6,690 Americans apply to move to the Netherlands this year, highest in a decade
Record 6,690 Americans applied for Dutch work, family, or study permits through November, the highest number in at least a decade, according to Immigration and Naturalisation Service data analyzed by NOS. With December still to come, the total already surpasses the final numbers from the past two years.
Applications rose across nearly all categories, with the strongest increases in family migration and “knowledge and talent” permits, aimed at highly educated non-EU workers in specialized jobs.
Applications under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) also surged. The 1956 treaty allows Americans to start businesses in the Netherlands with only 4,500 euros in start-up capital and apply for permanent residency after five years. Through September, about 700 Americans received DAFT permits, compared with roughly 300 five years ago. IND figures show these applications are almost always approved.
Jana Sanchez, founder of GTFO Tours, which helps Americans relocate abroad, said the Netherlands is attractive because of its accessible visa system. “Americans who want to emigrate usually prefer an English-speaking country: Canada, England or Ireland. But it is almost impossible to get a visa there. Unlike the Netherlands, which is effectively also an English-speaking country. Almost everyone here speaks the language,” she told NOS.
Economic and safety concerns are major drivers, Sanchez added. “You just don’t want to be afraid that your child will be shot, or that you have to pay thousands of dollars if you ever have to go to the emergency room.”
Political uncertainty under President Donald Trump also motivates many Americans to move. Sanchez said there is widespread fear of “rising fascism,” especially among people with Latin American roots or LGBTQ+ backgrounds. Reports of people being arrested despite being born in the U.S. have heightened anxiety.
Daniel Acosta, 39, and Jolissa Acosta, 38, moved from Texas with their 1-year-old daughter Sophia and arrived at Schiphol on Nov. 17. “We had seen documentaries about the Dutch education and health care system. We are very enthusiastic about that,” Jolissa Acosta told NOS.
The couple cited political developments in the U.S. and the availability of the DAFT visa as decisive factors. Daniel Acosta added: “We are both born and raised Americans, but we do have Mexican roots. Stories of arrests of people born in the U.S. are quite frightening. The combination of Trump and DAFT made us decide to move now.”
While the Netherlands is appealing, Americans also voice concerns about the country’s housing shortage and relatively high cost of living. “We were lucky to have the financial means to make this move, but we have also heard stories of people with very little money who came to the Netherlands,” Daniel Acosta said.
Asylum applications from Americans have also risen, reaching 67 this year, excluding the final two months. Sandro Kortekaas of LGBT Asylum Support linked the increase to fears among LGBTQ+ Americans. “This group is now seen by the Trump administration as extremists. For trans and queer people, the U.S. has unfortunately become a particularly unsafe place,” he said.
The Netherlands still considers the United States a safe country, so asylum applications have not been granted. Earlier this year, Dutch authorities tightened travel advice for LGBTQ+ travelers visiting the U.S.
