According to some, the main reasons for the high degree of English speakers is the country’s small size, dependence on international trade, and the use of subtitles for foreign languages on television, rather than audio dubbing.

Together with English, Frisian, German, and Luxembourgish, Dutch is a West Germanic language. It derives from Low Franconian, the speech of the Western Franks, which was restructured through contact with speakers of North Sea Germanic along the coast (Flanders, Holland) about 700 ce.

the Netherlands

1. The Dutch people are friendly. One of the best things to experience when you’re in an unfamiliar environment is friendly people. Fortunately, the Dutch people are open, welcoming and don’t hesitate to engage when they pass you on the street.

The Netherlands has a very good quality of education for its residents. Many people end up leaving school with good grades, land into jobs or go to university. The Netherlands also has high rates of people with post-graduate degrees.

The average cost of living in the Netherlands is high, but usually affordable for expats working in the country. Both Rotterdam and The Hague are in the top 30 cities in the world for local cost of living in the InterNations Expat Insider survey, with Amsterdam ranking at #56.

Is healthcare free in the Netherlands? The Netherlands has universal healthcare, but the government requires all adults living or working in the Netherlands to have basic insurance. The basic plan will cost € 100-120 out of pocket. Children under the age of 18 don’t pay for health insurance.

If you don’t take out Dutch health insurance within four months after registering in the Netherlands, you will get a letter from the CAK, the Dutch Healthcare Institute, reminding you to take out health care insurance within three months. If you fail to do so, you will have to pay a penalty.

Amazingly, the Dutch rate their health care very highly. The Netherlands was number one on the Euro Health Consumer Index in 2015 for its health care system. It has also been listed in the top 3 European countries since 2005. It may be the best system in terms of economics.

Costs of doctors in the Netherlands are around €30–50 for a consultation. If you see a specialist, you need proof of referral from your doctor to claim the fee from your insurer. Otherwise, you may have to pay the full costs yourself.

Most Dutch schools are funded and monitored by the government. Except for some private schools, most Dutch primary and secondary schools are free. The parents pay a small contribution, which the schools use for extra things.

Finding a doctor in the Netherlands

1. Visit your ‘gemeentehuis’: your ‘city/town hall’, to see which doctors live nearby.
2. Pick up a ‘gemeentegids’ from the gemeentehuis.
3. Once you have selected a doctor, you should ask him or her for an initial meeting.

Health insurance is compulsory for all people who live or work in the Netherlands. Expats from outside the EU, EEA or Switzerland who arrive in the Netherlands must take out Dutch health insurance within four months of receiving their residence permit, even if they have an existing foreign policy.

The average basic Dutch health insurance premium in 2021 is about 120 euro per month. Premiums are paid directly by each person to the chosen health insurance company.

The average cost to a Dutch citizen for health insurance is about 1,400 euros, or $1,615, annually. People with lower incomes get additional government assistance to reduce their payments.