Considering the move to Netherlands

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

If you've been to the Netherlands a few times, I shan't bother to tell you to read our guide (top of the page in our Discover section).

To answer your specific questions:

Dutch - depends; I'm inclined to say it's important that you learn to speak it if for no other reason that life around you is in Dutch, the bus timetable is in Dutch; your doctor is Dutch.  That said, if you work for a multi-national where the official language is English (like my daughter), then maybe not so much of an issue.  The counter to that is that any customer-facing job here, you must speak Dutch fluently.

Ex-pats - I've been here for almost 26 years, I've never encountered an Ex-pat scene, but my wife is Dutch, with an extended Dutch family and friends, so probably explains my being brain-washed and I guess that the fact I speak Dutch must have had something to do with it. I've heard of Expat Facebook groups, so use Google and Facebook as a place to start

Private health insurance is compulsory from the moment you arrive; you won't be excluded for existing conditions.  I think my daughter pays 185 euro p/month.

Apartment - again depends, mainly on how and where you want to live.  In many places, rental accommodation is either non-existent or very expensive, particularly in and around Amsterdam.  There are web-based suppliers (Google "Pararius" for one such example); a word of warning, watch out for scammers, renting apartments/houses that either don't exist or have people already living there.

One last point, Brexit may have some implications for your move; if the UK gets 3rd world status, then you may have to learn Dutch and pass an exam as part of your immigration process.

If you have any further specific questions, please come back to us.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team