Quality of Life

Housing in the Netherlands
The housing situation is generally favourable. There is a large variety of property to choose from although much depends on the area where you want to live. There is a good choice of rental properties in the so-called Randstad area (Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam, Utrecht) in the western part of the country.

Distances
Since distances in the country are comparatively short, it is possible to live in the countryside enjoying the benefits of rural life yet still be in the heart of a major city within 20 minutes.

Museums
The Netherlands has more than 1100 museums. The most famous of which are:
the Rijksmuseum
www.rijksmuseum.nl
the Vincent van Gogh Museum
www.vangoghmuseum.nl
the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterloo
www.kmm.nl
Boijmans van Beuningen
www.boijmans.nl
Kunsthal
www.kunsthal.nl
the Mauritshuis Museum
www.mauritshuis.nl

Sports
Sports are also popular among the Dutch. The country's 35,000 sports clubs have a total membership of
some 4.3 million people, and this does not even count the many who engage in sports without belonging to a club.

Sports facilities are widely available everywhere, with soccer being the most popular sport followed by tennis, but golf and squash are rising in popularity.

Theatre & Dance
Various theatre and dance groups of the Netherlands are well appreciated and are famous around the world. Many music festivals in the Netherlands, take place particularly in the summer:

Holland Festival June 2007 Amsterdam
(All performing arts)

Pinkpop 26-28 May 2007 Landgraaf (Limburg)

Parkpop 24 June 2007 The Hague

North Sea Jazz Festival 13-15 July 2007 Rotterdam

For more information please visit: www.danceandmusic.nl

High standard of Healthcare

Many expatriates take great consolation from the fact that medical care is in a league with the best of the world. Almost all doctors speak English, which is also very reassuring. Whether you have a common cold, a serious illness or you are expecting a baby, medical care is excellent and thorough.

There are many good hospitals in the Netherlands all with the latest in technology. In principle, all Dutch hospitals offer the same specializations; so going to one hospital is as good as going to the next. 

International schools in the Netherlands
Throughout the Netherlands there are international schools, both primary and secondary, following the American, British, French, as well as International and European systems of education.

Education

A number of Dutch schools have special departments, called 'English Streams'. These Streams provide two possibilities:

- A gradual integration into the Dutch education system

- After passing through the English stream, non-Dutch children can take the international Baccalaureate.

All international schools are specialized in accepting children in the middle of term, and are used to providing additional English language tuition, if necessary.

International Study Programs:
Higher education institutions in the Netherlands offer about 1,000 international study programs and courses, which are taught in English.

Most study programs and courses lead to a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, a PhD degree, a diploma or certificate.