3 ms·

Anybody have some insight on what it usually takes to qualify for landing a startup gig in places like Norway/Amsterdam? (With regards to language requirements/

Anybody have some insight on what it usually takes to qualify for landing a startup gig in places like Norway/Amsterdam? (With regards to language requirements/work permits/referrals/etc.) With each passing day I find myself more interested in European startup scenes.

Arnt 10y ago
I've sat on the receiving end of such applications in Norway. Find some companies you like and send them mail. There's paperwork, but the paperwork is easier when the employer wants you, so defer it for now.
- flaviuspopan 10y ago
  That simple huh? That's pretty motivating.
  - Arnt 10y ago
    Well, depending on where you are the paperwork may not be simple or quick. But it's quicker and simpler when you have a would-be employer.
    - flaviuspopan 10y ago
      Thanks Arnt, I appreciate the advice. I'll start scoping and see where I end up.
lagadu 10y ago
If you have an EU nationality the paperwork (getting a SS number, a tax card, registered residence) will take maybe 3 hours of work once you have a signed contract. I've been through it and it's surprisingly agile. I don't know about non-EU nationals, though I know people from the US and Canada who managed to get an EU nationality because of their grandparents and simply used that to avoid worrying about visas and all. That said, the companies will be very helpful if you need assistance with paperwork so you should be fine when it comes to it, though I doubt you'll need the help. About the language, English will be fine for nearly any tech company. That said, I'd also check out Berlin and Copenhagen; big startup scenes there. Never worked in The Netherlands so I can't speak for Amsterdam, sorry.
- flaviuspopan 10y ago
  I truly appreciate the guidance, thank you. I'm originally from Romania and speak English, Romanian, Spanish, and some French. Multiple people have been mentioning Germany as an alternative so I might look into that more as I have family there.
woodcut 10y ago
There's something called the european blue card which is equivalent to a US green card, if you can get a job offer >€38,688 a year and you work in tech then the blue card entitles you to work anywhere in the Schengen area. You'd need to work for about 18 months in the first position and after 3 years you can apply for permanent residency.
jacquesm 10y ago
Germany is easy to get into and Berlin has a pretty good start-up scene.
- flaviuspopan 10y ago
  I appreciate the tip, thank you! Do you have any first hand experience in the German startup scene? I have family in Germany and am certainly open to the idea.
  - jacquesm 10y ago
    Yes, a friend has immigrated into Germany and has set up shop in Berlin (and has found some grants to support his fledgling business), and I spend quite a large number of days per year in Berlin, Hamburg or Munich evaluating start-ups. Of all the countries in Western Europe I think it is by far the best right now to jump to from outside of the EU.
    - flaviuspopan 10y ago
      Just did a quick search on what's available in Berlin; I like what I see :) Thank you!
kmfrk 10y ago
If you're American, the US has a special arrangement with the Netherlands that should make it significantly easier for you to get to Amsterdam. At least there used to be one - try contacting your embassy in the Netherlands or the Dutch one in the US.
- Maultasche 10y ago
  There is a special arrangement, but it's for people with their own businesses. It's fairly easy to start your own business in the Netherlands as a US citizen. Great if you're a startup founder. Employment is something else entirely. Skilled migrants can come under the knowledge worker program ("kennismigrant") or the European blue card program. There are a number of websites where you can read about this. You do have to find a company that will sponsor you, but that's the main barrier to entry. Some Dutch companies want people who speak Dutch, but many will be happy to hire those who speak English. The Dutch government also offers incentives to people coming from abroad where the person pays 30% fewer taxes for the first 8 years in the country. As an American who's looked into the possibilities, I'd say that the Netherlands is probably the friendliest country in Europe to migrate to. The Netherlands is welcoming to migrants (at least the skilled type), it has a healthy IT sector (with a good number of startups in the Amsterdam area), and English is widely spoken. I'd still advise eventually learning Dutch, but you can at least get along with just English.

Arnt 10y ago

I've sat on the receiving end of such applications in Norway. Find some companies you like and send them mail. There's paperwork, but the paperwork is easier when the employer wants you, so defer it for now.

flaviuspopan 10y ago
That simple huh? That's pretty motivating.
- Arnt 10y ago
  Well, depending on where you are the paperwork may not be simple or quick. But it's quicker and simpler when you have a would-be employer.
  - flaviuspopan 10y ago
    Thanks Arnt, I appreciate the advice. I'll start scoping and see where I end up.

lagadu 10y ago

If you have an EU nationality the paperwork (getting a SS number, a tax card, registered residence) will take maybe 3 hours of work once you have a signed contract. I've been through it and it's surprisingly agile. I don't know about non-EU nationals, though I know people from the US and Canada who managed to get an EU nationality because of their grandparents and simply used that to avoid worrying about visas and all. That said, the companies will be very helpful if you need assistance with paperwork so you should be fine when it comes to it, though I doubt you'll need the help. About the language, English will be fine for nearly any tech company. That said, I'd also check out Berlin and Copenhagen; big startup scenes there. Never worked in The Netherlands so I can't speak for Amsterdam, sorry.

flaviuspopan 10y ago
I truly appreciate the guidance, thank you. I'm originally from Romania and speak English, Romanian, Spanish, and some French. Multiple people have been mentioning Germany as an alternative so I might look into that more as I have family there.

woodcut 10y ago

There's something called the european blue card which is equivalent to a US green card, if you can get a job offer >€38,688 a year and you work in tech then the blue card entitles you to work anywhere in the Schengen area. You'd need to work for about 18 months in the first position and after 3 years you can apply for permanent residency.

jacquesm 10y ago

Germany is easy to get into and Berlin has a pretty good start-up scene.

flaviuspopan 10y ago
I appreciate the tip, thank you! Do you have any first hand experience in the German startup scene? I have family in Germany and am certainly open to the idea.
- jacquesm 10y ago
  Yes, a friend has immigrated into Germany and has set up shop in Berlin (and has found some grants to support his fledgling business), and I spend quite a large number of days per year in Berlin, Hamburg or Munich evaluating start-ups. Of all the countries in Western Europe I think it is by far the best right now to jump to from outside of the EU.
  - flaviuspopan 10y ago
    Just did a quick search on what's available in Berlin; I like what I see :) Thank you!

kmfrk 10y ago

If you're American, the US has a special arrangement with the Netherlands that should make it significantly easier for you to get to Amsterdam. At least there used to be one - try contacting your embassy in the Netherlands or the Dutch one in the US.

Maultasche 10y ago
There is a special arrangement, but it's for people with their own businesses. It's fairly easy to start your own business in the Netherlands as a US citizen. Great if you're a startup founder. Employment is something else entirely. Skilled migrants can come under the knowledge worker program ("kennismigrant") or the European blue card program. There are a number of websites where you can read about this. You do have to find a company that will sponsor you, but that's the main barrier to entry. Some Dutch companies want people who speak Dutch, but many will be happy to hire those who speak English. The Dutch government also offers incentives to people coming from abroad where the person pays 30% fewer taxes for the first 8 years in the country. As an American who's looked into the possibilities, I'd say that the Netherlands is probably the friendliest country in Europe to migrate to. The Netherlands is welcoming to migrants (at least the skilled type), it has a healthy IT sector (with a good number of startups in the Amsterdam area), and English is widely spoken. I'd still advise eventually learning Dutch, but you can at least get along with just English.