Moving to the Netherlands for an IT Job: Oscar’s Relocation Story

Oscar’s background

• Home country: Australia 🇦🇺
• Current role: Senior Software Engineer at Picnic
• Years of experience: 5.5 (4 at the time of relocation)
• Tech stack: Java 21, Spring Boot 3, Project Reactor, MongoDB, Kubernetes
• Passions outside of work: Volleyball

Oscar studied software engineering in his hometown of Adelaide and began his career in Sydney just before COVID-19. After four years working at Atlassian there, he decided it was time for a bigger move and to start a new, more adventurous chapter outside Australia.

What made you choose the Netherlands as a work abroad destination?

I didn’t leave Australia because I was unhappy. Life there was very good, but that was exactly the point: if I didn’t make the move early in my career, I knew I might just stay there forever. Relocating to the Netherlands was my way of pushing myself outside my comfort zone and having the unique experience of living and working abroad.

I looked at places like the UK, Germany, and the US, but the Netherlands stood out. Although it isn’t a primarily English-speaking country, people speak English at a very high level, so I knew language wouldn’t be an issue. At the same time, the culture felt different enough that it wouldn’t just feel like “another Australia.” Amsterdam also gave me a central base in Europe, which makes travel a lot easier and cheaper. And visa-wise, the Netherlands is one of the most straightforward options for international software engineers, which made the move more realistic.

But of course, coming from Australia did mean a big adjustment. For example, the fastest I can get from door to door is 24 hours, and the time difference makes it hard to stay connected with friends and family. For me, calls only work on weekends. But even with those challenges, I think making the move was absolutely worth it.

You are now working at Picnic as a Senior Software Engineer. Why did you choose Picnic?

Picnic was actually one of the first companies I came across. I found it in an article about reducing food waste. That caught my attention because they were clearly trying to tackle an environmental problem, and I thought that was interesting.

From there I looked into the company more. I read interviews, watched some of their YouTube content, but what I really wanted to know was whether Picnic was a genuine tech company or just a supermarket with a bit of tech on the side. For me, it was important to join a place where engineering was taken seriously, because I enjoy the challenges and environment that come with that. And with Picnic, the more I looked, the clearer it became that it is a serious tech company, not just a supermarket with a tech division.

The environmental side also appealed to me. Their home delivery model reduces the number of individual trips people make to the shops, which helps cut down on driving and emissions. So that combination of purpose and engineering focus made me want to apply. And during the interviews, everyone I spoke to came across as really switched on and genuinely engaged. It didn’t feel like people were just reading off a list of questions. That gave me a very good impression of the team and made me confident this was the right place for me.

How many interview stages did you have to go through to get this job? How much time passed between the first interview and the job offer?

The hiring process at Picnic follows a clear series of steps:

• HR screening call.
• Take-home assignment that can be completed within a week.
• Technical round with two engineers discussing the assignment and past experience.
• Pair-programming session with two more developers.
• Behavioural interview about experience and fit.

For the take-home assignment, I probably spent more time on it than most — I really wanted it to be good — but in reality it only takes a few hours. After that, you go into discussions about your solution, plus some general experience questions. Then there’s a final assessment day with two interviews: a pair-programming session and a behavioural round. It’s a pretty normal kind of setup.

The recruiting team has an explicit policy of a turnaround of four weeks from application to offer, and in some cases it can be faster. The company has recently trialled “hiring sprints” where candidates complete all interviews in one or two days and receive an answer within 24 hours.

In my case, it took about a month because my interviews spanned the Christmas holiday break. Normally though, if everything lines up, candidates can expect a response within four weeks and sometimes even less.

By the way, do you need to know Dutch to work at Picnic?

No, you don’t need to know Dutch to get a job at Picnic. You can secure an offer and move to the Netherlands if you speak only English. Once you’re settled in Amsterdam, you’ll have time to learn Dutch. If your goal is to become a Dutch citizen and get a European passport, then you’ll need to learn Dutch, because knowing how to speak it is a requirement to claim citizenship. That passport will then let you work in the Netherlands, Berlin, or Madrid, for that matter. Learning Dutch in order to get a passport is a good trade-off.

Picnic is actively hiring software engineers in the Netherlands

Picnic is a Dutch online supermarket founded in 2015 that builds all its technology in-house, including its app, logistics systems, and warehouse platforms. The company has grown very quickly and now serves more than a million customers in the Netherlands, France, and Germany. The company is looking for skilled engineers from around the world and promises an energetic job environment where teams take on real supply-chain and customer challenges and see the outcomes of their work firsthand. If you join Picnic’s tech team in Amsterdam, you’ll work with a diverse group of engineers on scalable and influential projects.

Here’s just some open tech roles at Picnic:

• Senior Java Developer – Build scalable backend systems and guide technical decision-making.
• Java Developer – Work on backend services, delivery routing, and warehouse systems.

👉 Want to learn more about Picnic? Check out this blog post.

Did Picnic offer relocation assistance?

