Why I Gave Up My Dutch Residency Despite All Its Benefits
Escaping the system was the best decision of my life.
I recently gave up my Dutch residency—against all the advice of my friends and family.
What if I need the governmental safety net at some point? What if I get older and need senior benefits? What if I get sick and need healthcare?
I’ve been pondering this decision for years. I’ve been traveling for over a decade now, currently living in Mexico, and I have no intention whatsoever of returning to the Netherlands. It's a big decision to voluntarily step away from all the privileges I’ve been offered.
None of the other 45 countries I’ve visited in my life offer the same extensive benefits as the Netherlands. How can I justify saying goodbye to that safety net, in case something happens to me?
But when I returned home last summer to contemplate my decision, it became obvious: we are an anxious, depressed society, mainly focused on external validation. No wonder everyone is burnt out.
I don’t want to be part of that anymore.
Living the Dream
Being raised in a First World country, I’m acutely aware of the privileges I grew up with. The Netherlands is known for its social safety net, its abundance of subsidies, and governmental support. We have an excellent healthcare system, and no one is refused care just because they can’t afford it.
If you get fired, the government pays you to stay at home until you find a new job. And the best (or worst?) part… you only have to accept jobs aligned with your level of education. That means if you're a marketing manager and get offered a waiter job, you can refuse it and still continue receiving benefits.
Sounds like a dream, right?
Many Dutch citizens pay nearly half their salaries in taxes to fund this safety net—but hey, at least you’ll be taken care of when shit hits the fan. But does shit really ever hit the fan?
For some, these benefits are truly life-saving. But for most healthy, self-sufficient people, this level of "safety" isn’t necessary.
Individualistic Society
The Netherlands offers insurance for everything—not just health (which is fairly standard), but also job security, legal disputes, pet-related damage, event cancellations due to rain… we even have insurance for tulip bulbs.
While that might seem convenient, it completely erodes the sense of community.
In the Netherlands, when something happens to you, people tell you to call your insurance company. Western Europeans are known for living highly individualistic lives. Dutch people love their independence—myself included.
But that mindset shifted once I began traveling to poorer countries. Why do people often seem happier there?
After several years living in a small Mexican beach town, I’ve noticed how people smile more and live day by day. Here, people earn an average of $400 USD a month—do you think they can afford insurance?
The Real Social Safety Net
They don’t live in fear of something bad happening. Why not? Because the doom scenario—losing everything—is covered by their real safety net: each other.
People take care of one another.
We have a WhatsApp group with about 700 people—almost half the town. Whatever you post, someone reaches out to help. Whether your car is stuck on the beach or you need a ride to the hospital, someone responds.
We help each other in emergencies and hold fundraisers when locals are in need. A few months ago, someone lost their home in a fire, and the entire town pitched in to donate. The owner now has more than they did before the disaster.
This kind of social safety net creates a more empathic society. You rely on friends and family to help you through hardships—and that makes you a better person. After all, nobody wants to help a shitty friend.
Safety Comes at a Price
So, back to why I gave up my Dutch residency. Why did I finally bite the bullet?
First, it didn’t feel right to have access to benefits without actually living there. I haven’t lived in the Netherlands for almost a decade, and the general rule is that you must “unsubscribe” from the system after being abroad for more than eight months. It’s not heavily enforced, which is why many travelers and digital nomads don’t report it.
But I know I have everything I need here. Why keep taking advantage of the system?
To me, the Netherlands no longer represents safety—it feels like a prison.
Why? Because everything is regulated. Every action has a rule or a law. Everyone has to color within the lines. The so-called safety net comes with invisible bars—and to be part of it, you must comply.
Be a good citizen: pay your taxes, drown in your mortgage, take your meds, and never question the system. As long as you follow the rules, you’ll be "protected."
Escaping the Matrix
I’ve always been different. I got my degree, but as soon as I graduated, I left the country. My family was supportive but cautious, especially about me not getting a “normal” job. And for years, I wondered whether I was wasting my education.
After all, we’re told to get our degree, work 40 hours a week, buy a house, find a partner, make babies—BOOM, you’re locked into the system. Maybe take on a second mortgage for a bigger house, and you’re stuck for life.
Eventually, your health declines. But don’t worry, your insurance will cover it. You’re prescribed antidepressants, your marriage is on the rocks, and your job becomes increasingly demanding.
Now you’re a customer for life.
You can’t quit your job—you’ve got bills. You can’t divorce—you can’t afford the mortgage alone. Your body starts warning you: migraines, gut issues, autoimmune disease, unexplainable symptoms. But hey, just take another pill and keep going.
A Culture in Crisis
This isn’t unique to the Netherlands. Many Western countries are facing the same crisis. A U.S. study last year showed that 1 in 6 adults had been diagnosed with depression—a record high.
Traveling made me see it firsthand: Western culture needs help. We’re far removed from nature and spirituality, always chasing the next achievement. A promotion. A nicer car. It never ends.
We glorify those who seem to have it all and pressure ourselves to follow suit.
Make enough money and you can buy anything.
Insurance for your health. Egg freezing so you can become a mom whenever you want. A Porsche so women “stick to you like honey.”
The Real Richness of Life
I’ve been a broke backpacker most of my life. I’ve never earned more than $15K a year, yet I’ve traveled the world.
Once you let go of the idea that you need to achieve something, life starts unfolding naturally. Maybe adversity comes first—but it's exactly what you need.
Of course, I know how lucky I am to have been born in the West, and I’ll always be grateful for my Dutch passport. But giving up my residency was the final step in breaking free.
Freedom is an illusion if you can’t see the bars of your own prison.
You Can’t Insure Life
The secret to true freedom? Live in the moment. Don’t plan for what might come. You’ll figure it out when the time comes.
Ask anyone who’s overcome hardship, and they’ll tell you—out of their deepest misery came their greatest growth. None of it was planned, or insured.
You can’t insure for life. You have to live it, fall down, and rise again. That’s how it’s always been.
Nothing outside of you will make you feel safe. You must find that safety within.
The Limits of Borders
The Earth wasn’t meant to be divided into countries. We have an abundance of climates, food sources, and natural beauty. Humans could thrive anywhere.
Then came borders. Then came division, poverty, and war. Suddenly, we had to belong to a system—and pay for it.
Why can’t we choose where we thrive? Why do we need visas and passports to access land that should be for all?
Nature had it figured out. Populations balanced themselves. But humans conquered nature—and stole from others.
Africa, with its rich resources, is the poorest continent. Why? Because Westerners stole everything and brought it home.
I’m ashamed to have Western blood in my veins. I carry the guilt of what the Dutch did—especially in Indonesia and South Africa.
I refuse to be part of a society like that.
You Can Choose Where Your Money Goes
I don’t want my tax money supporting a nation like that. Until borders disappear, I want to choose where my money ends up. Right now, that’s Mexico.
And that’s the real reason I gave up my Dutch residency. I don’t want to make money to live there and pay for benefits I don’t need. I want to earn to live in a place where I already feel safe.
Mexico gave me a home within myself. Living close to nature, within a community, off-grid on a piece of desert land—that’s my safety.
No amount of insurance, benefits, or subsidies will ever give me that feeling. I am deeply grateful to have been born Dutch, but I trust the present moment to give me everything I need.
The rest will sort itself out when the time comes.