I'm an American who moved to the Netherlands. If I had to move abroad again, I’d do these 5 things differently.

My great-grandparents emigrated from the Netherlands to the US, and my Dutch practice was ever successful the inheritance of my childhood. I played dress up pinch woody shoes and my crayon drawings were afloat of tulips.

So aft my hubby and I visited successful 2024, we decided to move to the Netherlands connected the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) visa.

Six months aft moving, present are the things I'd do otherwise if I could move backmost the clock.

I'd scheme an in-person travel to scope retired cities

Although my hubby and I had visited the Netherlands respective times, we didn't cognize precisely wherever we wanted to live. So, we hired a existent property supplier who useful pinch internationals to beryllium our boots-on-the-ground interaction while we looked remotely from the States.

When she would nonstop america a imaginable listing, we'd tally to Google Maps to effort to get a consciousness of the neighborhood. However, there's only truthful overmuch you tin gauge from outdated Street View photos.

If we liked the listing, we had to aftermath up astatine 3 a.m. for the video walkthrough and springiness an contiguous (albeit groggy) "Yes" aliases "No."

After a period of looking, we were charmed by a accepted Dutch statement location successful 1 of the cities we'd ne'er been to, Utrecht. We crossed our fingers that we'd for illustration the spot and put successful our application. Thankfully, it was accepted.

After living arsenic integer nomads for 2 years, this leap of religion didn't look that chaotic for my hubby and me.

However, I wish we had planned a scouting travel to cheque retired each imaginable town, taking clip to sojourn circumstantial neighborhoods to get a consciousness of everything from the level of motorcycle postulation to really adjacent the nearest market shop is.

I wish I'd booked a edifice for our first nighttime successful the country

Our Dutch apartment came partially furnished, including a bed. So, we figured we could get from the airport, lavation the sheets, past slumber successful our caller location connected our first night.

Instead, we walked into our caller flat and discovered it was freezing cold. The power wasn't working, and erstwhile it couldn't beryllium fixed that day, we had to scramble to find a hotel.

In hindsight, I'd prebook a edifice for our first night. After months of planning, packing, and gathering visa documentation, I was exhausted.

It would've been truthful bully to driblet everything off, do a small cleaning, and past discontinue to a edifice wherever I could slumber undisturbed for 12 hours.

I should've gotten an world driving permit

One of the items connected our pre-move to-do database was getting an international driving permit (IDP). Essentially, this licence is simply a mini booklet pinch your driving credentials translated into 10 different languages.

My hubby typically drives erstwhile we're abroad, truthful we decided he should get one.

What we expected to return days only took astir 15 minutes. He went to our section AAA shop successful Colorado, filled retired a form, provided a passport photograph and his driver's license, and walked retired pinch the licence successful his manus for $20.

Lo and behold, erstwhile we rented a car successful Italy soon aft moving, they required an IDP.

In hindsight, pinch the process being truthful quick, I should person gotten an IDP arsenic well, arsenic now I'll person to salary for world shipping fees.

I'd bring much of my medicine medications pinch me

Before moving, I was an progressive lurker successful each forum and Facebook group astir moving to the Netherlands.

Many group recommended bringing 3 months' worthy of medications to let clip to find a section expert who could return complete my prescriptions.

I thin to unrecorded by the "better safe than sorry" mantra, truthful I brought six months' worth. It turned retired that moreover this was hardly enough.

In the Netherlands, we couldn't use for wellness security until our residence licence was approved, which tin return a mates of months connected its own.

When I yet secured wellness security and recovered a wide practitioner, they needed to mention maine to a master for my prescription. The hold clip for the master was 2 months, truthful I ended up having conscionable capable medicine to get by.

I'd fund much for unexpected costs

No matter really overmuch investigation you do up of time, location are immoderate things you conscionable can't study until you're living successful a caller country.

For example, successful the Netherlands, we person to salary a yearly interest that covers our trash work and wastewater treatment. We didn't cognize really overmuch this would be, and connected a random Tuesday, we received a €509 measure that we had to pay.

Then location are costs related to the location we had ne'er seen successful person. Our 100-year-old flat retains moisture, giving definite rooms what I tin only picture arsenic a "moist smell." To combat this, we purchased a pricey dehumidifier.

If I had 1 portion of proposal for moving to the Netherlands — aliases moving overseas successful wide — it'd beryllium to build successful immoderate time, money, and grace for erstwhile things don't spell your way.

It's each portion of the awesome yet stressful process of moving to a caller country, and I consciousness very fortunate to get to acquisition it all.