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Moving to the Netherlands & Immigration Process

Katya, a Russian career professional living in the Netherlands, describes how she moved to the country, built her career, and what she believes helped her succeed—especially when seeking a first job as an expat.

Entry path: Exchange semester and then a partner visa

• She entered the Netherlands through an exchange semester at Erasmus University Rotterdam, where she met her partner (now her ex-boyfriend).
• She then moved using a partner visa, which took about a year to arrange.
• She describes the process as paperwork-heavy, including items like:
  • relationship proof
  • travel history
  • photos
  • correspondence screenshots, etc.

Integration requirements for partner-visa residents

• Dutch exams:
  • aiming for A2 within 3 years
• Additional exams covering:
  • Dutch society
  • the Dutch labor market

COVID-era complications

• COVID timing created extra travel difficulties, including issues around:
  • stickers vs. residence cards
  • border closures
• This delayed her ability to move and travel freely at first.

Why Education in the Netherlands Worked for Her

Katya found Dutch master’s study easier than in Russia, pointing to:

• more flexibility due to COVID-era online duplication of lectures
• better ability to manage workload

She also emphasized that:

• Admission requirements and early deadlines mattered, since Dutch universities can fill master’s places quickly.
• The Dutch higher-education structure (e.g., research universities vs. applied science universities) can affect expectations during admission.

First job during COVID

• She got her first job through connections:
  • a short consultant contract via her ex-boyfriend’s father.

Exchange Experience in Norway

• Her master’s program at a research university was 1 year (60 credits).
• To go on exchange, she extended it so she could study abroad in year two.
• She chose Norway (Bergen/NHH) to:
  • remain in Europe during COVID
  • keep more options open

What she studied

• Data Science
• Plus psychology courses
• She carried a high credit load and achieved strong grades.

Work experience and perspective shift

• Part-time research work gave her:
  • relevant experience
  • earnings
• She later noticed that Dutch employers were more focused on the role than the foreign rate.

Finding a Job Amid a “Labor Market Crisis” Narrative

Katya describes job hunting in the Netherlands as psychologically brutal, involving:

• frequent rejections (often without interviews)
• added difficulty when visa sponsorship and expat status are involved

Timeline and job search approach

• Her active job search took about three months after returning from exchange and starting Dutch study.

Role targeting and decision-making

• She targeted finance roles connected to her background:
  • finance/investments linked to her master’s
  • data science focus from her Norway experience
• She declined a KYC/regulatory compliance-type role because it felt too procedural and not aligned with her interests.

Salary concern for expat candidates

• She reports that some expat-sponsoring companies may offer lower salaries, effectively underestimating expat candidates’ value.

Career Timeline & Hiring Strategy

Early offers and negotiation outcome

• Early offers were lower than she expected (e.g., around €35k/year), and she refused them.
• When she felt pressured by time and finances, she used a recruitment agency.

Junior Financial Controller

• Her first substantial offer was Junior Financial Controller (~€43k/year), though it was slightly below her perceived level.
• The contract was designed for flexibility:
  • a one-month window where either side could terminate quickly
• She left after about one month because the work became repetitive and not intellectually engaging.

Consulting: Baker McKenzie

• She moved into consulting with Baker McKenzie in transfer pricing:
  • financial analyst role
  • October offer; started after her exchange return
• She stayed about two years.
• Reasons for leaving:
  • decreasing project volume
  • occupancy/hour targets causing stress
  • her temporary contract not being renewed due to utilization and staffing decisions

EY

• After Baker McKenzie, she joined EY (transfer pricing / financial analyst area).
• She preferred EY because:
  • the work felt similar
  • people were “more normal”
  • her commute/logistics improved

What Helped Her Succeed (Her Key Takeaways)

1. Dutch language (at least intermediate) Employers saw learning Dutch as evidence of long-term commitment.

2. Local education reputation Recruiters likely understand what graduates from known local universities can do.

3. Long-term intent in the Netherlands Expat candidates face pressure to demonstrate they want to stay and grow locally.

4. Psychological support through shared rejection She exchanged rejection emails with another candidate (an Austrian woman), reducing how personal rejection felt.

5. Persistence and diversification of options Keep applying and vary channels (courses, agencies, multiple applications, and extra work such as internships while searching).

Dutch Work Culture & Work-Life Balance

Katya describes the Netherlands as productivity-focused:

• work happens when work needs doing
• constant desk presence isn’t required
• after COVID, remote/hybrid work became common

She also noted:

• overtime is generally more limited than in some other countries
• people can leave early once tasks are done

She contrasted this with more rigid cultures she has observed/compared (e.g., Italy, and others with stronger on-site expectations).

Plans for Switzerland

• She is considering moving to Zurich/Switzerland.
• She hopes to leverage her Dutch passport for easier mobility and relocation.
• She plans to learn German, while noting that Swiss German differs from standard German.
• She believes Switzerland may offer:
  • higher disposable income
  • better career starting conditions than her likely alternatives.

Recommendations for People Moving to the Netherlands for Work

Katya suggests practical strategies such as:

• consider building relationships in the Netherlands (including dating-app style approaches, though success isn’t guaranteed)
• consider Master’s programs in the Netherlands (short duration, but expensive)
• look into the Dutch job search visa for graduates (including some international universities ranked highly enough), as a way to stay and apply while looking for work
• learn basic Dutch (around B1) to signal commitment

She also encourages risk diversification:

• keep multiple options open (study, job transfer, visa pathways, different employers)
• continue applying even if results are slow

Comment on Partner Visas for Men

Katya acknowledges it may be harder for men to secure a partner visa based on experiences and conversations among Russian men, though outcomes vary widely by individual circumstances.

Presenters / Contributors

• Katya (guest; career professional living and working in the Netherlands; interviewee)
• Interview host (speaker managing the channel focused on Switzerland; name not stated in subtitles)