Free • Printable • Updated March 2026
Free Expat Checklists & Templates
Download free printable checklists for moving to the Netherlands. BSN registration, first 30 days, tax return, leaving NL — all in one place.
Jump to a checklist
01
Moving to the Netherlands Checklist
Before you leave
- Get apostilles on key documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, diplomas) — takes 2–8 weeks depending on countryMost countries issue apostilles through their Ministry of Foreign Affairs or designated authority
- Arrange temporary or permanent housing in the NetherlandsYou need a registered address to get your BSN — hotel addresses generally not accepted
- Arrange travel insurance to cover the gap before Dutch health insurance kicks in
- Book return flight or have onward travel if required for entry
- Notify your home country bank of your move (international card access)
- Gather certified copies of your employment contract, rental contract, and passport
- Research your municipality (gemeente) and their BSN appointment processAmsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague have different booking systems and wait times
- Arrange pet import paperwork if applicable (EU health certificate, rabies vaccine, microchip)
First week after arrival
- Register at your gemeente and receive your BSN numberBook the appointment before you arrive if possible — some cities have 2–4 week waits
- Open a Dutch bank account (or set up Wise for the interim period)You need your BSN for most Dutch bank accounts, but Wise works without one
- Contact your employer's HR to confirm payroll registration with Dutch tax authority (Belastingdienst)
- Get a Dutch SIM card or plan (KPN, Odido, Lebara)
- Register with a GP (huisarts) — walk in or call the practice directlyMany practices are full; register as early as possible
First month
- Apply for DigiD (takes 1–2 weeks; activation code arrives by post)You need DigiD for taxes, the IND portal, pension overview, and healthcare declarations
- Take out Dutch health insurance (zorgverzekering) within 4 months of registration⚠ If you miss the 4-month window, you are still required to be insured from your registration date and will owe backdated premiums with a surcharge
- Apply for zorgtoeslag (healthcare benefit) at toeslagen.nl if your income qualifies
- Set up a Dutch bank account if you haven't already (ING, ABN AMRO, Rabobank, Bunq)
- Apply for the 30% ruling with your employer if eligibleBoth you and your employer must submit the application; you cannot apply alone
- Arrange home contents insurance (inboedelverzekering) and liability insurance (aansprakelijkheidsverzekering)
- Notify your home country: cancel or redirect mail, update address with tax authority, pension, and bank
02
BSN Registration Checklist
Documents to prepare
- Valid passport or national ID (original, not a copy)EU citizens can use a national ID card; non-EU citizens must use a passport
- Original birth certificate (plus an apostille if issued outside the EU)Some municipalities accept a certified copy; call ahead to confirm
- Rental contract or proof of address at a Dutch addressYour name must appear on the contract or have a landlord declaration (verhuurdersverklaring)
- Marriage certificate if applicable (apostilled if issued outside the EU)
- Work permit or employment contract (some municipalities ask for this)
- Completed municipality registration form (varies per city; download from gemeente website)
Booking your appointment
- Find your municipality's appointment portal (gemeente.nl, amsterdam.nl, denhaag.nl, etc.)
- Book as early as possible — ideally before you arriveAmsterdam and The Hague often have 3–6 week waits during peak periods (September–October)
- Note your appointment reference and confirm appointment by email/SMS reminder
- Check if your gemeente requires a specific form to be downloaded and completed in advance
- If your city has a Expat Center (Amsterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven), check if you qualify — they often have faster appointments
At the gemeente appointment
- Bring all original documents (not photocopies)
- Arrive 10 minutes early; bring the appointment confirmation
- Ask for written confirmation of your BSN on the spot if possibleSome municipalities give you a print-out; others send your BSN by post within 5 working days
- Ask about DigiD registration at the same appointment if available
- Note the date of your official registration — this is the start date for your 4-month health insurance window
03
Health Insurance Setup Checklist
Understand your deadline
- Note your BSN registration date — your 4-month insurance window starts then⚠ Critical deadline: You must have Dutch health insurance within 4 months of registering in the Netherlands. Missing this means backdated premiums plus a surcharge from the CAK.
- Check whether you are exempt (EU cross-border workers, certain diplomats, and long-stay students under an international plan sometimes qualify)
- Confirm your employment start date with HR — your employer may have insurance from day one
Compare and choose a policy
- Decide on your eigen risico (own risk / deductible): €385 minimum in 2026, up to €885 voluntaryHigher own risk = lower monthly premium, but you pay more out of pocket if you use care
- Decide whether you need aanvullende verzekering (supplementary insurance) for dental, physio, or glasses
- Check if English-language support matters to you (Zilveren Kruis, CZ, and ONVZ all offer English)
Compare all Dutch health insurers side by side
Independer is the Netherlands' largest comparison platform — free, takes 10 minutes, shows exact premiums for your age and preferred own risk.
