Want To Leave The U.S.? This New Company Will Help You Move Abroad

Forbes

27-04-2025

Want to move out of the U.S.? A new company called GTFO Relocation Tours is helping Americans move to the Netherlands and more. Pictured here: overlooking a canal in Amsterdam.
For Lalita Coetsee and Nico Garza, their decision to move to the Netherlands wasn't just about seeking a new adventure—it was about survival.
Coetsee, who is originally from South Africa, had spent the past decade living in Colorado with her husband, Garza, a Tennessee native. The couple had been working in education, but over time, they found themselves increasingly concerned by the state of affairs in the United States. 'I initially left South Africa because of crime and corruption, and I hoped to create a life in which I would be safe and able to make a difference,' Coetsee told me in an interview. 'However, while the U.S. provided that for a while, the current political climate has me feeling the same way I felt in South Africa: living in constant fear and uncertainty.'
Lalita Coetsee and Nico Garza, who recently moved to the Netherlands with the help of the company, GTFO Relocation Tours.
The couple started researching different countries, taking into consideration the political climate, the language, the availability of jobs and visa requirements. After discovering a new company called GTFO Relocation Tours—which helps Americans move overseas—the couple decided to relocate to the Netherlands through the Dutch American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) visa. This visa offers Americans an easy pathway to residency in the Netherlands by starting a business. Garza is launching a tutoring business for American Sign Language users and learners called CODA Communications, while Coetsee hopes to find a teaching position. 'We have been here for a week, and we are enjoying the quality of life, including the availability of public transportation, lower cost of food and subscription services, safety and freedom of speech,' says Coetsee.
Stories like this are becoming more common—and helping drive the mission behind the Netherlands-based GTFO Relocation Tours. Founded by American expats Bethany Quinn and Jana Sanchez, the company literally helps Americans 'Get The F*ck Out,' Sanchez told me in an interview, by navigating the complex process of moving overseas, from setting up a business to finding housing and building community.
Bethany Quinn (left) and Jana Sanchez, founders of the new company, GTFO Relocation Tours, which helps Americans move abroad.
And while GTFO is located in the Netherlands—which has one of the easiest and most affordable pathways for U.S. citizens seeking a new start in Europe—the company helps Americans relocate to a wide range of destinations. Spain and Portugal are among the most popular, thanks to their low-income thresholds for digital nomad and passive income visas, affordable living costs and growing American expat communities. Quinn and Sanchez also help clients explore options in France, Mexico, Costa Rica and beyond.
Besides consulting on where to go and how to get there, GTFO is leading weeklong scouting tours in the Netherlands that give participants a crash course in day-to-day life. 'Our tours immerse Americans in the culture, history and real life of the main cities and towns where they are likely to live,' says Sanchez. 'We make sure they have all of the information and meet the trusted advisors they will need for visas, business formation, housing, tax and investment planning, finding schools for their children and more.'
A pretty canal in Haarlem in the Netherlands.
Recognizing that some people need deeper support before they reach the point of taking a tour, GTFO recently expanded to offer personalized relocation coaching under the brand GTFO Services. Through this arm of the company, Quinn provides one-on-one strategy and business relocation coaching for clients who are still in the early stages of planning their moves. 'As a relocation coach, I help my clients find direction and move step-by-step towards a safer, happier and healthier life,' Quinn told me in an interview.
For Quinn and Sanchez, starting GTFO was personal. Sanchez—a former Reuters correspondent and a 2018 Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress—had lived abroad for years before returning to Texas. After the 2024 presidential election, she decided it was time to leave again. 'I decided to move back to the Netherlands on November 5th, 2024, fearing that the U.S. would descend into authoritarianism,' she says.
Quinn, who has a background in venture capital and startups, moved to Amsterdam in 2022 but had been thinking about it since the 2016 election. 'I just didn't see a future for myself in the U.S. I wasn't sure I could afford to have children and couldn't imagine sending them to school there with gun violence as it is,' she says. 'I went to visit a friend of mine in Amsterdam, and it was so lovely, peaceful and fun here. She told me: 'They have this great visa here for American entrepreneurs,' and so I decided to move here.'
