Lotte & Ben(33)

Ben is British, born in Belfast. We met when he was living in Den Bosch for work. After five years together in the Netherlands we decided to move to Belfast — closer to his family and in a city that's developing at lightning speed. My Family visa as the partner of a British citizen was the simplest route.

Northern Ireland has a unique position after Brexit thanks to the Windsor Framework. It's part of the UK but follows EU rules for goods. In practice that means I can import certain products from the Netherlands more easily than to England. For our daily life it makes little difference, but for businesses it's an enormous advantage.

Belfast is incredibly affordable. Our three-bedroom house in the Botanic Quarter costs £750 per month. In Den Bosch we paid €1,400 for a comparable home. House prices are the lowest in the entire UK — you can buy a solid house for £150,000. Stamp duty in Northern Ireland works the same as in England, but the lower house prices make the amount much more manageable.

I found work as a project manager at a tech company in the Titanic Quarter — the renovated harbour area that's now a tech and creative hub. Belfast has a growing startup scene, partly due to Invest Northern Ireland actively attracting foreign companies. My employer was pleased with my EU experience and the fact that I speak fluent Dutch and German.

Healthcare falls under HSC (Health and Social Care), Northern Ireland's equivalent of the NHS. It works largely the same — registration with a GP, referral to specialists, free prescription medicines. Like Scotland and Wales, prescription medicines are free, unlike England. Waiting times are unfortunately the longest in the entire UK.

Belfast is a city in transformation. The scars of The Troubles are still visible, but the new generation is looking forward. The people are unbelievably friendly — "Northern Irish hospitality" is no cliche. The nature is spectacular: the Mourne Mountains, Giant's Causeway and the Antrim Coast are all within an hour's drive. Our tip: don't forget Belfast as an option. It's the most underrated part of the UK.