Find Paid Work Abroad With Accommodation and Transportation

What if we told you that you could find paid work abroad with accommodation? Also, if you’re flexible in your job search, you can start working in the Netherlands in just a couple of weeks.

The Netherlands is one of the most developed countries and has some of the best working conditions. With its minimum wage of €1,635.60 and the potential to earn even more, people from all over the world want to come and live here with their families and their children.

At Robin, we make this a reality. We offer jobs abroad to workers from all over the EU. Not only that, but you’ll have accommodations and organised transport to work.

As you’re looking for that perfect job abroad, keep reading to find out more about where you will live and what you can expect from transportation once you get there.

What You Can Expect From Accommodation in the Netherlands

Before we list different types of accommodations, you need to understand how finding jobs abroad works on Robin.

Robin is a recruitment agency that helps you find blue-collar jobs abroad. Specifically, we work with companies in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Robin works with 35 employment agencies that need workers like you.

These employment agencies will be your employer – you sign a contract with them, and they are the ones who provide accommodation and transportation. Of course, finding paid work abroad with accommodations is slightly more complicated than that.

But the first step is to register on Robin and apply to a job abroad you like. After that, one of our recruiters will contact you, and we will guide you through the whole process.

If you get a job, you then need to move to the Netherlands (find the best route), but once you do arrive, here’s what you can expect when it comes to your home in the next few months:

Chalets or House Complexes

Owning your own home is the most comfortable accommodation that workers can expect when they come to work in the Netherlands for six months or more.

The size of the house and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms will determine how many people will be accommodated in a particular house.

The employment agency tries to make the accommodations as comfortable as possible and accommodates between 8 and 14 people in its own houses. While homes are the best deals, not many employment agencies offer them regularly as they tend to be more expensive.

Benefits

• These types of houses are usually located in quiet neighbourhoods with Dutch neighbours, making it easier to integrate into the local community.
• The houses are close to the workplace. You’ll likely get a bicycle and won’t have to use public transport or the metro system to get to work.
• There is very little turnover of residents, which helps them become closer friends and take care of the household together.

Disadvantages

• Homes come in different sizes and offer different living conditions, so you’ll only know what to expect when you get there.
• Agencies have different ways of accommodating people. Some put people of the same nationality in one home, but others put people who work for the same company in another. You can’t choose your roommates.

Holiday Homes

Holiday homes are suitable for comfortable living, especially if you don’t plan to live here for more than a year. Brick chalets are usually located in parks in quiet areas. Depending on the size of the house, it can accommodate 6-9 people.

Benefits

• There are often a number of houses in this type of complex, so there’s a good chance you’ll meet your compatriot.
• Quiet surroundings.
• Close proximity to public transport and car parking allow for easy trips to work.

Disadvantages

• Workers stay shorter, which means that many people come and go quickly.
• The holiday home complexes tend to be remote from the settlements, and while you have an easy route to work, you’re a bit excluded from what goes on in larger cities.

Hotels

The hotel is ideal for employees who plan to work in the Netherlands for a longer period of time and want to have more active leisure time after work. These are often smaller hotels with up to 20 residents.

Benefits

• Hotels are usually located in larger cities and towns.
• They offer facilities such as table football, a pool table, and a sports club.
• Hotels have an employment agency representative you can turn to.
• They are close to trains, buses, or a tram, and getting to any destination is often easy, requiring little to no planning.

Disadvantages

• Usually, a hotel has rather limited facilities for cooking your own food, or the kitchen facilities are shared by many people.
• Limited opportunity to integrate into local life and experience Dutch culture.

Mobile Homes

Mobile homes, which are usually located in recreational areas, are an attractive place to live for workers who come to work in the Netherlands for a short period of time, up to a few months.

However, due to the low supply of accommodation and high rental prices in some regions of the Netherlands, this type of house can sometimes be used for longer periods of time. The mobile homes can accommodate 4-6 people.

