Egregore said:
I met her about a year ago, and we've decided that I'm gonna pick up and be with her as soon as she finds a new apartment. I've done a bit of research, but I still have my questions: - Do I need to do anything special in coming from the US to the Netherlands? From what I've read, I just need my passport and I'm set to enter the country. - Is "I want to be with the woman I love" a valid reason to live and work in the country, as far as residency and work permits go? I read somewhere that we'll need to prove our relationship: will Skype logs and the like work to that end? - Is it required that I know Dutch in order to be granted a residence permit? I plan to learn the language (of course), but it's not easy learning one you have no exposure to. - How difficult will my job hunt be? My girlfriend has assured me she makes enough to care for the both of us until I find work (in her words: If I plan to have a serious relationship with her, I need to just deal with her paying for things), but I'd much prefer not to be out of work for long. - Universities: I need to finish my degree/start a new one. What do I have to do to enter a univeristy as an expat? From what I've read, the basic steps to living and working in the Netherlands are: visit the local municipality office within three days, apply for residence/work permits. I'm assuming I'm missing a lot of information, so any help is appreciated. thanks ahead of time!
As of July 1, 2012, Dutch citizens can only sponsor married or registered partners.
As an American citizen, you could apply for residence to be self-employed here under the Dutch American Friendship Treaty.
You can also come as a student if you can afford non-EU tuition rates here. In that case, the immigration is handled by the school.
Christian Barth, Attorney
Do I need to do anything special in coming from the US to the Netherlands? From what I've read, I just need my passport and I'm set to enter the country.
Perhaps as a tourist (no job allowed) for 3 months: you get no further rights after that unless you meet one of the criteria on the IND website and apply. Being in love isn't a criteria, I'm afraid.
She's not 21 yet she earns enough to meet the income requirement? Wow, that's pretty good going for someone not old enough to have finished a degree course yet (I'm serious - many Dutchies don't finish studies until their mid 20s).
If it's true love, it will be worth waiting for (especially as she's so young). But if you're sensible, you want an independent visa not tied to a relationship in any way (namely, job or degree) so that if it all turns sour, you don't lose the right to stay here.
