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Just Move to Amsterdam

Amsterdam, Netherlands — your playbook for visa, housing, community, and building.

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Showing tips specific to Amsterdam alongside general European resources.

Everyone speaks English, bikes everywhere, great quality of life.

Cost

€€€

Avg Rent

€900–€1,500/mo (room in shared flat)

Visa

Easy

Ecosystem

Medium (very international)

Prices are approximate and vary by neighborhood and season. Rent assumes a room in a shared flat or coliving and may exclude utilities. Snapshot as of 17 March 2026.

If you do nothing else

Sort your visa

Dutch startup visa with facilitator; highly skilled migrant route for hires

Find your first home

Budget €900–€1,500/mo (room in shared flat) for a room or coliving.

Required in most EU countries within 2 weeks of arrival.

Plug into the community

Luma, Meetup, or local Slack/Telegram — just show up.

Start building

Ship something in your first week. Builders attract builders.

Your First 30 Days in Amsterdam

Week-by-week playbook with € tips, local registration, and banking.

Read guide →

Visa & Immigration

Hit the official overview first, then dig into the common paths below.

Start here

Official overview or main portal for visas and residence.

IND: Immigration & Naturalisation Service

Join a company

Work visas and EU Blue Card for employed roles.

Start a company

Visas for founders and self-employed.

Freelance / self-employed

Residence permits for freelancers and self-employed.

Residence permit self-employed person

Explore & search

Job-seeker permits, graduate routes, Global Talent, and other exploratory visas.

Orientation year for graduates (zoekjaar)

Hire across borders (EOR platforms)

If an employer doesn't have an entity in your country, these platforms can hire you compliantly on their behalf. Useful to suggest to companies as an operational path.

Housing, Coliving & Workspaces

Amsterdam's housing market is tight. Most founders start in shared apartments or coliving. Budget €900–€1,500/mo for a room. Landlords require proof of income.

•Funda and Kamernet are the main platforms; Pararius for English-first expat rentals

•Amsterdam-Oost and Noord are increasingly popular and more affordable

•HousingAnywhere and Spotahome can fast-track your move with verified listings

Company Setup & Legal

Dutch BV (besloten vennootschap) — register at KVK (Chamber of Commerce). WBSO R&D tax credit and Seed Business Angel Scheme support early-stage. Ledgy for cap table.

Startup Perks

Free credits and discounts from cloud providers, AI platforms, dev tools, and more. Perks apply regardless of where you're based. Start with the directories below.

Communities

Amsterdam's startup community is tight-knit, international, and centered around TNW Spaces (formerly TQ) and coworking spaces. Everyone knows everyone within 2 degrees.

•B. Amsterdam and Startup Village are the main tech community campuses

•Techleap connects Dutch startups with scaleup support and network

•AI Tinkerers Amsterdam and The AI Foundry run regular builder meetups

Events & Meetups

Regular meetups, AI events, and local tech gatherings.

Hackathons

Amsterdam's hackathon scene is growing, with a focus on fintech, sustainability, and AI.

•European Builders League hosts Delft/Amsterdam editions

•Techstars Startup Weekend runs regularly in Amsterdam

•VU and UvA universities host student hackathons open to all

Conferences

Europe's flagship tech conferences: great for fundraising, recruiting, and visibility. Most are worth traveling to from any city — so we list them Europe-wide.

Accelerators & Programs

Amsterdam's accelerator scene is compact but high-quality. Rockstart, Antler, and Startupbootcamp are the biggest names, with strong corporate connections.

•Rockstart — one of Europe's longest-running purpose-driven accelerators

•Antler Amsterdam — cofounder matching and pre-idea support

•YES!Delft is technically in Delft but deeply connected to Amsterdam's deep tech scene

Jobs & Talent

Amsterdam's startup job market is English-first and international. The 30% tax ruling makes it financially attractive for expat hires.

•Most startup roles in Amsterdam are English-only — Dutch not required

•Senior engineer salaries: €60K–€90K, plus 30% ruling tax benefit

•Booking.com and Adyen alumni network is a major hiring pipeline

Fundraising & First Checks

Amsterdam has a growing VC scene. The 30% ruling makes it cheaper to hire, indirectly helping fundraising. WBSO R&D credits add non-dilutive support.

•Seed Business Angel Scheme provides co-investment loans for angel syndicates (via RVO)

•RVO administers WBSO R&D tax credits for tech startups

•Dealroom and OpenVC list Dutch investors and funding rounds

Find investors & market data

Databases and directories to discover angels and VCs, plus funding data and ecosystem reports.

Pitch resources & guides

Templates, playbooks, and real pitch deck examples.

Tax incentives for investors

Programs that make angel investing more attractive to backers.

Grants & Non-Dilutive Funding

Government grants, EU programs, and non-dilutive funding sources across Europe.

EU grants apply to EU cities. London and Zurich have separate national programs.

Vibe Coding: Build Without Code

AI tools that let you go from idea to working product in hours. No engineering team required.

Transit & Travel

Biking IS transit in Amsterdam. The city also has excellent trams, buses, and a small metro via GVB. NS trains connect to the rest of the Netherlands in under an hour.

•Get a bike immediately — it's the primary way to get around

•Swapfiets: €17/mo for a bike subscription, repairs included

•OV-chipkaart for trams/buses/trains — load it up at any station

•Amsterdam Centraal to Schiphol Airport is 15 min by train