Can I Work Remotely for a US Company from the Netherlands?

It's one of the most common questions we hear from Americans thinking about moving to the Netherlands: “I already have a job I love — can I just take it with me?”

It's a completely reasonable hope. Remote work is normal now. Your laptop works just as well in Utrecht as it does in Austin. So why should it matter where you sit?

The answer, frustratingly, is: it matters a lot. Not because of technology, but because of taxes and employment law. Here's what you actually need to know.

The short answer

Working remotely for a US company from the Netherlands is legally possible, but it is not simple. It requires your employer to take active steps to comply with Dutch law — and most US companies, especially smaller ones, aren't set up to do that and aren't eager to find out what it takes.

That doesn't mean it can't work. It means you need to go in with realistic expectations and have an honest conversation with your employer before you book the moving truck.

Why it gets complicated

The moment you live in the Netherlands and work there — even for a foreign company — you become subject to Dutch rules. Two areas cause the most friction:

1. Dutch income tax

As a Dutch resident, you owe Dutch income tax on your worldwide income. The Netherlands has a progressive tax system with rates up to 49.5% for income above roughly €75,000. The good news: the Netherlands has a tax treaty with the US specifically to prevent you from being taxed twice on the same income. You'll generally get credit for taxes paid in one country against what you owe in the other.

The less good news: your US employer will need to stop withholding US federal income tax from your paycheck (since you'll be paying Dutch tax instead), which requires coordination with their payroll team. Many US payroll systems aren't built for this.

2. Dutch social security

This is where it gets more complex. If you physically work in the Netherlands for more than 25% of your working time, Dutch social security law kicks in — meaning you should be covered under the Dutch system, not the American one. Your employer would need to register with Dutch authorities and make contributions to the Dutch social security system on your behalf.

For a small or mid-sized US company with no European presence, this is a significant and unfamiliar administrative burden — typically costing somewhere between €3,600 and €10,000 or more per year in setup and ongoing compliance costs.

What about the US-Netherlands tax treaty?

The US and the Netherlands have a totalization agreement — a bilateral treaty that coordinates social security between the two countries to avoid double contributions. In theory this helps. In practice, it still requires your employer to engage with the process, obtain the right certificates, and potentially restructure how they pay you.

On the income tax side, you will still need to file a US tax return every year (Americans abroad always do), but tools like the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (up to $130,000 for the 2025 tax year) and the Foreign Tax Credit can significantly reduce or eliminate what you owe the IRS on top of Dutch taxes.

This is not DIY territory. You'll want an accountant who specializes in US-Netherlands cross-border taxation.

What does your employer actually need to do?

Depending on your situation and how your employer wants to handle it, the options typically look like this:

Option 1 — Employer registers as a foreign employer in the Netherlands

Your employer formally registers with Dutch tax authorities and starts running a Dutch-compliant payroll for you. This is the cleanest solution legally, but it requires willingness and resources on the employer's side.

Option 2 — Employer sets up a Dutch entity

Some larger companies choose to establish a Dutch subsidiary or branch to employ their remote workers properly. This is more involved and usually only makes sense if multiple employees are involved.

Option 3 — You become a contractor

Rather than remaining an employee, you transition to a self-employed contractor relationship with your US company. This gives your employer far less administrative burden — but shifts all the tax and social security complexity onto you, and you'll need a proper self-employment setup in the Netherlands, such as registering as a ZZP'er (freelancer). It also changes your employment protections significantly.

Option 4 — Employer of Record (EOR) service

A growing option: your US company pays a third-party Employer of Record service that formally employs you in the Netherlands on their behalf. Companies like Deel, Remote, or Rippling offer this. It's a practical middle ground that many international remote workers use. Your US company pays the EOR a fee; the EOR handles Dutch payroll, taxes, and social security.

The visa question

Working for a US company remotely doesn't automatically give you the right to live in the Netherlands. You still need a valid visa or residence permit for stays longer than 90 days.

The most relevant routes for remote workers:

DAFT visa (Dutch-American Friendship Treaty) — if you restructure your work relationship to self-employed or contractor, this is often the most accessible route for Americans. It requires a modest €4,500 business investment and a business plan.

Partner or family visa — if you have a Dutch or EU partner, this is typically the simplest path regardless of your work situation.

Highly Skilled Migrant visa — this requires a Dutch employer sponsor, so it doesn't apply if you're working for a US company with no Dutch entity.

There is no dedicated digital nomad visa in the Netherlands, despite what some websites suggest.

What most people actually do

In our experience, Americans who successfully pull this off tend to fall into one of these camps:

Their employer is willing to cooperate. Usually this means a tech company, a larger corporation with international experience, or a genuinely flexible employer who values keeping them enough to deal with the paperwork. It helps enormously to frame the conversation around what the employer needs to do (use an EOR, for example) rather than leaving it abstract.

They go freelance. They use the move as an opportunity to restructure their relationship with their employer (or find new clients) on a contractor basis, register as a ZZP'er in the Netherlands, and apply for the DAFT visa. This gives them full flexibility and is often the cleanest setup — but it means giving up employment benefits and taking on more administrative responsibility.

They have a Dutch or EU partner. The visa question is solved through family reunification, and they deal with the tax and employer situation separately.

The bottom line

Working remotely for a US company from the Netherlands is not impossible — but it requires your employer to be an active participant in making it work. If your company has never dealt with international remote work before, you'll need to educate them and possibly help them find the right tools (an EOR is usually the easiest starting point).

If your employer isn't willing to engage with the process, your most practical alternatives are going freelance via the DAFT visa, or finding a Dutch or European employer once you've made the move.

Either way, this is not something to figure out after you've already moved. Start the conversation with your employer early — ideally six to twelve months before your intended move date.

Not sure which route is right for your situation?

Every situation is different. Use our free Visa Finder to get a personalised overview of which path fits your circumstances — it takes about two minutes.

Or book a free 30-minute consultation with Next Chapter Europe to talk through your specific employer situation, visa options, and the practical steps involved in making the move.