Yes, Picnic supported me all the way through my move. There was quite a lot of paperwork initially with visas, residence permits, and tax forms, but that is obviously part of relocating. The good thing was that everything was clearly documented in Picnic’s internal wiki, and whenever I had questions there was always someone who had gone through it before who could explain. The admin does not all come at once either. It kind of trickles in, with reminders about what needs to be done and by when, which made it easier to handle.

One of the biggest advantages was coming on a Highly Skilled Migrant visa, which also allowed my partner to move here and get a working visa through mine. That was really important for us. If only I could come, it might have been a deal breaker. Picnic also helped me apply for the 30% ruling, which is definitely a big deal for people who want to move to the Netherlands. It takes a while to set up, but Picnic guided me through every step and kept nudging me until it was sorted.

They also made the arrival itself easier. I was put up in a student-style accommodation for the first month, which gave me time to start apartment hunting without pressure. Picnic provided a relocation bonus as well, which I could either use for a real estate agent or put toward my first month’s rent.

Another thing that helped a lot was that new joiners usually arrive together at the start of the month, so you are surrounded by others going through the same thing. That support network made the first weeks feel less overwhelming. It’s nice to just have people at work that you can talk to and ask questions like, does anyone have suggestions for how to find an apartment? Whereas if I moved before I found a job, I would’ve definitely felt a lot more isolated, I would say.

A note about how to get a visa to work in the Netherlands

If you plan to stay and work in the Netherlands for more than 90 days, you’ll need a long-stay visa (MVV) or a residence permit right from the start.

Most non-EU tech professionals use the Highly Skilled Migrant permit. Your employer must be a recognised sponsor and will apply on your behalf. To qualify, you need to meet the minimum gross monthly salary threshold—currently €3,909 for those under 30, and €5,331 for those over 30.

There are other visa routes too:

• The Startup Visa allows non-EU entrepreneurs to launch an innovative business in the Netherlands over a one-year period, with the support of a recognised facilitator.
• The Self-Employment Visa is for independent professionals and freelancers, assessed via a points-based system focused on economic contribution and business viability.
• And for Americans, there’s the DAFT Visa under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty, which only requires a modest €4,500 investment to qualify.

As Oscar mentioned, one of the biggest draws for expats on the Highly Skilled Migrant permit is the 30% ruling. This is a tax incentive that allows up to 30% of your gross salary to be paid tax-free for the first five years. It’s worth discussing during the hiring or relocation process.

If you’d like to explore Dutch visa options and requirements in more detail, check out the full guides on Relocate.me.

A note regarding the cost of living in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is not the cheapest city in Europe, but many expats find it balances out with good salaries and benefits like the 30% ruling. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city centre is about €2,041 per month, while a three-bedroom apartment typically costs €3,363.

For an apartment for two people, monthly household expenses, including electricity, heating, water, and garbage, usually cost around €300, although some sources claim it could triple that amount. A public transport subscription costs roughly €80 per month, and groceries and eating out are generally similar to cities like Berlin or Paris, though using Dutch supermarkets like Picnic can make groceries slightly cheaper.

Oscar noted that apartment hunting in Amsterdam can be tough, but the support from Picnic and advice from fellow expats helped him a lot. He explicitly mentioned that some of his colleagues had found success by looking in nearby cities like Utrecht. These two cities are merely 40 km apart, and the train journey from Amsterdam-Centraal to Utrecht Centraal takes around 25 minutes.

What is the average salary in the Netherlands?

As of February 2024, the gross average salary in the Netherlands is €44,000 per year or €3,666 per month. This is one of the top five highest average salaries in Europe, and it’s moderately higher than in Austria or the UK. When we apply the 30% tax ruling for international hires, the net annual salary in the Netherlands is €31,745. To learn more about taxes, you can visit Taxes in the Netherlands or calculate your own income using the Tax Calculator.

One last question: what makes Amsterdam an attractive city for you as a software developer?

I can only really speak from my experience at Picnic, but what stands out most is the culture within the engineering teams. People are friendly, supportive, and collaborative. It never feels competitive in the sense of needing to outdo your peers. Instead, your peers are your teammates, and that creates a very positive environment.

The level of talent here is also high. Amsterdam attracts skilled engineers from all over the world, and many of my colleagues are expats who have been relocated because of their expertise. That means the standard of engineering is strong, and being surrounded by world-class talent pushes you to grow as well. For me, that combination of collaboration and quality makes working here very rewarding.

Interested in following Oscar’s path and relocating to the Netherlands? Find a job first!

Oscar’s story shows how important it is to secure the right job before moving abroad. A position with a company that hires internationally and offers relocation support makes the move much more manageable.

For tech professionals looking to move to the Netherlands, Relocate.me is a useful resource. The platform connects software engineers with companies like Picnic. That is, companies that hire internationally and guide new hires through visas and relocation.

If you are interested in following Oscar's path, browse tech jobs with relocation to the Netherlands and check which roles might be the right fit for you.