This small, densely populated country with a key geographic location and low unemployment is home to numerous multinational offices. Here are the basics of sending an employee to the Netherlands.

• Overview
• Setting up a company
• Tax
• Social security
• Work permits
• Residence permits
• News
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For a country as stable as the Netherlands, 2002 has been a testing year. The assassination in May of far-right politician Pim Fortuyn rocked the tolerant nation. In the subsequent elections, Fortuyn’s List Pim Fortuyn (LPF) party collected a staggering 26 seats in the 150 seat assembly. LPF have joined the Christian Democrat Appeal (CDA) and Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD) in a massive swing from the left-wing governments that have been the norm for years.

But the democratic overhaul seems to have had little effect on the prosperity of this small, affluent and densely populated nation.

Historically, the country has been a vital trading crossroads in Europe and is still one of the first ports of call for foreign nationals looking to establish a company on the continent.

The latest survey of the Economist Intelligence Unit shows that the Dutch business climate is currently the best in the world: Amsterdam is one of the world’s leading financial centres and Rotterdam one of the world’s busiest ports.

The report cited the Netherlands’ stable political and macroeconomic environment, the efficiency of its financial sector and the quality of its infrastructure and human capital as being key reasons that contributed to its success.

And the human capital is indeed intriguing. Dutch society is characterised by many for its liberal views on gay marriage, marijuana, prostitution and euthanasia. The cities are vibrant and exciting, and the people, once you work your way under their skin, are warm and accommodating.

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