Finding a Job in Amsterdam as an American

Finding a job in Amsterdam as an American isn’t impossible, but I won’t lie to you and tell you it’s easy. I’ve been through all of it – working full-time, being unemployed with no visa, and working as a freelancer. Since I get the question so often from people thinking about moving abroad or already making plans to move with a significant other, I figured I’d share my experience in the last year.

I want to point out that this is my experience, and isn’t necessarily indicative of what it’s like for everyone else.

WORKING FULL-TIME

Jon and I learned that we would be moving to Amsterdam in the spring of 2017. We were living in NYC at the time, and Jon’s company asked him to move out here to set up their European office. It took all of five minutes for us to decide that we would do it. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to move to Europe.

The one caveat I had was that I wanted to find a job in Amsterdam before we moved. I was working at a great ad agency in New York and was facing a promotion. It was a lot to give up. I wanted to be sure that I wouldn’t end up sitting around twiddling my thumbs in a new country.

Thanks to some connections (use them!), I was able to land a Skype interview with a top ad agency in Amsterdam. I did a month’s worth of Skype interviews with everyone in the office, since I couldn’t be there in person. A few weeks before we moved, I received an offer for a short-term contract.

I loved my job at the agency in Amsterdam. I was under the impression that I would be able to secure myself a full-time position if I just proved that I was a good employee. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

There are a lot of restrictions to finding a job in Amsterdam as an American. In order to protect EU citizens, companies have to prove that they can’t find anyone in Europe who can do the same job. They also have to pay a minimum salary to Americans on top of visa fees. As a mid-level employee, it was too difficult for the agency to prove they couldn’t find anyone else who could do my job. And they also didn’t feel like they could pay my salary long-term.

UNEMPLOYMENT

Five months after moving to Amsterdam, I found myself somewhat unexpectedly out of work. That’s when the real struggle began. I had several interviews with different agencies who were interested, but either didn’t want to take on my visa or didn’t have an opening. I applied to companies left and right, and reached out to every contact I had.

There are a lot of big corporations in Amsterdam – Netflix, Google, Uber, Spotify, Nike, etc. Unfortunately, most of them are looking for senior employees or just don’t want to deal with sponsorship.

I spent six months in Amsterdam without a job. I went through all the stages – excitement at all my free time, boredom, stress about finding a job, rejection, trying to find contentment. It was a very difficult period for me.

FREELANCING

After spending months getting rejected from job after job, I decided that the only way I could work was through the Dutch American Friendship Treaty (DAFT). The DAFT would allow me to work as a freelancer. In another situation, I might have been able to get a work visa as Jon’s partner. Sadly, he is on a different visa that doesn’t allow me to work.

Thankfully applying for my DAFT visa wasn’t terribly hard because Jon’s company agreed to help. I had to do a bunch of things like:

• Set aside a certain amount of money in a business bank account to prove “significant investment” in my business
• Register my freelance business with the Chamber of Commerce (KVK)
• Submit an application including a business plan and financial projections

At this point, my DAFT visa has been approved, and I’ve been working as a freelancer for a few months.

I am working for a few different clients and navigating the space as a freelancer in Amsterdam. This includes finding new clients and doing my own taxes. It’s a confusing landscape to say the least. But it also allows me to work, and I couldn’t be more happy to be doing so.

HOW TO FIND A JOB IN AMSTERDAM

If you’re thinking about finding a job in Amsterdam as an American, there are a few ways that you can go about it:

Have your American company transfer you – This is the easiest and safest version in my opinion. It also makes it easier for the company to prove that they need you in the office abroad.

Move with a partner who has the highly skilled migrant visa – Things would have been a lot easier if Jon had this type of visa. You have to prove that you’re in a real relationship and living together, but then you can work full-time anywhere.

Work as a freelancer through the DAFT – I was lucky having some help with the application, but this option is still easier than asking a company to sponsor you. You can apply on your own, but having a Dutch immigration lawyer will help a lot.

Get a company to sponsor you – This is the hardest option, in my opinion. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible though. If you’re at the right level and lucky, you just might be able to snag a position and visa all in one.

Best of luck finding a job in Amsterdam as an American. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments. I’m always happy to help!

Xx, Kelsey