Your one-stop guide to life in the Netherlands
We're Ramya & Raghav, a couple who moved from India to the Netherlands and figured it all out the hard way. This is the guide we wish we'd had.
Everything, roughly in the order you'll need it
From your first week of paperwork to finding a job, handling money, choosing a city and soaking up Dutch culture. Everything for building a life here, from people who did it.
Getting Started
Paperwork, registration, healthcare, housing, kids & language.
ExploreJobs & Visas
Work permits, the visa routes Indians use, and avoiding job scams.
ExploreMoney Matters
Taxes, the expat ruling, cost of living, sending money home.
ExploreCities
Where Indians settle, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Rotterdam & more.
ExploreCommunity & Culture
Temples, festivals and the Indian community that makes it home.
ExploreTravel & Transport
Public transport, driving, weekend trips and visitor visas.
ExploreThe guides people ask us about most
Should you move abroad? An honest gut-check
Before the paperwork, the harder question: is moving abroad actually right for you? An honest checklist on money, culture, language, mindset, tax and savings.
Read guideYour first 30 days in the Netherlands
The exact order to do things (residence permit, gemeente registration, BSN, bank, health insurance, DigiD) so nothing blocks anything else.
Read guideHealth insurance, explained
It's mandatory, you have 4 months, and it costs around €155–165/month. Here's how the basic package, the €385 deductible and the zorgtoeslag allowance fit together.
Read guideBringing your dog (or cat) from India
Relocating a pet from India to the Netherlands is very doable, but the rabies antibody test and 3-month wait catch people out. Start about four months early.
Read guideHow the Dutch medical system works
Your GP is the gatekeeper, referrals rule everything, and yes, you'll hear 'rest and paracetamol' a lot. What to expect, and how it differs from India.
Read guideApostille & legalising your documents
Your birth and marriage certificates need an apostille from India's MEA before you move. Get this wrong and your gemeente registration stalls. Here's the process.
Read guideSpotting job scams & fake offer letters
Fake overseas job offers target Indians hard. The red flags, the never-pay rules, and how to check whether an employer and offer are real.
Read guideThe 30% ruling (and the 27% change)
The biggest tax break for skilled migrants, how it works in 2026, the salary threshold, the drop to 27% from 2027, and the driving-licence perk nobody mentions.
Read guideSending money to India
The cheapest, legit ways to remit from the Netherlands, the one number that actually matters, and how NRE vs NRO accounts work.
Read guideAmsterdam & Amstelveen
The default landing spot for many, world-class connectivity and a big Indian community, but the tightest, priciest housing in the country.
Read guideTemples, festivals & staying connected to home
You don't leave your traditions behind. The Indian and Hindu community here celebrates the big festivals in style, and there are temples and events that make the Netherlands feel like home.
Read guidePlaces worth visiting in the Netherlands
The day trips and weekends we keep going back to: tulip fields, windmill villages and island beaches, each with our own video so you can see it first.
Read guideGetting around: OVpay & public transport
The OV-chipkaart is on its way out. In 2026 you just tap a contactless card. Here's how buses, trams and trains actually work.
Read guideDriving on an Indian licence
The rule that catches Indians out, and the 30% ruling loophole that lets you swap your licence with no Dutch test at all.
Read guideThe guide we wish we'd had
When we moved from India, the information was scattered, often outdated, and rarely written by people who'd actually lived it. So we started sharing what we learned, first on YouTube, now here. No jargon, no gatekeeping, just honest help for the next person making the leap.
Prefer to watch?
We share our Netherlands journey on YouTube, practical, honest, and from two people who actually did it. Come say hi.