Living in Eindhoven as an Expat

Eindhoven is not a city you choose for its canals or nightlife. You choose Eindhoven for work. The Brainport region is the technological heart of the Netherlands: ASML, Philips, NXP, VDL, and hundreds of other tech companies. This concentration of high-tech attracts international talent from all over the world. The number of people with foreign nationalities in the region has grown by more than 105% since 2014. The Asian community is growing the fastest.

The city is cheaper than the Randstad, more compact, and more informal. Rental prices are lower than in Amsterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague. The Holland Expat Center South helps with registration and bureaucracy. And the international community is close-knit: working at ASML or on the High Tech Campus means encountering colleagues from dozens of countries daily.

Holland Expat Center South

The Holland Expat Center South (HECS) is the expat center for the Brainport region. It is a joint initiative of municipalities, the IND (Immigration and Naturalisation Service), and the province of North Brabant, located in the center of Eindhoven.

The center assists with immigration procedures, residence and work permits, municipal registration (BRP), BSN application, and the 30% ruling. Services are provided in English.

After the BSN, the DigiD and mandatory health insurance follow. The HECS advises on all practical matters upon arrival. For employees of recognized employers such as ASML, Philips, and NXP, the process is streamlined.

The Rental Market: More Affordable Than the Randstad

Eindhoven is significantly cheaper than Amsterdam, Utrecht, or The Hague. A one-bedroom apartment starts around 800 euros per month. The free sector ranges from 1,200 to 2,500 euros. Expats in Eindhoven earn an average of approximately 4,200 euros per month, making most rental properties accessible.

The rental market has become tighter due to the growth of the international community but is less extreme than in Amsterdam. Respond quickly to offers and provide a complete dossier.

On HousingMatchers, you will find an overview of all available rental properties in Eindhoven, filtered by district, price, and type.

Popular Neighborhoods for Expats

Strijp-S is the most popular neighborhood among international professionals and creatives. The former Philips factory complex has been transformed into a modern living and working area with apartments, restaurants, studios, and event venues. Strijp-S station is within walking distance. Dutch Design Week uses it as its main location.

The City Center offers everything within walking distance: shops, catering, the station, and the nightlife of Stratumseind. Properties range from studios to spacious apartments.

Stratum and Gestel are quieter residential areas south of the center. Gestel borders the Genneper Parken. Rental prices are lower than in the city center and Strijp-S.

Woensel in the north of the city offers the widest range of options. Neighborhoods vary from affordable post-war apartments to new builds. The Philips van Lenneppark and the Henri Dunantpark are located in this district.

Tongelre in the east is quiet and green, with the Eckartse Bos (forest) within cycling distance. Popular with families looking for space and nature.

The 30% Ruling

The 30% ruling applies throughout the Netherlands and is particularly relevant in Eindhoven. The concentration of tech companies means that many employees in the Brainport region qualify. The ruling allows eligible employees to receive up to 30% of their gross salary tax-free for a maximum of five years. From 2027, the rate will be reduced to 27%. The application goes through your employer. HECS advises on the conditions.

Working in Brainport

The Brainport region counts more than 5,000 tech and IT companies and 72,868 tech professionals. The High Tech Campus, nicknamed "the smartest square kilometer in the world," houses 300 companies and 12,500 employees. ASML in Veldhoven is the global market leader in chip lithography, with 19,000 employees from 121 countries. Philips, NXP, Signify, VDL, DAF, and Thermo Fisher Scientific are other major employers.

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU Eindhoven), one of the best technical universities in Europe, provides the knowledge base. UtrechtInc's Eindhoven counterpart, The Gate, guides students and researchers in starting companies.

For those working in semiconductors, medtech, sensors, AI, or design, Eindhoven is the city where the entire ecosystem comes together.

International Schools and Language

The International School Eindhoven (ISE) has two locations in the Brainport region. More than 1,400 students, 200 teachers, 60 nationalities, and over 40 languages. The IB program is offered from primary school to diploma.

English is widely spoken in the tech environment. ASML, the High Tech Campus, and TU/e operate in English. In daily life (shops, restaurants), English is less common than in Amsterdam or The Hague, but Eindhoven is rapidly internationalizing. Learning Dutch helps with integration outside the work bubble.

For healthcare: mandatory basic insurance after arrival. Catharina Hospital and Máxima Medical Centre are the major hospitals. HECS helps in finding English-speaking healthcare providers.

Eindhoven is a city you choose because the work is there. The Brainport region offers jobs that cannot be found anywhere else in the Netherlands with the same concentration. The city is growing rapidly, the international community is growing with it, and the infrastructure for expats improves every year. Rental prices are lower than in the Randstad. The city is compact. And the work is the reason you are there. Eindhoven makes no excuses: it is a working city. And that's precisely its strength.