Being an expat is much more than moving countries – it is all about living in those countries and adapting.

So, you want to be an Expat. You sure? You really sure? Answering that question honestly up front is important to ensure you are committed to the journey – it takes patience and lots of administrative work to be an expat.

But it can be one of the most rewarding experiences in your lifetime. Both the journey and the destination can change your perspective at a profoundly deep level. This can happen on a personal and professional level, transforming your life for the better.

As a two-time expat (Brussels, Belgium and Amsterdam, Netherlands), I wanted to put together a simple list of things to consider when thinking about becoming an expat. This is by no means meant to be an exhaustive list. The details are going to change drastically based on your personal situation, work objectives, and target country. 

• Being single and looking for an entry level job is going to be a much different process than if you have a family and are a top executive. 
• It will also be a very different experience if you are looking to move to Europe vs. Asia or South America vs. Australia.
• Another big factor is whether you are going to move office locations with your current employer (my first experience) or if you are going to find a job at a new company (my second experience)

Timeline

Becoming an expat is not something that can be done overnight. It is hard enough to find a new job in your current city, let alone trying to find one across the world. It will take patience to find the right opportunity and it will take a little luck to make it happen. 

As an example, it took me a few months of applying before I found the job posting for my current employer, Bynder. It was another 1+ months of interviewing before I got an offer. From there it was another month or so before we finalized everything (ie. tax implications, residence visa, work permit, etc.). Given complications due to the pandemic, we moved three months after I accepted the job and started at the company.  

From starting to look for jobs until we actually moved was about 8 months – and in many respects that was ‘fast’.

Job Search

In the B2B, SaaS world, the Revenue Operations job function is in high demand. Many companies are recruiting people who have similar backgrounds to mine. Having a specialty makes it a lot easier to find a job as you can narrow your search and be marketable. 

As with any job search, networking with those from school, previous employers, or connections on LinkedIn increases your chances of getting past the recruiter screen. Network, network, network. Even if you are just asking someone for advice on your resume, you never know where a conversation may lead. On that note, don’t underestimate the value of a resume review by someone who has experience in your target country – there are edits you can make to ensure your resume is ‘localized’.  

LinkedIn is one of the best resources for jobs in many locations and this was especially true for Amsterdam. It is a tech centric hub in Europe so there is a decent amount of companies who have experience with expats. There may be specialty job boards depending on the type of role and country, but LinkedIn is often a good place to start. I would also suggest looking for companies who are experienced with hiring expats – this will lead to less issues down the road as the company will be in a better position to support you through your transition.

Your cover letter and resume need to be strong and show international experience, if possible. The ability to show any international experience or interest is helpful. Even if it is a backpacking trip through Europe, it is relevant. It isn’t a deal braker if you just got your first passport, but you need to show your enthusiasm for living abroad. The key is to reduce the risk to the employer as there is a lot of logistics involved with hiring an expat. 

Work/Residence Permit

A key consideration for living and work abroad is to ensure you have the right to do so. As an American you cannot work in Europe without a work permit. Having a second passport will help you, but otherwise you have to find a company to sponsor you. Of course, it depends on the country as each country has different criteria. The hoops to jump through in Belgium are completely different than the Netherlands and they share a border!

It was relatively easy to secure a work permit in the Netherlands especially since Bynder has many expats working for them and knew the process. I am in the Netherlands under a work permit because I qualify for as a Highly Skilled Migrant Worker. But every country looks at the requirements differently so it is important to do your research.

Interestingly in the Netherlands there are companies who can be your employer on record, so you technically can work for any company – you don’t need your company to sponsor you directly. These companies act as intermediaries between you, the company you work for, and the Immigration Services. These do come at a cost, approximately 5-8% of your salary, depending heavily on your personal situation.

Compensation

Expats often get the same type of compensation as natives of the country, but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes, if you are really lucky and in a very important position, you’ll get setup with a ‘full expat package’, which would include a salary, bonus, equity and allowances for a car, house, and school for your kids. This is not common, but it happens. More frequently, you’ll be subject to the same structure as your local counterparts – which will depend on the country’s typical setup and your company. Not size fits all when it comes to compensation. 

In Europe, as a general rule, base salaries are often less than similar positions in the US. Be prepared to see lower offers and understand what it means for your quality of life. Keep in mind that salary isn’t everything – be thinking more about your disposable income. Taxes and other expenses can be very different so having a lower salary doesn’t necessarily mean you will have a lower disposable income. 

