So you’ve been told your salary will be €4,500 a month but when you look at your bank account, you see an amount that is way, way lower than that. Here’s how to decipher your salarisstrook or pay slip. Every employee in the Netherlands receives a pay slip each month – nowadays usually by email. Most of us only check the net amount, but the document contains a lot of other figures, percentages and weird acronyms as well. Here’s a... More >

Have you found yourself talking in ‘expat speak’? Linguistic theory suggests that there is an important place for it. A few years ago, via a mutual friend, I was reunited with a fellow English expat also living in the Netherlands. After a series of underwhelming exchanges, I became impatient with his slow, over-enunciated speech, now tinged with a North-American twang that was at odds with his British upbringing. A rising inflection with every sentence, apparently seeking confirmation, made me wonder... More >

Burned-out Dutch celebrities or those battling addictions can find help at one of the most beautiful places on the planet. White River Manor is an exclusive addiction treatment centre in South Africa, located in the picturesque town of White River in Mpumalanga Province offering modern luxury addiction and wellness treatment at a fraction of the international cost. Founded in 2015, White River Manor has established itself as a leading facility for those seeking discreet intervention for addiction and executive burnout.... More >

The Keukenhof bulb park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Netherlands and work is now beginning on getting ready for next year’s flowering season. If you have any tulip bulbs that need planting, now is the time to do it. With summer officially over, the planting season has begun. This means the gardeners of the Keukenhof Botanical Garden have been hard at work setting up the flower display for next spring. The centre piece of the... More >

There are dozens of presentations and engaging workshops at the I am not a tourist Expat Fair 2019 in Amsterdam on Sunday. Check out some of the events on offer. This year the I am not a tourist Expat Fair in Amsterdam includes a wide variety of workshops and presentations, all geared towards making your transition to life in the Netherlands easier. More than 40 professionals will introduce you to everything you need to know about their area of expertise:... More >

The world is global, and so are today’s marriages. When it comes to getting divorced this can make it complicated. But even if you are not Dutch and if you got married in another country, you may be able to divorce here. Here’s what you need to know. If you want to get divorced, and you live in the Netherlands, you need to: 1 – Confirm if you can get divorced in the Netherlands 2 – Get a lawyer. You... More >

The English language has a Hooray Henry and a Johnny come lately but Dutch also hitches – usually pejorative – epithets to otherwise innocuous first names. Some suffer more than others. Here’s a few samples. Jan Hen: a henpecked man. Jan Lul: Literally, Jan Dick, also known as Jan met de korte achternaam (Jan with the short last name) for the euphemistically inclined. You are usually made to look like one, i.e. ridiculous. Jan Doedel: a clumsy person. Jan Modaal:... More >

Serious art, serious spending on art and art to keep you amused at the seaside are among the offerings in October. Find out what do do with your dosh The John Adams Institute in Amsterdam is hosting American author of the book The Purpose of Capital Jed Emerson to discuss ‘impact investing’ i.e. getting your money’s worth but in a nice way. He is billed as outspoken en ‘sometimes cantankerous’ so that should be fun. October 1. Website Come to... More >

White rolls and herring – they are more than just another quick Dutch meal in Leiden. Every year on the 3rd October, everyone who signs up is entitled to this free fish dinner to celebrate the city’s liberation from a Spanish siege in 1574. Leiden’s sense of community is on full display every October, with a day off for feasting on fish and local stamppot, beer, and partying. This neighbourly spirit, as well as charming old buildings, quiet canals and... More >

Plugging a knowledge gap in the Dutch workforce, Indian migrants make up one of the fastest-growing expat groups in the Netherlands. So how does this new community experience the Netherlands and its changing cultural landscape? In October 2009, a giant tent went up in the centre of Amstelveen for the town’s first Diwali festival. Inside, the group of organisers – a mix of council officials and Indian residents – turned to each other nervously. Would the 900-person tent dwarf the... More >

Earlier this week the government announced a package of measures which it plans to implement in 2020, some of which were new, some of which had already been published and some of which had been leaked. Here is a round up of the main tax changes for 2020 and how they will affect your finances. 1 Fewer tax brackets From next year, the tax office will only work with two tax brackets (it is currently four). Earnings up to €68,507... More >

You may have never heard of Kasteel de Haar, but it’s the largest castle in the Netherlands, with a long and entertaining history. Today the castle is partly open to the public and photos of the jet set celebrities who visited line the walls in a hallway in the former stables, which house a cafe.  During his first visit to Kasteel de Haar in 1960, Gregory Peck got lost while searching for the bathroom in his bedchamber. To be fair,... More >

The annual ‘i am not a tourist’ Expat Fair for Internationals returns to the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam, for its 17th edition! Sunday 6th October 2019 will soon be rolling round again and with it the annual ´i am not a tourist´ Expat Fair for Internationals, Amsterdam edition. Now in its 17th year the Expat Fair has more on offer than ever. Whether you are thinking of settling in The Netherlands, in the process of settling in, or have long... More >

Anyone who follows developments on the housing market cannot have failed to notice that mortgage interest rates are still going down. But what can you actually get for your money? Check out a mortgage interest rate comparison website and the trend is obvious. There is plenty of choice on a 10-year fixed mortgage for rock-bottom rates – and not just from the providers you may never have heard of. A 10-year mortgage of €600,000 will cost you around 1.7% from... More >

When an employer and employee sign an employment contract, both are bound by this contract, including the terms and conditions of employment. So what happens when an employer wants to change the employment conditions that were agreed? Can an employer change employment conditions? Under Dutch employment law, an employer can always change employment conditions in consultation with the employee (with the employee’s consent). In addition, an employer can also sometimes change the employment conditions unilaterally (without the employee’s agreement). This... More >

Whether you have always dreamed of being an actor, or simply want to become more effective in giving pitches or at public speaking, a school of acting in Amsterdam might just be the answer. You don’t have to go to Hollywood, Bollywood, New York or London to become a successful actor – the Mulholland Academy in Amsterdam can help you on your way. Indeed, several Mulholland Academy students have already successfully auditioned for roles in films after just a few... More >

Rebekah was born in Ireland, grew up in England and met her Cornish husband in Catalonia. They now live in the Netherlands, in Dutch suburbia, with their two differently wired, small kids. She spends her days parenting, writing and being amazed at all the Dutchness around her. She writes at Write Now Rebekah. One afternoon, at school pick up, my son’s teacher asked me, ‘Can you come on the school trip? We need another volunteer.’ I said, ‘Yes’. And tried... More >