Free Expat Checklists & Templates

In this guide

Jump to a checklist

1. Moving to the Netherlands 2. BSN Registration 3. Health Insurance Setup 4. Dutch Tax Return 5. 30% Ruling Application 6. Leaving the Netherlands 7. Opening a Bank Account 8. Housing Search

Moving to the Netherlands Checklist

Before you leave

Find out how to get an apostille or legalisation for key documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, diplomas)
The authority and the time it takes differ per country; see the apostille and legalisation guide
Arrange temporary or permanent housing in the Netherlands
You register with the municipality where you will live, and you get your BSN at that registration (government.nl)
Arrange travel insurance for the trip before you arrive (Dutch health insurance, taken out within 4 months of arrival, applies from the day you arrived)
Notify your home country bank of your move (international card access)
Gather copies of your employment contract, rental contract and passport
Find out how your municipality (gemeente) handles registration appointments

First week after arrival

Register at your gemeente and receive your BSN
If you will stay longer than 4 months, you must register within 5 days of arriving (government.nl)
Open a Dutch bank account (or set up Wise for the interim period)
ABN AMRO lets you open an account without a BSN and asks for it within 120 days; bunq asks for your tax ID within 90 days
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)
You are not required to, but it is a good idea so you can access care when you need it (government.nl)

First month

Apply for DigiD at digid.nl
DigiD is used in dealings with Dutch government bodies such as the Tax Administration (government.nl)
Take out Dutch health insurance (zorgverzekering) within 4 months of arrival
⚠ If you take out insurance after the 4 months, it is not backdated (government.nl), and the CAK can fine you if you stay uninsured
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 eligible
Both 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: redirect mail and update your address with the tax authority, pension provider and bank

BSN Registration Checklist

Documents to prepare

Valid passport or national ID
Check on your municipality's website which identity documents it accepts
Birth certificate, and a marriage certificate if applicable
Ask your municipality whether it needs an apostille or legalisation for foreign documents
Proof of your Dutch address
Ask your municipality which document it accepts, for example a rental contract

Booking your appointment

Find your municipality's appointment portal (gemeente.nl, amsterdam.nl, denhaag.nl, etc.)
Book as early as possible
If you will stay longer than 4 months, you must register within 5 days of arriving (government.nl)
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 an Expat Center, check whether you can register through it

At the gemeente appointment

Bring the documents your municipality asked for
Arrive 10 minutes early; bring the appointment confirmation
Ask how and when you receive written confirmation of your BSN
Note your arrival date: your 4-month health insurance window runs from the day you arrived, not from your registration

Health Insurance Setup Checklist

Understand your deadline

Note your arrival date — your 4-month insurance window starts then
⚠ Deadline: take out Dutch health insurance within 4 months of arrival. If you take it out later, it is not backdated, and the CAK can fine you if you stay uninsured.
If you think you are exempt from the Dutch insurance obligation, check with the health insurance information line (Zorgverzekeringslijn)
Ask HR whether your employer offers a collective health insurance with an insurer

Compare and choose a policy

Decide on your eigen risico (own risk / deductible): €385 minimum in 2026, up to €885 voluntary
A higher voluntary own risk lowers the premium at most insurers, but you pay more yourself if you use care
Decide whether you need aanvullende verzekering (supplementary insurance) for dental, physio, or glasses
Check whether English-language support matters to you; for example, a.s.r. correspondence is in Dutch but its advisers answer in English

Narrow down your Dutch health insurance options The basic package is the same at every insurer; premium, policy type and supplementary cover differ.

