of free tools — calculators and checkers built specifically for expats — including a 30% ruling calculator, a health insurance comparison wizard, and a housing budget checker.
How I Write
I’m not a content farm. I write every article myself, based on things I’ve actually done or helped clients through.
When I write about the Dutch tax system, it’s because I’ve filed my own returns and sat with clients while they filed theirs. When I recommend a bank account, it’s because I’ve used it or my clients have. When I say something is a bureaucratic nightmare, I say so plainly — I don’t soften it to protect affiliate relationships.
I try to write the way I’d explain something to a friend who’s just landed at Schiphol. Direct, specific, and honest about where things are likely to go wrong.
Guides and Tools
This site is organized into a few main areas:
- Housing guides — finding a rental, understanding contracts, cost of living, neighborhoods
- Finance guides — Dutch tax system, the 30% ruling, banking for expats, sending money home
- Daily life guides — cycling, public transport, grocery delivery, healthcare
- Integration guides — Dutch language learning, work culture, bureaucracy timelines
- Career and work guides — working in the Netherlands, employment contracts, rights
- Free expat tools — calculators and checklists to plan your move
If there’s a topic you’re struggling with that I haven’t covered, email me. Most of my best articles started as a question from a reader.
Affiliate Disclosure
Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you sign up for a service through my link — a bank account, an insurance policy, a currency exchange service — I earn a small commission. You pay exactly the same price you would going directly, and in some cases there’s an exclusive discount through my link.
This is how the site stays free and the guides stay updated. It doesn’t change what I recommend. I have turned down affiliate partnerships with services I wouldn’t use myself, and I say so when something I’d normally recommend doesn’t have a good affiliate program.
Every affiliate relationship is disclosed on the relevant page.
Contact
Questions about moving to the Netherlands? Spotted something outdated? Want to suggest a topic?
Email me at: sarah@expatnetherlandshub.com
I read every email. I can’t always reply quickly — especially during busy relocation seasons (September and January tend to be hectic) — but I do read them all and they shape what I write next.
If you’re looking for one-to-one relocation support, I offer consultations through my consultancy. Email me and I’ll send you details.