Traditional buildings and tulips in Amsterdam.
The two women connected over their shared desire to help others—and their understanding that moving abroad takes more than just courage. It requires a plan. Quinn had been helping Americans through coaching and webinars. In November 2024, Sanchez turned her former Facebook campaign page into a resource hub for Americans seeking to leave, offering webinars with experts and real-world advice on visas, second passports and more—and it took off.
The idea for GTFO Tours grew naturally from the demand. 'Many Americans were afraid yet didn't believe they could afford to move abroad, didn't know how to do it or had unrealistic expectations about what it's like to be an expat,' says Sanchez.
Another American family working with GTFO is Nova (who did not want her last name used for privacy reasons), her partner and their two children. 'My partner and I have always wanted to spend a few years abroad with our children—to expand their world-view, but also we felt like staying in the United States was choosing each year to expose our children to the unending increased risk of gun violence,' Nova told me in an interview. 'And this was before this administration. When we realized that we were going to lose this election, we knew we needed to move for at least four years.'
Nine months ago, the family started a mural board called their Emigration Discernment Document, mapping out 'risks if we leave, risks if we stay, places to consider with pros and cons, what we needed to research, etc.' The family also considered Canada but ultimately chose the Netherlands after learning about the DAFT visa and the country's strong protections for LGBTQ+ rights. 'In some ways Bethany was more like a relocation therapist for us,' says Nova. 'She had an outside, already-on-the-other-side perspective that was grounding for us.'
As they prepare to move this summer, Nova says they've relied heavily on GTFO's services for both strategic planning and emotional support, calling Quinn 'a real asset as a relocation partner.'
GTFO doesn't just guide newcomers—it's building a community. One early partner is Christopher O'Connell. After years of working in the Oregon wine industry, O'Connell and his wife were increasingly worried about raising their LGBTQ children in the United States. In the weeks leading up to the 2024 election, they discovered the DAFT visa. Within 44 days of making the decision, the family had packed up and moved to the Netherlands. There, O'Connell launched O'Connell Tours, a travel company that showcases the country's lesser-known wine regions, castles, windmills and cheese farms. He also started offering airport shuttle services—a side business that quickly took off by word of mouth in expat groups.
Christopher O'Connell, founder of O'Connell Tours, a travel company that showcases the Netherland's wine regions, castles, windmills and more.
When Sanchez spotted O'Connell's tour business on Facebook, she reached out to collaborate. 'I chuckled at the name GTFO but knew it would be successful,' says O'Connell. 'People are literally looking for a way to GTFO of the United States and they are providing a path to the first steps.'
Having navigated the move without any help, O'Connell sees the value that GTFO brings to newcomers. 'I think GTFO Tours is offering a much needed service,' he says. 'GTFO Tours provides an experience that gives you the resources to make your move as easy as possible, allowing you to connect with people before the move.'
For many Americans seeking to relocate, the Netherlands checks a lot of boxes: safety, inclusivity, high quality of life—and a visa process that's unusually accessible. The DAFT visa only requires a €4,500 (approximately $5,132) investment—far less than many other countries' residency requirements. Applicants can arrive on a tourist visa and secure residency within weeks. Partners and spouses are eligible to work in the Dutch labor market without employer sponsorship.
Beyond the visa, the Netherlands offers a high quality of life that makes it even more attractive. Most locals speak fluent English, the cost of living is low, healthcare is excellent and the country offers unique social benefits like paid burnout leave. The Netherlands also consistently ranks among the top countries for child happiness worldwide. Plus: 'The country is safe and beautiful,' says Sanchez.
Both founders emphasize that moving abroad isn't a quick fix—it's a major life change that requires patience, adaptability and careful planning. Above all, they encourage Americans to think bigger.
'I'm driven by the desire to help as many people as I can stay safe. But also, the U.S. is such a bubble, and I really want people to understand that you don't have to stay there,' says Quinn. 'You could fix up a villa in Italy, you could live on a houseboat in Amsterdam, you could move to a beach in Spain. The world really is your oyster, and we work with you to make that dream a reality.'