Holland

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Quick question...

How easy is it to get a job in Holland without a word of Dutch or any other language? Ive heard mixed reports. Have a lot of office experience and a little in art....?

Many thanks,

Ip.

anto9

For office work you need Dutch .Even for unskilled factory work its hard to get a job without Dutch .I suppose you know that if you do get a job at least 50% is taken off for tax ,health insurance etc ,in Holland ..

DublinWriter

Belgium would be a better bet, and even then you'd probably have to look for a job working for an American multi-national.

I worked for a few years in Brussels with leaving cert French and no Flemish (heavily accented Dutch). You were safer talking to strangers in English as people from both communities would be offended a little if you spoke to them in 'the other language'.

And yes, income tax is about 50% there, but the health-care system is the mutt's nuts. When you work it out, we pay roughly the same in taxes here when you factor in all the other taxes we pay besides PAYE. I think it was Eddie Hobbes who said that in Ireland you have to earn two Euro if you want to buy something that costs a Euro.

craichoe

As an Irish expat living and working in the Netherlands, i'd have to disagree with both statements above.

1. Foreigners are eligible for the 30% ruling, as in 30% of your Pay is non taxable, works out quite favorably. This is for jobs whereby they cannot find skills in the locality to satisfy the requirements of the job. The tax is 52% at its highest, but its not as simple as that, it depends on how much your earning, the lowest is around 32% I believe. You'll find Irelands highest tax bracket is around the same.

2. The Healthcare system is great, but if you earn over a certain limit you need private healthcare, usually half covered by your employer and still quite cheap.

3. Everyone speaks English, theres LOADS of expats here for a number of years that never learned Dutch because they never have to. However if you have kids its favorable to learn it for doctors, schools, tax etc.

4. Cost of living is lower, Albert Heijn is a rip off, c1000, plus, aldi and lidl are great places to shop.

5. Apartments are unfurnished, alot of people are put off by this, but what it means is usually anyway. Theres a cooker, washer, dryer, sink etc. You just need but a bed, couch and tv and a kitchen table. Fully furnished apartments are way more expensive as your renting the furniture too and you have little or no rights in fully furnished place. IKEA is the job for furnishing a place and works out for nothing if your keeping the stuff over a year.

6. Public transport is miles ahead of Ireland, a monthly ticket for 1 zone (what i use for work) does for the Tram and Bus, very convenient. 35 euro per month and its tax deductable.

7. Most websites are in english and dutch, all the tv shows are in English with Dutch subtitles, unless its locally produced.

8. Owning a car in Holland is very expensive ! Diesel is 1.16 a litre and Petrol is 1.51 a litre. Thats before all the other taxes you pay on your car.

The language in the Office that i work in is English and German. Overall its a nice place to live. Amsterdam and Rotterdam wouldn't be my cup of tea, but, The Hague, Delft and Utrecht are all nice places to live.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Thanks all for the help.

I'm not really confirmed on location yet - I just want a nice liberal lifestyle!

Not bothered about tax (exspecailly if forwigners get tax breaks!) more worried about not earning in the first place. They can take 50% if the trains get me around, the cancer checks are right and it's not funding the PM's pay rise - why do you think I want otu of Ireland??!

My main problem is only being skilled in office work, although I'd take a basic job while I learnt, I'd need at least a basic job. I lived in Denmark and couldn't even get that due to a lack of Danish.

Belgium, I'm told, is dull - no offence!

Thanks again,

Ip.

DublinWriter

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Belgium, I'm told, is dull - no offence!

Don't knock it till you try it!

From my own personal experiences of living and working in both places, Holland is by far duller than Belgium. For those in the know, it still remains Western Europe's best secret.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

DublinWriter wrote: »

Don't knock it till you try it!

From my own personal experiences of living and working in both places, Holland is by far duller than Belgium. For those in the know, it still remains Western Europe's best secret.

Will keep that in mind, ta - but the big question is how the react to a monolingual Irishman looking for a job! Have they sorted out the government yet in the first place?

craichoe

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Will keep that in mind, ta - but the big question is how the react to a monolingual Irishman looking for a job! Have they sorted out the government yet in the first place?

No, and it doesn't look like they will anytime soon.

Besides .. If you live in Holland, Belgiums next door.

We were in Antwerp yesterday, was 1hr 20 minutes drive from our door (in the Hague) to Antwerp City Centre.

First thing we bumped into when we were there .. 2 Irish bars .. 2 doors away from each other .. ffs

DublinWriter

craichoe wrote: »

First thing we bumped into when we were there .. 2 Irish bars .. 2 doors away from each other .. ffs

There's lots of cosy Belgian bars in Antwerp.

The last think I'd want is to in Belgium is to be be swilling down overpriced Heineken by the pint and being deafened by some game on Sentanta Sports.

If you're ever in Brussels, avoid the 8+ Irish bars there too with the exception of Kitty O'Sheas.

craichoe

DublinWriter wrote: »

There's lots of cosy Belgian bars in Antwerp.

The last think I'd want is to in Belgium is to be be swilling down overpriced Heineken by the pint and being deafened by some game on Sentanta Sports.

If you're ever in Brussels, avoid the 8+ Irish bars there too with the exception of Kitty O'Sheas.

Heineken ! Heathen !

Leffe or Hoegaarten .. or anything Belgian

Yeh the Irish bars are a bit too much .. matches and stuff.. i'm not a big fan.

If your in The Hague go to the Shillelaigh

Although not on a weeknight .. you'll have some head on your the next day