Holland Gateway

Minister for Foreign Trade Heemskerk and State Secretary Albayrak officially open Holland Gateway business centre at Schiphol Airport

On 28 September 2009, Minister for Foreign Trade Heemskerk (Ministry of Economic Affairs) and State Secretary Albayrak (Ministry of Justice) opened the Holland Gateway business centre at the World Trade Center at Schiphol Airport. Holland Gateway is designed to offer a fitting welcome to foreign companies and highly skilled migrants to the Netherlands. The Minister and State Secretary performed the opening together with Pieter Verboom (Schiphol Group), Sandra van Baalen (Employee Insurance Agency, UWV) and the Chamber of Commerce.

Hospitality is a key factor in trade, investment and business location decisions. Minister Heemskerk is doing what he can to positively influence these choices to the benefit of the Netherlands. "The Dutch economy has key interests in ensuring the growth of exports and foreign investments. They generate sales turnover for Dutch firms and consequently ensure employment. Extending a warm welcome is extremely important. Hospitality ensures that foreign investors and companies continue to consider the Netherlands as the Gateway to Europe."

Holland Gateway is a fitting component of the Dutch government’s plans to increase the Netherland’s profile as an appealing country to do business. It also enhances the image of Dutch goods, services and expertise among foreign businesses. Holland Gateway responds to the Dutch government’s policy to increase the appeal of this country among highly skilled migrants. "This is why we have bundled the benefits of the agencies involved in immigration, ensuring that migrant workers and skilled migrants are not inundated with rules and bureaucracy upon arrival in the Netherlands and that they immediately receive assistance by the appropriate account manager," said State Secretary Albayrak.

In addition to a heartfelt welcome, Holland Gateway offers a variety of services, including:

Information on doing business in the Netherlands (business climate, labor market, regulations)
Assistance in dealing with administrative processes (residence permit applications, company registration)
Referrals to the Dutch network of public and private stakeholders

"Holland Gateway wonderfully complements the social role Schiphol Airport aims to fulfill and strives to maintain and enhance the unique network of destinations. In its role as mainport, Schiphol Airport and its connections to 262 destinations offer a strategic, international and economic environment to ensure Holland Gateway’s success," said Pieter Verboom, CFO Schiphol Group.

Holland Gateway offers a lounge, meeting rooms and an auditorium. The business centre is also ideal for receiving economic contacts when they are leaving from or arriving in the Netherlands. Holland Gateway is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency), the Ministry of Justice (Immigration and Naturalization Service, IND), the Dutch Chambers of Commerce and the Schiphol Group.