Try to negotiate as much as you can. Relocation bonuses are more common than the company paying for your kid’s schooling, but you never know what the company is willing to include in your offer. You can prioritize your current income but don’t forget about retirement income either. Although the country may not have a 401(k) option like the United States, in-country Pension Plans and other similar schemes are common. 

In the end, you don’t get what you don’t ask for – so ask for it!

Taxes

As an American I didn’t appreciate how little income tax we pay until I started working in Europe. In Belgium and the Netherlands, the highest tax bracket is 52%+! Many countries have tax treaties between them that help avoid double taxation – however you will end up paying the highest tax rate between the countries. Fortunately in the Netherlands there is a tax regime for expats called the 30% Ruling. It is valid for five years and makes your NL tax burden significantly less than what it can be. 

Your tax burden in the US is also something to consider. As a full time resident of the Netherlands, the US still wants to tax my worldwide income since I’m a US citizen. Be aware of your tax liabilities in both the US and the Netherlands. There are tax treaties between the countries, but you have to watch out as the qualification criteria to avoid paying US taxes is extremely strict. For example, for all my travel throughout the year I have to keep detailed records of my physical presence (ie. Plane ticket boarding passes, gas receipts, etc.) and business need (ie. Calendar invites, email threads, etc.). 

Personal ‘Life’ Considerations

There are plenty of ‘details’ once you’ve found a company, negotiated your compensation, secured a work permit and residence visa, and calculated your tax liabilities. These personal life considerations are what end up taking most of your time.

Relocation Company: we didn’t use one for our move to Belgium as we didn’t have many requirements and we could freely travel back and forth to find housing, etc. For the second time around we ended up working with a relocation company and we were happy to spend the money to do so. Although it isn’t the cheapest option, due to COVID we couldn’t visit ahead of time so they were key to finding us an apartment and helping with the lease – when we arrived, we had a warm apartment to walk into with everything setup. With two kids and a global pandemic, that was worth its weight in gold.

Furniture and Personal Items – what are you planning to bring with you? This is something to consider as the logistics get complicated and cost goes up quickly. 

• Option 1: go light and pay for the extra baggage fees with your one-way commercial airline ticket (we did this option when we moved to Brussels and it was just my wife and I)
• Option 2: ship your luggage or boxes, using a service like Luggage Forward
• We used this service to Amsterdam because we didn’t want to deal with bags given COVID and traveling through airports with two kiddos. We only flew over with carry-on luggage, then shipped 4 suitcases of stuff, which arrived at our doorstep a few days after arriving.
• Option 3: shipping container (20′ or 40′). This is an option if you want to move with your furniture and rent an unfurnished place. It can get expensive. We shipped our car over to Amsterdam in a shared container, filled it with personal household items and it was actually fairly economical to do so. But when we left Brussels and came back to Colorado we shipped a 40′ container full of stuff (car, alcohol, furniture) and it was extremely expensive. We likely wouldn’t do that again!

Immigration – need to register with the city hall after you have your work permit and this is how you get your BSN, which is the equivalent to a Social Security number. You can’t do anything in the Netherlands without a BSN. It’s a process, just like dealing with any government entity so this is where the patience kicks in!

Other details to consider:

• Housing – live in the city center or the suburbs? Space to stretch out or keep costs low? Furnished or unfurnished? 
• Transportation, including driver’s license – car or bike? Cars can be expensive, especially in Europe (gas prices are roughly 4x US prices) but they are a great option to explore the continent.
• Bank Accounts – finding an expat friendly option, who speaks your language, is really helpful. Especially when you are trying to setup everything before you are actually in the country.
• Insurance – having to learn a new system of what is normal for insurance, where to get it, and which companies to avoid can become a full time job.
• Schools – understanding a new school system, application processes, options for education styles, and language barriers all make for stressful times – especially when your child’s education is at stake.
• Medical (Doctors, dentist, medications, etc.) – same as the above…learning a new system takes time and patience. Many countries have different norms when it comes to medical care. For example, yearly physicals are not common in the Netherlands, even though that is a standard practice in the US.
• Pets – not something we had to handle personally, but in speaking with expat friends with pets, it isn’t the easiest process to navigate. Ensuring safe transport and all the medical requirements is important for your furry friends.