Compare on Independer →Documents needed to enrol
- BSN number (required by all Dutch insurers)
- Dutch home address
- Dutch bank account IBAN for direct debitSome insurers accept a foreign IBAN temporarily; Wise works here if you don't have a Dutch account yet
- Date of birth and passport number
- Preferred GP (huisarts) if choosing a managed-care (zorgmodel) policy
After you sign up
- Save your insurance card (verzekeringskaart) — you need it at doctors and pharmacies
- Apply for zorgtoeslag (monthly healthcare benefit) at toeslagen.nl if you are eligibleIn 2026, single people earning under ~€37,000 may qualify; couples up to ~€47,000
- Register with a GP (huisarts) near your home address
- Cancel any international or home-country health insurance that overlaps
04
Dutch Tax Return Checklist
Key deadlines
- 1 May — standard deadline to file your aangifte inkomstenbelasting (income tax return) online via belastingdienst.nl⚠ If you can't file by 1 May, request an extension before the deadline. Extensions are usually granted automatically for 6 months.
- 1 July — extended deadline if you request one in time
- M-form: If you arrived or left the Netherlands during the tax year, use the M-form (Migration form) — this has a separate process and a different deadline (typically end of June)
Before you start: what you need
- DigiD login with SMS authentication activatedWithout DigiD you cannot file online; apply at digid.nl if you don't have one
- Jaaropgave (annual salary statement) from every employer — typically sent by FebruaryIf you changed jobs mid-year, you need a jaaropgave from each employer
- WOZ-waarde (property valuation) if you own property — gemeente sends this by post in January/February
- Mortgage annual statement (hypotheekopgave) showing interest paid — from your bank or mortgage provider
- Annual bank statements or January 1 balances for all accounts (Box 3 savings)
- Dividend statements if you hold shares or have a Box 2 (substantial interest) situation
- Healthcare invoice total (for the eigen risico deductible you paid)
- Pension statement (pensioenoverzicht) from mijnpensioenoverzicht.nl
- 30% ruling approval letter if applicable — shows your tax-free allowance and the correct taxable salary
Potential deductions to check
- Mortgage interest deduction (hypotheekrenteaftrek) — only for your primary residence
- Alimony payments (partneralimentatie)
- Study costs (if paid out of pocket and not reimbursed) — check current rules as these have been restricted
- Gifts to recognised charities (giftenaftrek) over €60 or 1% of income, up to 10% of income
- Specific healthcare costs not reimbursed by insurance (limited circumstances)
After filing
- Keep confirmation and the filing reference number
- Wait for the voorlopige aanslag (provisional assessment) — Belastingdienst sends this within a few weeks
- Check the final aanslag (definitive assessment) and verify figures match your filing
- If you disagree with the assessment: file a bezwaar (objection) within 6 weeks of the date on the letter
05
30% Ruling Application Checklist
Eligibility requirements — confirm all apply
- You are recruited from abroad (not already living in the Netherlands)
- You have a specific expertise that is scarce in the Dutch labour market
- Your taxable salary (after the 30% exclusion) meets the minimum threshold:2026 threshold: €46,107 gross/year (taxable after ruling). Under 30 with a qualifying master's degree: €35,048. Adjust upwards — your actual salary must be ~€65,867 or ~€50,069 respectively.
- You lived more than 150 km from the Dutch border for 16 of the 24 months before your start dateThis is the "distance criterion" — it disqualifies people who lived in Belgium, Luxembourg, or near the German/French border
- Your employer is a Dutch payroll entity (registered with Belastingdienst)
- This is your first time applying (or you meet the recalculation rules for prior Dutch work)
- You submit within 4 months of your Dutch employment start date⚠ Apply within 4 months of your Dutch contract start date. If you miss this window, the ruling can only start from the date of application — you lose the backdated benefit.
