Chef Matt Pace slows down to reach new heights. Chef Matt Pace found great success as a sought after chef of New Orleans. Now thanks to the DAFT visa, he brings his enormous talent and Creole food to Amsterdam. Here's his story about the joy he finds in his new life here. Why did you decide to come to the Netherlands? ​ Before I knew about the DAFT visa, I thought I had secured a job in a restaurant. But the IND (Immigration and Naturalization Service) had other ideas: they

Lalita and Nico landed at Schiphol before most of Amsterdam had finished their morning coffee. Three months later they have an apartment outside Utrecht, a new business, a new industry, and a growing vocabulary in a language that is slowly unlocking something deeper for Lalita than she expected. They came for a better life, and now they're building it. Of course, this move has been one of the hardest things I've ever done, and has set us back financially. But I'm glad we are

Chris didn't plan to become a driver in the Netherlands. He planned to save his family. With two LGBTQ+ kids in Oregon watching the political climate get worse, a second Trump administration wasn't an option they were willing to live through. In 44 days, the family packed up everything, sold what they could, and boarded a plane. They landed 14 days before his oldest turned 18. Why did you decide to come to the Netherlands? What were your other options? There were multiple fa

Hannah Edwards is a graphic designer in Eindhoven. She used the DAFT Visa to bring Edwards Digital, her businesses she operated in the USA, to the Netherlands. Why did you decide to come to the Netherlands? What were your other options? When I was in college, I studied abroad in Germany for a year. That planted the seed. I’d technically lived abroad before, and I always wanted to do it again, but then life kept moving forward. I met my husband, we had two kids, and the drea

Maryam moved from Michigan to the Netherlands armed with years of self-taught Dutch, a bakery business, and an obsession with the country she'd dreamed of living in. We talked to her about the DAFT visa, the healing power of feeling safe, and why you should always, always look both ways on a bike path. Why did you decide to come to the Netherlands? What were your other options? I came to the Netherlands because the DAFT visa was my best option. I have studied Dutch since my

RJ Pesigan combines sports medicine expertise with personalized primary care to help expats and active professionals stay healthy, recover smarter, and confidently navigate the Dutch healthcare system. Why did you decide to come to the Netherlands? What were your other options? We came to the Netherlands to start a new chapter in our family’s life. I knew that being a clinical doctor was a role I would not be able to do for the rest of my life if I wanted to have a good qua

The one thing most DAFT recipients will tell you they miss in the Netherlands is Mexican food. Sure, there are Mexican restaurants, but it’s never quite like home. But what if you could pick up or have delivered Texas-style Mexican food and barbeque dishes? Thanks to Daniel and Jolissa Acosta and their new food business - Alma’s - the dream will soon be a reality. The couple came from Arlington Texas on the DAFT in November and Alma’s is Daniel’s DAFT business. While Jolissa

Bane and Debi Cook arrived in Leiden in January from Denton, TX, after participating in GTFO Tour's relocation trip in September 2025. Bane runs a social media and photography agency. He has clients from the US and has already gained new clients here in the Netherlands. Debi has been hired for a great job with a French international firm in cybersecurity. Why did you decide to come to the Netherlands? What were your other options? We came to the Netherlands because life was

This settling service will have you feeling at home in the Netherlands in no time. As a 64-year-old not ready to retire, the Netherlands turned out to be an ideal destination. With pretty limited SSI retirement income and a reasonable amount of savings, I could have moved with a passive income visa to Spain or Portugal, where the cost of living is lower. But I’m a natural entrepreneur, and really wanted to keep working, having run my own antique and vintage clothing businesse

Holly Quinones shares her new life in Leiden with others Holly Quinones left a settled life in Colorado for Leiden in 2025, and she has not looked back. In this interview, she talks about building community from scratch, why she started LeidenWalks, and the unexpected grief of loving two places at once. Why did you decide to come to the Netherlands? ​ My husband initially had a great opportunity to take a job in Europe and we were absolutely not considering it. We love Colo