Utrecht, 20 March 2025 - More and more Dutch people are exploring a future beyond their national borders. This growing interest translates directly to the EmigratieBeurs, which will take place for the 28th time on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 March 2026. For the first time, it will take place in Royal Jaarbeurs, where the organisers will accommodate a record edition with some 17,000 visitors expected. This makes it the largest Emigration Fair ever and the only fair of its kind in Europe.
'Where can I go?'
The number of Dutch people considering emigration continues to rise. In 2023, 198,302 Dutch people emigrated, and in 2025 there were over 212,000. Unrest in the world is reinforcing the need for orientation. Fair manager Sterre van de Kerkhof: "Where can I go, where do I experience a better quality of life, where do I have a future? These questions drive a diverse audience to the fair. From young families with children to retired couples who want to spend their old age elsewhere." Countries like Paraguay are currently popular, partly because of the favourable tax climate and low cost of living. Yet Van de Kerkhof stresses that most visitors are mainly looking for new opportunities, work and a better balance between life and work.
New job, new house and a school for the kids
The EmigratieBeurs is largely an international job market. Visitors are advised to bring their English-language CV with them: more than a million vacancies abroad are available, and foreign employers are actively looking for Dutch nationals. From truck driver to farmer, from garage owner to medical specialist, there is a worldwide supply of vacancies for every profession.
But the fair is more than a job fair. Many of the two hundred exhibitors focus on families as a whole, with a programme that also appeals to children such as campfire activities, wade fishing and other experiences that make life in another country tangible. People also find answers to practical questions in the 150 information sessions, for example on regulations abroad and emigrating with a school-age child. Van de Kerkhof: "Some people leave the fair with a new job, a new house a school for the children."
Growth of fair calls for new location
Herman Mantel, Chief Commercial Officer of Royal Jaarbeurs: "Combining the success of the EmigratieBeurs with the move to Jaarbeurs is a very logical and interesting development in my opinion. The fair has grown into a mature platform for everyone seriously thinking about a future abroad. With this step, together we create room for further growth and professionalisation." Sterre van de Kerkhof: "In recent years, we have seen the interest in the EmigratieBeurs continue to grow. The move to Jaarbeurs was therefore logical for me."
Herman Mantel, Chief Commercial Officer of Royal Jaarbeurs: "Combining the success of the EmigratieBeurs with the move to Jaarbeurs is a very logical and interesting development in my opinion. The fair has grown into a mature platform for everyone seriously thinking about a future abroad. With this step, together we create room for further growth and professionalisation." Sterre van de Kerkhof: "In recent years, we have seen the interest in the EmigratieBeurs continue to grow. The move to Jaarbeurs was therefore logical for me."
Jaarbeurs is just under half an hour from Schiphol Airport, in the heart of the Netherlands, right next to Utrecht Central Station. Its central location makes the fair accessible to visitors from all over the country.