Steps for your employer
- HR or payroll team submits the application to Belastingdienst on your behalf (the employee cannot apply alone)
- Employer completes form "Verzoek loonheffingen 30%-regeling" (available at belastingdienst.nl)
- Employer signs and submits the form — you both sign
- Wait for the "beschikking" (ruling letter) — typically 4–10 weeks
- Once approved, employer applies the ruling to payroll starting from the approval date (or retroactively if within the window)
Documents to gather
- Employment contract showing Dutch salary and start date
- Proof of previous foreign address (utility bills, registration document from prior country)
- Copies of relevant diplomas or credentials demonstrating scarcity
- Passport copy
- BSN number (once received from gemeente)
2026 step-down schedule (new rulings from 2024 onward)
- Months 1–20: 30% of your salary is tax-free
- Months 21–40: 20% of your salary is tax-free
- Months 41–60: 10% of your salary is tax-free
- Maximum ruling duration: 5 years (previous time in NL within last 25 years is subtracted)
06
Leaving the Netherlands Checklist
3 months before you leave
- Notify your employer of your leaving date and start your notice period (opzegtermijn)
- Check your rental contract notice period (usually 1 month; some contracts require 2–3 months)
- Arrange your move: shipping company, temporary storage, or selling furniture
- Contact Belastingdienst if you have an ongoing voorlopige teruggaaf (provisional refund) to stop it
- Check your pension situation: request a value statement (waardeoverzicht) from your pension fund and check transfer or continuation options
- Cancel subscriptions with notice periods: gym, streaming, mobile plan, internet
1 month before you leave
- Deregister at your gemeente (uitschrijven) — this officially ends your Dutch residencyYou can deregister up to 5 days before your actual departure date
- Cancel Dutch health insurance — it ends automatically on your deregistration date, but notify your insurer
- File or arrange filing for your final Dutch tax return (M-form for the year of departure)
- Request a final jaaropgave from your employer at the end of your employment
- Notify the IND if you are on a residence permit (they should be informed of departure)
- Return any leased equipment from work
- Get a deposit refund from your landlord — document the apartment's condition with photos
Final week
- Download your banking history and statements before closing or switching accountsDutch banks often send final statements by post — update your forwarding address first
- Set up mail forwarding with PostNL (doorsturen service) for 3–12 months
- Update your address with Belastingdienst to your new address abroad (or a trusted contact in NL)
- Notify your Dutch bank of your new address; consider keeping the account open for any final refunds
- Take your BSN note — you may need it for the M-form tax return after you leave
- Cancel DigiD or update your contact details to your new address
- Collect final pay and holiday allowance (vakantiegeld) from employer
07
Opening a Bank Account Checklist
Before you can open a Dutch bank account
- BSN number — required by all major Dutch banks (ING, ABN AMRO, Rabobank, SNS)Without a BSN, your options are Bunq (accepts foreign address), or Wise (no BSN needed at all)
- Dutch home address registered at gemeente
- Valid passport or ID card
- Dutch phone number (for SMS verification)
- Email address
Interim option: open a Wise account first
- Wise gives you a multi-currency account with an IBAN — usable immediately, no BSN required
- Good for receiving your first salary while waiting for your Dutch bank account
- Works with most Dutch landlords, health insurers, and employers for initial payments
Wise — multi-currency account, works from day one
No BSN required, holds 40+ currencies, Dutch IBAN available, low international transfer fees.
Open a Wise account →Choose a Dutch bank
- ING: English app, widely accepted, straightforward account opening online
- ABN AMRO: Strong English support, good for expats and internationals; Expat Banking package available
- Rabobank: Good rural and mid-city coverage; English support is more limited
- Bunq: Dutch fintech, fully English, opens without BSN initially, very expat-friendly
- N26 / Revolut: European neobanks — convenient but not always accepted by all Dutch systemsSome landlords and pension funds only accept Dutch IBANs (NLxx XXXX). Always confirm acceptability first.
After opening your account
- Activate your debit card and iDEAL (the Dutch online payment system)
- Set up salary payment with your employer's HR using your new IBAN
- Set up automatic payments (machtigingen) for rent, health insurance, and utilities
- Register for your bank's app and enable push notifications for transactions
- Share your Dutch IBAN with Belastingdienst for any tax refunds
08
Housing Search Checklist
Set your budget first
- Calculate your maximum rent: Dutch standard is that rent should not exceed 1/3 of your gross monthly salary
- Factor in servicekosten (service charges), which are added on top of the base rent for apartments
- Budget for the deposit (waarborgsom): typically 1–2 months' rent, paid upfront
- Check if you qualify for huurtoeslag (rent benefit): single people earning under ~€31,750/year may qualify for social housing; private sector has no income cap for benefit
- Use the Rent Affordability Calculator to know exactly what you can afford
Where to search
- Funda.nl — the main listings platform; most agents post here
- Pararius.nl — strong for international listings, English interface
- Kamernet.nl — good for rooms, student housing, and shared flats
- Facebook Groups — "Amsterdam Housing", "Expats in The Hague Housing" — fast-moving, mix of scams and legitimate listings
- Expat Center / relocation agency — if your employer offers a relocation package, ask HR to activate it
- Set up email alerts on Funda and Pararius for your criteria — good apartments in Amsterdam and The Hague go within 24–48 hours
Scam red flags — walk away if you see these
- Landlord is "abroad" and sends keys by post after you wire a deposit
- Price is significantly below market rate for the location
- Payment requested via cryptocurrency, Western Union, or WhatsApp only
- No physical viewing possible before signing the contract
- Urgency pressure: "someone else is offering today — decide now"
- Landlord's identity cannot be verified against the Kadaster (land registry) ownership records
Documents landlords typically want from you
- Passport or ID copy
- Employment contract or proof of income (3 recent payslips)
- Employer's statement (werkgeversverklaring) confirming your employment and salary
- Bank statements for the last 3 months
- References from previous landlords if available
- BSN number (required once you register in the Netherlands)Some landlords accept a letter confirming BSN is in process if you haven't registered yet
Before signing the rental contract
- Read the entire contract — if it's in Dutch and you don't read Dutch, get a translated copy or have it reviewed
- Check the notice period (opzegtermijn) and any break clauses
- Confirm what is included in the servicekosten (hot water, heating, building maintenance?)
- Do a thorough inspection and document all existing damage with photos before moving in
- Confirm the deposit goes into a separate account (not into the landlord's personal account)
- Check Huurcommissie rules: if your rent is in the social sector range, you may have rent protection rights
