NEARSHORE FOR THE NETHERLANDS
Nearshore software development for Dutch companies
A dedicated team in Chișinău that works as an extension of your own organisation: European time zone, short travel time and Dutch direction.
What is nearshore for a Dutch company?
Nearshore means having your software built in a nearby country, in roughly the same time zone, rather than far away (offshore) or locally in the Netherlands. For a Dutch company, nearshore in Moldova means a dedicated team in Chișinău that you direct yourself, with full working-day overlap and a European work culture.
- Offshore, nearshore or local: nearshore combines lower cost with overlap in time zone and culture.
- A dedicated team, not ad-hoc hires: the same developers stay and build up product knowledge.
- You direct the work (sprints, priorities, culture); we handle recruitment, office, HR and the day-to-day running in Chișinău.
- Known as an Extended Team®: the team becomes part of your organisation, not an external agency.
What about travel time and time zone from the Netherlands?
Moldova is one hour ahead of the Netherlands year-round, so your working days overlap almost entirely. Flight time between Amsterdam and Chișinău is about 3 hours, comparable to a flight within Europe. There are several direct flights a week from the Netherlands, so an on-site visit is easy to plan.
- Time zone: one hour's difference, full overlap with the Dutch working day for standups, meetings and code reviews.
- Travel: about 3 hours' flight from Amsterdam, close enough for an on-site visit.
- Visits both ways: Moldovan developers with a biometric passport have travelled visa-free to the EU for short visits since 2014.
- Practical: the same working day means no waiting until the next morning for a reply.
What language do you work in and how does communication run?
We work together in English. In Chișinău, where Moldova's IT sector concentrates, English proficiency is strong: EF EPI 2025 rates Chișinău 'High' and the country overall 'Moderate', that is a high and a moderate score. Standups, code reviews and documentation run in English by default, so day-to-day coordination with your Dutch team runs smoothly.
- English is the working language in every regular meeting: standups, sprint planning, preparing upcoming work and code reviews.
- Strong proficiency in Chișinău (EF EPI 2025 'High'), where the IT sector sits; 'Moderate' nationally.
- Direct communication with your own people, no intermediary or account manager as a relay.
- Dutch direction stays in the lead: you set the tone, priorities and what 'done' means (the definition of done).
How does the collaboration work in terms of culture and ways of working?
Moldovan developers are used to working with European teams and slot into familiar ways of working. The work culture fits the EU: agile working, code reviews and sprint planning are second nature. The team steps into your way of working rather than running a separate track, so it feels like one team.
- European work culture: agile, transparent and used to direct feedback.
- Collaboration over silos: developers work in your tools, boards and processes.
- Plenty of experience with EU clients, no ramp-up to learn European ways of working.
- We steer on retention and stability, so product knowledge stays in the team.
Q&A
Frequently asked questions about nearshore for the Netherlands
What is the difference between nearshore and offshore for a Dutch company?
Nearshore means development in a nearby country with roughly the same time zone and work culture, such as Moldova. Offshore is a distant country with a large time difference, such as India or Southeast Asia. For a Dutch company, nearshore gives full working-day overlap, short travel time and a European way of collaborating, which makes day-to-day coordination easier.
How large and mature is the IT sector in Moldova?
The sector is compact but has professionalised fast, with Moldova IT Park at its core: 2,725 resident companies from 44 countries and around 26,000 employees within the park, together generating roughly $1 billion in revenue in 2025. The park runs a flat 7% tax on revenue, guaranteed through 2035 (source: MoldPres, Feb 2026).
How much time difference and travel is there between the Netherlands and Moldova?
Moldova is one hour ahead of the Netherlands year-round, so working days overlap almost entirely. Flight time from Amsterdam is about 3 hours. That makes an on-site visit easy to plan, and day-to-day collaboration runs without waiting until the next morning.