Benefits

• It’s easy to meet workers from your home country in mobile home settlements.
• As the settlements are mostly located in recreational areas, they offer a wide range of activities, such as fishing, swimming, basketball, or football.
• Transport to and from the workplace is well organised.
• There is a recruitment agency representative on site who can respond immediately to any problems.

Disadvantages

• Residents move in and out quite frequently, which can cause inconvenience in terms of maintenance.
• The mobile home complexes are remote from the settlements, which makes it difficult to get to know the locals.
• Rooms in mobile homes are small.
• Often, mobile homes are poorly insulated, which can make them cold during the cold season. However, seasonal workers who come in the summer are often accommodated here.

How Much Will I Pay for Rent?

Finding affordable housing in the Netherlands can be a real challenge if you plan to find paid jobs by yourself. However, Robin partnered with trusted employment agencies in the Netherlands that provide workers with accommodation at a good price, allowing them to save the money they earn.

The cost of your home will be approximately €85 to €110 per person per week. The rental price depends on the type of residence, the number of inhabitants, and the region in which you will work and live. No matter what type of residence you will be living in, the employment agency will charge a flat rent each week. You will not have to pay the rent in advance, as it will be deducted from your salary after 7 days of work.

The rent includes:

• All utilities
• Internet fee
• Sewage disposal fee
• Local government fee

Employment agencies we work with apply the rent relief. The Dutch government introduced it to make it easier for foreign workers to deduct rent from their salaries before taxes. The reason for it is that you are paying rent in the Netherlands, and you also have bills and maintenance costs in your own country. This saves you about €60 a month.

Robin Works With Agencies That Adhere to Accommodation Standards

We want the best for the candidates we send abroad, and for this reason, we only work with those temporary employment agencies that provide their employees with at least a minimum standard of residence. Agencies marked with the SNF Quality mark comply with these requirements.

The SNF Stichting Normering Flexwonen is a strictly regulated certification of the place of residence that the temporary employment agency provides to employees, and according to this certification, living conditions must at least meet the minimum requirements.

According to the SNF requirements, the place of residence must have:

• 1 toilet and 1 bathroom for 8 people;
• A neat heating system, inspected at least once every two years;
• 30 litres of refrigerator capacity per person;
• 4 hotplates;
• Information booklets on first aid, fire, police, etc. in the mother tongue of each resident in the house;
• Contact a person who can be reached 24 hours a day. per day in the event of an emergency;
• Fire extinguisher, fire and smoke detector, fire blanket;
• The responsible authorities must inspect the residence at least once a year.

There is internet access in almost every place of residence, making your life easier and allowing you to contact your spouse and your children.

Transportation in the Netherlands

When you look for paid jobs abroad, you first think of getting a job, signing a contract, and then deciding where you are going to live and where you will get to work. Housing and transportation are the basic needs that recruiters need to take care of for their candidates who get the job abroad.

And for all the Robin candidates, you have nothing to worry about because everyone who comes to the Netherlands through Robin will have this taken care of. You will either get a public transport ticket, a car, or a bicycle to travel to work.

The Dutch temporary employment agencies are responsible for organising this for you. Think of them as your host family when you arrive in the Netherlands.

What Can I Expect to Get?

What you get depends mostly on the distance between your place of residence and your workplace.

If the distance from your place of residence to your place of work is less than 10 kilometres, the agency will provide you with a bicycle. This is a common way of getting to work in the Netherlands, and most locals travel this way.

Cycling to work gives you the freedom to ride at your own pace, to be independent of your co-workers, and to return home after your shift.

If your place of residence is more than 10 kilometres away from your place of employment, you and your coworkers will either receive a car or take an agency bus to and from work.

In the Netherlands, you can’t use a company car to run errands outside of work. Below, you can find more information about transportation in cities and towns, what you can use it for, and how much it costs.

Find a Bike

• In the Netherlands, you only need to pay a deposit to get a bike, and when you return it, you get your money back. Visit Marktplaats to find bikes near you.
• In Belgium, cycling is less common but still used. Find bikes at 2dehands.
• In Germany, agencies arrange for a car or a company bus to pick you up. You won’t rent a bike if you get a job in this country.