Compare Dutch health insurance options with our Health Insurance Wizard →

Documents needed to enrol

BSN, if you already have it (the insurer asks for it when you apply)
Dutch home address
IBAN for the direct debit of your premium

After you sign up

Keep your policy number and the insurer's app or card details at hand
Apply for zorgtoeslag (monthly healthcare benefit) at toeslagen.nl if you are eligible
In 2026, single people with a toetsingsinkomen up to €40,857 may qualify; with a toeslagpartner up to €51,142
Register with a GP (huisarts) near your home address
Cancel any international or home-country health insurance that overlaps

Dutch Tax Return Checklist

Key deadlines

Your filing deadline is the date in your aangiftebrief (income tax return letter), often 1 May
⚠ If you cannot file in time, request an extension in Mijn Belastingdienst before 1 May: you then get until 1 September. You can only request it if you received an aangiftebrief, and you usually pay belastingrente (Belastingdienst)
Year of arrival or departure: if you lived in the Netherlands for only part of the year, you file a different return: an online return for taxpayers living outside the Netherlands for part of the year, or the paper form M (Belastingdienst)

Before you start: what you need

DigiD to log in to Mijn Belastingdienst
Apply at digid.nl if you do not have one
Jaaropgave (annual salary statement) from every employer
If you changed jobs mid-year, ask each employer for one
WOZ-waarde (property valuation) if you own property
Mortgage annual statement (hypotheekopgave) showing interest paid — from your bank or mortgage provider
Your balances on 1 January for all accounts (box 3 savings)
Dividend statements if you hold shares or have a Box 2 (substantial interest) situation
30% ruling decision letter, if you have one

Potential deductions to check

Mortgage interest deduction (hypotheekrenteaftrek) on your own home
Gifts to recognised charities (giftenaftrek): ordinary gifts count above a threshold of 1% of your threshold income (minimum €60), up to a maximum of 10% of it (Belastingdienst)

After filing

Keep confirmation and the filing reference number
Check the aanslag (assessment) and verify that the figures match your filing
If you disagree with an assessment of income tax: file a bezwaar (objection) within 6 weeks of the date of the assessment. You cannot object to a voorlopige aanslag; you can only change it (Belastingdienst)

30% Ruling Application Checklist

Eligibility requirements — confirm all apply

You are recruited from outside the Netherlands
You are in paid employment with your employer and your salary meets the "specific expertise" norm below
Your annual salary, not including the tax-free allowance, is above the norm:
2026 norm: €48,013 a year, not including the tax-free allowance. Under 30 with a Dutch academic master's degree (or an equivalent foreign degree): €36,497. Because the allowance is not counted, your gross salary must be higher: at least about €68,590, or about €52,139 respectively (48,013 / 0.7 and 36,497 / 0.7). Scientific researchers at a designated research facility, and doctors training to become a specialist, can always use the scheme regardless of salary (Belastingdienst).
You lived more than 150 km from the Dutch border for more than 16 of the 24 months before your first working day in the Netherlands
You may not have lived in Belgium, Luxembourg or parts of Germany, France or the United Kingdom (Belastingdienst)
You and your employer fill in the application form together; the employer must apply
Apply within 4 months after you start work
⚠ If the request is submitted within 4 months after the start of your work, the decision has retroactive effect to your start date. Later, only actual extraterritorial costs can be reimbursed tax-free until the decision takes effect (Belastingdienst, checked 8 October 2026).

Steps for your employer

Your employer applies to the Belastingdienst together with you; you cannot apply alone
Wait for the "beschikking" (decision letter): the Belastingdienst says it informs you within 8 weeks
Once you have a decision, your employer applies the allowance in payroll as the decision states; agree the allowance with your employer in advance

Documents to gather

Ask your employer which documents it needs for the application, for example your employment contract

Percentage schedule (2026 rules)

2025 and 2026: a flat 30% of your salary is tax-free in every month of the ruling
In 2025 and 2026 the tax-free allowance stays at a maximum of 30% (Rijksoverheid)
From 1 January 2027: the maximum drops to 27% — unless the ruling was already being applied to your salary on or before 31 December 2023, in which case transitional rules keep you at 30%
First applied in 2024: 27% from 2027 with the current salary norm. First applied from 1 January 2025: 27% from 2027 with a new, higher salary norm (Rijksoverheid)
Salary cap: the allowance is calculated on salary up to €262,000 (2026), so the tax-free amount stops at €78,600 per year
Maximum duration of the decision: 5 years; the Belastingdienst reduces it by the period you previously worked or lived in the Netherlands

