Hello,
I have accepted a position that will start April 2nd in Amsterdam. I am coming from the US and although I am married, I am coming alone and will be making frequent trips home etc. This was to simplify everything as I will more than likely only be in NL for 1-2 years.
I know that I need to find accomodation, preferably furnished, in Amsterdam. All I care about is cleanliness, safety and proximity to transit and a gym! Any advice there would be great!
Aside from a place to live, what else should I be doing in the last month or so before the move? Can I keep my bank accounts in the USA open? Should I be doing anything to establish residency in NL? I will be hoping for the 30% ruling as I meet all requirements. Basically, I will be living and working in NL by will still be also paying many bills in the US.
Any advice would be so greatly appreciated as this is quite a bit to take in under short notice!
I am from The States and moved here for work a number of years ago .. though I stayed. 
Housing is difficult in AMS unless you have deep pocket because it is expensive. Rentals here are very different then The States so you need to lower your expectations .. quite a bit. Rental housing that is furnished would be even more expensive as this is not the norm here. There are many websites but you can try www.funda.nl. Huur means rental and 100 sq. meters is about 1000 sq. feet. Things are tiny.
Make sure that when you find a place you ask if you can be Registered at the Gemeente (Town Hall). If the landlord says no, that means it's an illegal rental and because you are Non Eu and your company has to get you a KM permit - you will be discovered and will have trouble.
Anyway, when they ask for your pay slip to prove you can afford the place - have your company provide a letter verifiying your income and show them your Work Contract.
Then you need to go to the Gemeente and register yourself at the address. This is important.
They are on a paperless system here so paychecks are deposited to your bank account directly and no they don't use personal checks here. So you need to open a bank account asap .. if you want to get paid. 
The KM permit the company applied for you should clear in a few weeks - then go to the Belastingdenist (Tax office) and ask for a BSN number - then give it to HR. A BSN number is like a SS number.
Um there us more .. but this will get you started.
JDATL said:
Hello,
I have accepted a position that will start April 2nd in Amsterdam. I am coming from the US and although I am married, I am coming alone and will be making frequent trips home etc. This was to simplify everything as I will more than likely only be in NL for 1-2 years.
I know that I need to find accomodation, preferably furnished, in Amsterdam. All I care about is cleanliness, safety and proximity to transit and a gym! Any advice there would be great!
Aside from a place to live, what else should I be doing in the last month or so before the move? Can I keep my bank accounts in the USA open? Should I be doing anything to establish residency in NL? I will be hoping for the 30% ruling as I meet all requirements. Basically, I will be living and working in NL by will still be also paying many bills in the US.
Any advice would be so greatly appreciated as this is quite a bit to take in under short notice!
Did your employer get you either a work permit from the UVV or a highly skilled migrant permit from the IND? You need a residence permit that allows you to work here. Just signing a contract with a Dutch employer is not enough. And it's not safe to assume that the employer is taking care of it for you. We routinely see Americans who've gotten job offers from Dutch employers who didn't even realize that Americans need work permits in NL. My advice is to check out your immigration status immediately before you take any more steps.
Christian Barth, Attorney
JDATL said:
Thank you for the reply! I actually sent you a private message as well. My biggest questions are related to my status once the KM permit goes through. Can I keep my USA bank accounts and how will this change my status in the US?
There's no reason you can't keep your bank accounts in the USA, especially as your wife is staying behind so you'll still have a US address.
Assuming you're an American citizen, the only relevant status you have in the US is you tax home. With a work permit you are eligible to claim the foreign earned income exclusion under the bona fide residency test, but in practice the tax treaty will probably cover you anyway.
