ABOUT
Sara is American and currently lives in the Netherlands. She’s an IT Project Manager working at a large, international, Dutch headquartered company in Amsterdam. She lives in North Brabant though, and only goes into the office once per week. She speaks English and is nearly fluent in Dutch as well.
Moving to North Brabant
Why did you move to North Brabant?
I moved here to be with my partner/boyfriend, who is Dutch and owned a house here, back in June 2017. I had been living in Ireland before that, and the UK before that. I really love Europe.
How did you get set up?
Thankfully I came to the Netherlands to live on a skilled migrant visa, as I was offered a job (same company I still work with now) before moving here. They helped me get set up with a Dutch bank account and work contract. I continued using my Irish cell phone plan for a whole year after moving to NL just because it was easy and worked in both countries.
Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance?
It wasn’t difficult, but it was a bit time consuming as you have to be officially registered in the city you live in and be able to prove you live there. Those appointments took some time, but within 2 months I had health insurance.
What did you bring with you?
I brought 2 suitcases with me – that was all I owned (aside from some memorabilia I keep at my moms house in the US).
How did you find an apartment in North Brabant?
I moved into my partner’s house, so this was an easy one. I insisted I pay half the mortgage, as I considered it rent, even though we’re not technically married. The mortgage payment was very low, so I was really comfortable with this.
What should people consider before deciding to move to North Brabant?
They should know that it’s much more necessary for expats to be able to speak Dutch here. Amsterdam is so international, and you can very easily get by only speaking English. North Brabant is not quite as international and you need some level of Dutch, in my opinion, to really integrate.
Do you feel safe as a woman in North Brabant?
Absolutely. I find the area extremely safe, as I do in most of the Netherlands.
Living in North Brabant
What specifically is North Brabant famous for?
My city is famous for the bossche bol, which is a round puff pastry with fresh whipped cream in the middle and a layer of chocolate on the outside. I find that people seem quite proud to be from here as well. They take a lot of pride in how they celebrate ”carnaval” as well, which is different in each city. It’s one big party no matter where you go, but each city has a different theme and common costume.
What apps do you find useful in your daily life in North Brabant?
The two most useful apps in all of the Netherlands are Buienradar and NS ReisPlanner. Buienradar is a weather app that shows you real time satellite images in every 10 minute interval. It rains A LOT here so this is important info to know, especially since most people bike to their destination! The NS Reisplanner shows the time tables of all the Dutch trains, including planning your exact journey from point A to B. The rail system is extensive and (mostly) reliable here.
How can Americans immigrate to the Netherlands?
Netherlands on a 3 month tourist visa, but to actually immigrate/emigrate, they need to ultimately find a job that will help sponsor a visa. Alternatively, many of my expat friends living here were able to come on what’s called a ”partner visa.” A partner visa essentially means your Dutch national partner sponsors you to live here. You have to be in a serious relationship and have to prove it’s legitimate.
Do you need to speak Dutch to live in North Brabant?
At least some level of Dutch is needed, yes. I’ve taken many formal classes and week-long courses, and I also practice with my partner everyday. I’m not sure if it’s a hard language or if I am just a bit terrible with languages in general, but after almost 7 years I still can’t quite call myself fluent. I am close, but I can still get lost in a conversation between a bunch of Dutchies, especially at a party.
What are your favorite places in North Brabant?
I love where I live. I won’t share the exact location, but we have a house right on a canal that leads to a lake, and we have a boat! Den Bosch is a beautiful city, Heusden, the old fortified town is also lovely, and Efteling – the coolest amusement park I’ve ever been to, is also here.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in North Brabant?
Cost of living is quite a bit lower here than in Amsterdam, thankfully. It’s hard to say exact figures, since our mortgage is so low (even in a new house), but I would say you can live comfortably on 3,000EUR per month – as a single person.
What are your favorite restaurants and cafés in North Brabant?
Bar le Duc in Den Bosch has over 300+ beers to choose from (we are big beer fans). La Trappe is a Trappist monastery that brews beer and makes other goodies, run by monks near Tilburg. It’s arguably some of the best Dutch beer available. For a sweet treat, Jan de Groot cafe is the baker of the original bossche bol that I mentioned above.
Final Thoughts
How does North Brabant compare to other parts of the Netherlands?
In some ways it’s similar, in others it’s different. It has somewhat smaller cities than other regions, i.e. Rotterdam, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Den Haag. With that comes more charm, in my opinion. A lot of history has been preserved in many of the cities in North Brabant, and the beautiful architecture shows it. However, many of the cities in the Netherlands have this same history and are special in their own way. I also love Delft and Gouda.
Can you tell us something else about North Brabant that we might not know?
There is a really neat Safari Park called the Beeksebergen, where you can actually drive through in your car and see a variety of wild animals. It’s a rather large park, and I was surprised by the size and set up. Very cool, especially for families. There are also some beautiful national parks – especially the Biesbosch.
Are there any experiences there that you are particularly proud of?
I am proud of myself in general for moving to a place where the common language is different from my own, and the culture is also vastly different. I learned, adapted, and now have a nice life here. I think everyone who has the desire should live abroad even for some period of time, if only to challenge themselves and their world views a bit.
What are some disadvantages to living in North Brabant?
I do sometimes wish we lived closer to Amsterdam. That’s where the major airport is and that’s also where my employer is, not to mention it would have made making friends easier with so many internationals.
What websites should people look at to learn more about North Brabant?
Was it easy making friends and meeting people?
It has been so difficult to meet people and make friends honestly, especially outside the more international cities. It has taken me years but I do finally have some good friends that I see very regularly. The Dutch are a bit closed off from new friends (in my experience), at least people in their 30’s I find. That’s why most of my friends are fellow expats from around the world.
What are your plans for the future?
I have a good job and a coveted permanent contract right now, but I’m not particularly happy in my job. I love to bake and do so mostly for my own pleasure and to share with family and friends – but have gotten a few paid orders recently so I may try to do it more often. Maybe it’s time for a major change.
Thank you Sara for sharing that unique experience of living in North Brabant! It’s nice to hear about life outside of major cities, as we don’t always have the chance to visit those. I totally get that it can make things slower for foreigners trying to settle there and integrate. Good luck with your language learning and with your potential career change! Sara’s IG is Here and this is her website. 🙂