Public Transport in The Netherlands

Working at paid jobs abroad will allow you to save some money that will come in handy when you return home. However, you can also use some of that money to travel around the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany and explore each country. We won’t give you any travel advice on what you should visit. However, you can find all the details about public transportation here.

Public transport in the Netherlands is well organised and inexpensive. You can use it to get to any place in the country (if you’re working near Rotterdam and you need to get to Hague Airport, it is pretty easy to do so).

Buses: Connecting Cities and Regions

Buses are common in the Netherlands, whether you are exploring a city such as Amsterdam or going to smaller places in the rural parts of the country. Amsterdam Central Bus Station is the biggest bus station in the country, with a line to each corner. Just find a line that leads to your destination, and you’re good to go.

Trams: Urban Mobility Solutions

A tram is just as common as a bus. The tram is a great way of transport and is really efficient in cities such as Amsterdam, especially if you need to cover more ground.

Trains: Efficient Intercity Travel

If you plan to travel outside of your place of residence and meet Dutch people from other places, it is best to use trains. In fact, international trains are great for arriving in the Netherlands for the first time. The country has multiple train companies operating in different parts of the country.

Check out route maps (https://www.happyrail.com/en/rail-map-the-netherlands) for trains before setting on a destination. Most trains are very tidy and punctual, and they are definitely reliable for a longer trip.

Metro: City Underground Networks

Major Dutch cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam offer metro systems, providing efficient and rapid transit within urban areas. One of the more popular lines is metro line E, which runs between Rotterdam and The Hague. Planning a trip when you have the metro is always easy.

Where to Buy Tickets:

For buses and trams:

• GVB’s public transport network is cashless. You can only purchase a ticket or check in with a debit card, credit card, or I Amsterdam City Card.
• For frequent travellers, the OV-chipkaart is a smart card that can be loaded with credit and used on buses as well as other modes of public transport.
• A barcode ticket via the GVB app.
• Tickets from a machine.
• You can buy a ticket from the tram conductor and pay with a card.

For trains and metros:

• Train tickets can be purchased at station ticket counters, vending machines, or online through the official website of Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), the national railway company.
• The OV-chipkaart can also be used for train and metro travel, but it requires a minimum balance.
• A season ticket is available for people who travel often.

• Metro tickets can usually be purchased at metro stations from vending machines or ticket counters.

Top Tips:

• Get a contactless card and never worry about transportation.
• Install 9292 app, which has everything about transportation in the Netherlands.

FAQ About Dutch Accommodation and Transportation

Can I Find a Place in the Netherlands On My Own?

Yes, you can take care of your own residence in the Netherlands. If you plan to settle in the country for a longer period of time or permanently, then it is more convenient to find housing yourself. However, in this case, you will have to arrange transport to the workplace yourself, which costs more money.

When you find jobs abroad through Robin, this is all taken care of. Our service is one of the best in the world.

I Already Have a Place to Live. Can You Help Me Find a Job?

Because we work with recruitment agencies across the country, chances are we’ll be able to offer you a job. Especially if you have your own car.

What’s the Best Way to Arrive in the Netherlands?

Arriving by car gives you flexibility, which can be useful if you decide to change jobs. However, arriving by plane is probably the most effective option. The Dutch have great transportation, and getting to your destination from any airport in the country shouldn’t be a problem.

A lot of workers also choose to travel by Flixbus, which is quite affordable, as well as minibuses that can pick you up at your address and drive you to your accommodation in the Netherlands. That saves time and money you’d spend travelling from the airport or getting a cab. 

When it comes to minibuses, it’s best to approach your local transport companies to check the prices and travel dates, or ask Robin recruiters for further guidance. 

Does Robin Pay for My Trip to the Netherlands? 

No, Robin doesn’t cover trip costs. You pay for your transportation from your home to the Netherlands. Whether you want to go by car, train, or plane is completely up to you. Robin is responsible for finding you a job in the Netherlands, and you will receive accommodation as well as organised transportation from your employment agency.

Check out our job offers and register on Robin to find a job abroad!