Health-Holland

Productive and multilingual workforce The country is home to a highly educated, well- motivated, and multilingual workforce, whose productivity exceeds that of most European countries. It is also highly regarded for its large pool of candidates with advanced degrees and acceptance of foreign ways of doing business. Not only are 90% of Dutch fluent in English, but many are multilingual, and the Netherlands ranks first out of 80 countries in the EF English Proficiency Index. A significant proportion of the population also speaks German and French. Also, life-long learning is common, compared with other EU member states. The Dutch are known for their pragmatism, also extending to the business arena, and consequently, labour disputes are relatively rare compared to other European countries. The high labour productivity is also facilitated by robust employer-employee relations. Fast-track permits Dutch immigration laws also assist companies in attracting top international talent . Under the country’s fast-track permit scheme for highly- skilled migrants (so-called ‘knowledge workers’), employers are not required to apply for a work permit for such employees coming from outside the EU. Such knowledge workers and their families only require a provisional residence permit (MVV) and/or residence permit. There is a special tax ruling for these specialised knowledge workers, who must have an employment contract. The required monthly income (2018) to qualify as a highly-skilled knowledge worker is at least 4,404 euros gross (3,229 euros for those under age 30). The salary must be considered reasonable when compared to other similar jobs in the sector. However, this requirement does not apply to employees of education or research institutes or scientific researchers and physicians training to become specialists. Additionaly, shareholder/ employees who own more than 25% of the company’s shares are not included in this permit scheme as they are considered self-employed. Short-stay scheme The short-stay scheme for highly-skilled migrants allows these individuals to work in the Netherlands for up to 90 days on short-term projects, or while providing consultation or training. Employers must first be approved as recognised sponsors and are required to apply for work permits. Still, the process is simpler than it is for other migrants and the Employee Insurance Agency UWV issues the permit within two weeks (compared to the usual five weeks). There is also less red-tape involved and no requirement for labour market testing or verifying the validity of the vacancy. The gross monthly income requirements are the same as for the fast-track permit scheme and the employer must provide proof of salary payment. Language skills Source: IMD World Talent Ranking, 2017 9.26 Netherlands 8.77 Switzerland 8.21 Belgium 6.95 Germany 5.06 Ireland 4.47 United Kingdom 4.14 France 79