Netherlands falls to 26th on expats’ favorite country rankings
The Netherlands dropped four spots to 26th place on the annual Expat Insider Survey by InterNations. Despite its less-than-stellar overall performance, the Netherlands scored very well in the working abroad category, coming in fourth of the 53 countries in this year’s rankings.
InterNations surveyed over 12,000 expats from 175 countries on how they were experiencing life in their new country, covering topics like the quality of life, ease of settling in, personal finances, working abroad, and “expat essentials” like housing, digital infrastructure, administration, and language barriers.
The Netherlands came in fourth place on the Working Abroad Index after Denmark, Saudi Arabia, and Belgium. It scored well on general job satisfaction and work culture (3rd), with businesses supporting flexibility like remote working. The business culture also offers good working hours and work-life balance (4th). The country came in 7th in the salary and job security subcategory and didn’t make the top ten for career prospects.
While the Netherlands did not crack the top ten for ease with which immigrants can begin to start their lives, it did rank as the fifth-easiest country for organizing basic administrative needs. This includes getting a visa, opening a bank account, and dealing with bureaucracy. The Netherlands also ranked second in the Digital Life subcategory for its lack of restrictions on online services, digital payment services, high-speed internet access, and government presence online.
