Emigrating: where to?

Most Dutch people have searched for this sentence in Google in recent years. It is often the case that if you want to emigrate, you first do research on the best countries, because you are not just going to leave our nice little frog country! After you have made the choice and chosen another country, there is a lot more to consider. That is why it is wise that when you have made a decision and are going to emigrate, you inform yourself well.

In this article we have tried to summarize everything as best as possible for you. So read on!

Moving abroad

You want to go abroad, but you don't know exactly which destinations appeal to you the most. Where do you want to live? This is a difficult choice, because you want to move to a destination where you can realize your dreams. When choosing a country, you can look at the climate, their beautiful nature, culture and perhaps also the political situation in the country. For many, these are important points, but these points also depend strongly on your personal situation at the moment and what you ultimately want to achieve with your emigration.

Abroad: World Happiness Report

A list that can be of great help to emigrating Dutch people is the World Happiness Report of the United Nations (UN). The UN has researched various factors for this list. Think of employment, health care, education, life expectancy, freedom, level of corruption and gross income per capita. When you are going to live in another country, these are certainly important points to research. Of course, you can also look at their breathtaking nature and whether it is a popular country, but of course you also want everything in the country to be well organized.

As an emigrant you create your own little world

As a foreigner, you will create your own bubble abroad. As a foreigner, you are of course much less involved in the politics of the country and the rules and laws will also seem unclear to you at first. As an outsider, you are often less involved in the country. This often does not extend further than your front door.

It is important to leave your Dutch thinking in the Netherlands. You are going to live in a new country with a different culture. This means that you have to try to adapt yourself. In this way, not only will you feel at home faster, but the inhabitants of the country will also accept and welcome you faster.

Popular destinations

The UN World Happiness Report 2020 is made up of several factors. These are GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and anti-corruption. See below the top 10 from the most recent report.

Top 10 happiest countries

1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Switzerland
4. Iceland
5. Norway
6. The Netherlands
7. Sweden
8. New Zealand
9. Austria
10. Luxembourg

If you look at the UN list you will see that if you are going to emigrate it is best to do so within Europe. New Zealand is namely the only country on the list that is outside of Europe. You may have also noticed that the countries that are popular for the Dutch, such as Canada and Australia are not in the top 10 of this list. Canada is just in 11th place and Australia in 12th place.

The Netherlands in the rankings

Our own Netherlands is doing well. This of course has mainly to do with our good economic situation. Especially after corona, our kingdom is fortunately still doing well compared to other countries. The reason that Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden and Norway, are high on the list is because they do not have many inhabitants and there is more space, so more nature. Many social matters are also very well arranged in these countries.

Where do Dutch people emigrate to?

Dutch people who emigrate or want to live abroad for a longer period after retirement, still choose Southern European countries. Think of Spain, Portugal, France or even Belgium. These are the countries where they want to realize their dream. These are countries that are located in Europe, so also countries where everything is well organized and the most important thing is that it is still close to home. Countries in Southern Europe are not only closer to home, but the cost of living is lower, there is prosperity because of the European Union and moving there is simply a smaller step to take.

Curacao of course remains popular because of its ties with the Netherlands, but it is still a bigger step to take because it is located in South America.

Popular countries among emigrating Dutch people

1. Belgium
2. Germany
3. Spain
4. United Kingdom
5. United States
6. France
7. Australia
8. Turkey
9. Curacao

Fewer Dutch people emigrate

Emigration of Dutch people has not been very popular since 2019. Every year, just over 40 thousand Dutch people emigrate abroad, but in 2019 the number dropped to 38 thousand. The fact that fewer and fewer people are emigrating is of course due to the corona pandemic. Due to the corona virus, the worldwide lockdowns and the measures taken, many people could no longer or did not want to emigrate.

Of the emigrating Dutch, most leave for Southern European countries. Spain and France in particular are very popular destinations. Australia and the United Kingdom are very popular with twenty-somethings who, for example, take a year off.

Share your experience

For inspiration from others and great moving stories, you can read the Moova moving stories. Share your experiences too. To which destination did you move, and why? Was it a big step or simply a matter of having your finances in order? We are very curious! Send your moving experience with all the ups and downs to info@moova.nlWe will only publish your story on our website with your permission.

Finally..

Are you going to emigrate soon and do you have other questions regarding your departure? Think of things like your health insurance, taxes and working abroad? Then you can always consult the other articles on our website. In these articles we discuss and answer the frequently asked questions of those who are planning to emigrate. Who knows, we might also answer some of your questions.