How to adapt to the expat challenges of everyday life in the Netherlands

Cheryl · 2025-02-19T06:39:51+01:00

Discover expat challenges in daily life in the Netherlands, from navigating local customs to practical tips for adapting and overcoming difficulties.

Cheryl Moderator

Member since 15 October 2018

CherylModerator19 February 2025 04:39:51

14107

Hello everyone,

Adapting to everyday life as an expat in the Netherlands can be both exciting and overwhelming: different habits, systems, and sometimes even unexpected surprises! Simple things like paying bills, using public transport, or even greeting neighbors might work differently than what you're used to.

We would like to invite you to share the biggest challenges you face in your daily routine. Here are a few questions to start with:

What aspects of daily life were the most challenging for you at first?

How did you overcome these difficulties?

Did you find any local habits or customs particularly surprising?

What has helped you in feeling more at ease in your new environment?

Any funny or unexpected experiences you would like to share?

Share your experiences, anecdotes and tips to help fellow expats.

Thank you for your contribution.

Cheryl
海角乱伦 Team

Enltguy Member

Member since 10 October 2018

EnltguyMember14 April 2025 15:37:59

I arrived in December, and the weather sucked.聽 The first three weeks I was here, I saw about four hours of sunshine.聽

Mostly, it's been getting setup with all the bureaucracyt

The housing crisis sucks.聽 Four months I've been in student housing (I'm not a student), and can barely even get any viewings.聽 It's absurd.聽 Causing me to question staying.聽 I moved here for stability, not to deal with hell over one of the most fundamental necessities.

I'm also reading and experiencing a lot of anti-foreigner sentiment from reddit, where I had turned for information previously.聽 I finally had to walk away from that sub, because it was so damaging.聽 It has given me a very negative impression of the Dutch, and has made me feel less comfortable here.聽 I don't know what to believe, but I did read a lot of explicitly xenophobic comments from a LOT of people, and lots of posts about how if you don't do exactly as the Dutch do they will make your life hell.聽 Not a great welcome...

I had been visiting regularly since 2017, prior to moving here.聽 The racism and xenophobia were not topics that had come up before.聽 Also, what sounds to be a rather fascist view on integration from many Dutch is a bit concerning (if you don't change who you are to be more Dutch, you will be condescending and outcast by them forever, sort of stuff).