DAFT
The treaty, application path, and residence process.
A real-time relocation journal
Building a Business
Across Borders:
Boston → Amsterdam
A real-time journey documenting the move to the Netherlands under DAFT, building a consulting business, and learning what it actually takes to land, register, work, and build a life in Amsterdam.
FIELD NOTES · 2026 ↓
01 The reason
A move is made of a thousand small decisions.
I’m documenting the ones people usually skip over.
DAFT Journey Lab is a public field notebook about moving from Boston to Amsterdam under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty while building Delta Health Advisory into a US/EU consulting practice.
This is the lived experience version: the questions, the receipts, the appointments, the surprises, and the quiet parts between each milestone. It is here to offer context, not certainty.
02 What the Lab tracks
The practical work of
building a life abroad.
Nine practical threads, followed in real time. Each one becomes a record of what happened, what it cost, and what I learned.
Housing
Searching, viewing, applying, and finally getting keys.
Registration
BSN, municipality steps, DigiD, and the paperwork chain.
Money
Banking, deposits, fees, and true cost tracking.
Healthcare
Insurance, finding care, and navigating a new system.
Business
Setting up a US/EU consulting practice that can travel.
Dog Import
Preparing the four-legged part of the move.
Amsterdam Life
Culture, routines, language, neighborhoods, and belonging.
Phone & Connectivity
Keeping a US number while adding a Dutch number and eSIM.
03 Journey timeline
From idea to
everyday life.
A living timeline. Dates and milestones will sharpen as the journey unfolds.
Spring 2026
✓
Complete
Commit to the move
Define the why, choose Amsterdam, and begin building the working plan.
THE DECISIONNow
In progress
Build the runway
Research the DAFT path, map dependencies, prepare the business, and track assumptions.
PREPARATIONNext
Upcoming
Land & register
Arrive, find a home base, register, and begin the residence process.
ARRIVALThen
Upcoming
Build the rhythm
Turn a relocation checklist into work, community, and an actual life.
SETTLING IN04 Latest updates
Notes from
the journey.
Short, honest entries on what happened, what shifted, and what I would do differently.
Opening the field notes…
05 Lessons learned
Things I wish I knew
at the beginning.
Sequence matters more than speed.
Many relocation tasks depend on another task being complete first. Mapping that chain early prevents wasted effort.
Official guidance is the source of truth.
Community advice is useful context, but requirements change. Verify every consequential step directly.
A budget needs an uncertainty line.
The visible costs are only part of the move. Build room for overlap, delays, deposits, and decisions made under pressure.
Document while the details are fresh.
The useful insight is often the small thing you forget a week later: a phrase, a wait time, or what an email actually meant.
06 Cost tracking
What does a move
like this really cost?
I’m tracking expected and actual costs across the full journey, including the overlooked ones. Real numbers will be published as they become known.
Live ledger begins with the first confirmed expense
COST CATEGORIESSTATUS
01 Applications & registrationTracking
02 Housing & depositsPlanned
03 Travel & movingTracking
04 Business setupTracking
05 Dog / pet importPlanned
06 First 90 daysPlanned
COMING SOON Future resource hub
Practical resources for the road ahead.
Future resources for entrepreneurs considering relocation to the Netherlands.
ChecklistsSource libraryCost templatesDecision logs
07 FAQ
Good questions,
honest answers.
This project is personal documentation, not a shortcut around professional advice.
What is the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty?+
DAFT is a treaty pathway that may allow eligible US entrepreneurs to reside in the Netherlands while operating a business. This site documents one person’s experience, not eligibility guidance.
Is DAFT Journey Lab an advisory service?+
No. It is a personal documentation project. It does not provide legal, immigration, tax, housing, financial, or relocation advice.
Is every detail on this site current and universal?+
No. Requirements and individual circumstances change. Confirm official requirements with government sources and qualified professionals.
How often will new updates be published?+
Updates will follow meaningful milestones and lessons rather than a fixed publishing calendar.
!
Important disclaimer
DAFT Journey Lab is a personal documentation project based on lived experience. It is not legal, immigration, tax, housing, or financial advice. Official requirements should always be confirmed with qualified professionals and government sources.