暗网禁区

Hi again.

We've had this conversation before.聽 If you leave it till after Brexit, then you may have to go through the MVV route to get into Holland; MVV is a residence permit and work visa all in one, but it is also designed to encourage you to integrate into Dutch society and part of it is a language exam; actually there are 2 exams, one that gets you in, then another that you have to complete within 2 years of arriving, which is of a much higher level.聽 If you want to know how hard the 1st exam is, then go on YouTube and search for "naar nederland", it's the on-line version of the course many do prior to taking the exam.聽 So, to answer one of your questions, if you don't pass the exam, you won't get a visa, neither do you get your money back if you fail.

If you move to Holland before the end of the year but don't speak Dutch, then you will escape MVV (EU citizens are exempt), but really be limited to low-level manual type work, warehouses, cleaning, paying minimum wage.聽 If you're happy doing that and can get the work (it's very hard at the moment) then fine.聽 You should also bear in mind that life around you is in Dutch, I'm not going to repeat myself, suffice to say life will be boring when you don't understand what people are saying, can't read the information displayed for your health and benefit, can't find out the time of the next bus/train home, can't watch or understand the TV/Radio.

Interviews in Holland are in Dutch; if it's for an English speaking role, then they will test your English if they decide to progress with you further.聽 You will be surprised at how bad your own English is when you get tested for it; they expect the correct use of punctuation, grammar, capital letters, sentence construction; your post above is not a good example.聽 I understand it, but I'm a native English speaker, my wife (who is Dutch and well educated) just smiled and shook her head.

Rejection - there is scope within the current Immigration rules to either deny entry to those who they think will not be able to support themselves in the Netherlands or should a person become dependent on the State, they can deport you.

Hi, a good post, thank you.
My interviews were all in English and the team are all English speakers from multiple countries. But, maybe software development is a bit of an exception and most jobs I found required at least some Dutch and of course we will learn anyway, not least out of respect for those around us

Thank you for the responses.
My question was mainly more aimed towards language in an 'official' way.聽 I am 100% learning Dutch because I believe it's rude not to and to expect everyone to speak English, even if they can, I think it's rude. Having a Dutch partner definitely helps, and there is obviously a huge difference between speaking Dutch in a casual setting, Vs a formal setting.
I was mainly asking towards formal things, job interviews and government interviews etc. Are they generally quite forgiving, or are they very strict when it comes to applying to stay in the country. I have the idea in my head that they will notice and write down every grammatical mistake, and that you will need to have perfect Dutch because it's a test. What sort of level do you need to be? Very beginner, beginner, intermediate, advanced or fluent etc. How forgiving are they? Etc etc

Even if I move before Brexit, I imagine there will be further testing and appointments to check that you aren't a burden on the society and are integrating.

I mainly just wanted to hear other people's experiences around language, and how strict it was.

Language experience - this was 25 years ago:

If you have a strong non-Dutch accent, speak slowly and don't forget to breathe.

Gemeente Enschede - the young lady spoke very good English but switched to Dutch when she understood I was there to register.聽 When I asked why, she said she was there to help and my Dutch needed help.

Belastingdienst - He spoke English to say hello, take a seat etc, when it came to the actual interview - all in Dutch, when I asked why, because the law is in Dutch.

Job Interview - mine were all in Dutch; just asked my daughter what her more recent experience was, all in Dutch, including headhunters and consultants; because she refers to her UK managerial experience in her CV, they tried out her English but went back to Dutch when they realised she was more proficient than they were.聽

IND - speak many languages; if you have special questions you want to be answered in your mother tongue, then perhaps tell them first.聽 I've always found them very helpful.

Doctor - receptionist speaks only in Dutch; the doctor spoke English.

Dentist - a family friend, speaks perfect English, went to him for my first check-up (I had toothache); after the initial greetings, he switched to Dutch, said I needed to learn.