Leaving the Netherlands Checklist

3 months before you leave

Notify your employer of your leaving date and start your notice period (opzegtermijn)
Check the notice period in your rental contract; for a tenant it is usually 1 month before you leave (Rijksoverheid)
Arrange your move: shipping company, temporary storage, or selling furniture
Check with the Belastingdienst whether you have a voorlopige aanslag or teruggaaf that needs changing
Check your pension situation: ask your Dutch pension provider whether you can take your pension with you (Belastingdienst)
Cancel subscriptions with notice periods: gym, streaming, mobile plan, internet

1 month before you leave

Tell your health insurer your move date (preferably 2 months before you leave) and check with the insurer and the CAK what applies to you
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
Return any leased equipment from work
Ask your landlord for the deposit refund; document the condition of the home with photos

Final week

Deregister at your gemeente (uitschrijven) in the last 5 days before you leave, if you will live abroad for more than 8 months in a year
Deregistering is required in that case, and you can be fined if you do not (NederlandWereldwijd)
Download your banking history and statements before closing or switching accounts
Set up mail forwarding to your new address
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
Keep your BSN; you need it for the tax return for the year of departure
Keep your DigiD: apply for it before you deregister, activate the DigiD app, and update your phone number before you cancel your old one (NederlandWereldwijd)
Collect final pay and holiday allowance (vakantiegeld) from employer

Opening a Bank Account Checklist

Before you can open a Dutch bank account

BSN: banks ask for it
ABN AMRO lets you open an account without a BSN and asks for it within 120 days after opening; bunq asks for your tax ID within 90 days; Wise gives verified customers a non-Dutch euro IBAN
Dutch home address
Valid passport or ID card
Email address

Interim option: open a Wise account first

Wise gives you EUR account details with a non-Dutch euro IBAN (Wise uses a Belgian BIC and address) once it has verified you
Check with the party that pays you or collects from you whether a non-Dutch euro IBAN is accepted

Wise — multi-currency account with a non-Dutch euro IBAN (Wise uses a Belgian BIC and address) Payment institution (not a bank), EUR account details with a non-Dutch euro IBAN (Wise uses a Belgian BIC and address), holds multiple currencies, international transfers.

Open a Wise account →

Choose a Dutch bank

ING: a Dutch bank; check its website for the account-opening requirements
ABN AMRO: has a section for expats on its website; you can open an account without a BSN and hand it in within 120 days
Rabobank: 100+ local branches; the Rabo App is available in English and the bank has English-speaking staff
Bunq: no BSN needed to start; the tax ID follows within 90 days (bunq)
N26 / Revolut: European neobanks with non-Dutch IBANs
Check whether the organisations you pay or receive money from accept a non-Dutch IBAN.

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

Housing Search Checklist

Set your budget first

Ask what the servicekosten (service charges) cost and what they cover; they come on top of the base rent
Budget for the deposit (waarborgsom): for contracts signed from 1 July 2023 a landlord may ask at most 2 months' base rent (Rijksoverheid)
Check if you qualify for huurtoeslag (rent benefit): there is no single income limit, it depends on your income, rent and assets (assets up to €38,479 per person in 2026). Social housing from a housing association has an income limit of €51,537 for a single-person household in 2026
Use the Rent Affordability Calculator to know exactly what you can afford

Where to search

Funda.nl and Pararius.nl — listing platforms for rental homes
Kamernet.nl — rooms, studios and apartments (see the box below)
Relocation agency — if your employer offers a relocation package, ask HR to activate it
Set up email alerts on the platforms you use, so you see new listings as they appear

Kamernet — rooms, studios and shared flats Register for free to see the listings; you need a Premium Account to respond to advertisements (kamernet.nl, checked 8 October 2026).

Search on Kamernet →

Scam red flags — walk away if you see these

Landlord is "abroad" and sends keys by post after you wire a deposit
The price is far below comparable homes in the area
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"
The landlord's identity cannot be verified

Documents a landlord may ask for

Passport or ID copy
Employment contract or proof of income
BSN, once you have it

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 the servicekosten cover
Do a thorough inspection and document all existing damage with photos before moving in
Ask for proof of payment of the deposit (Rijksoverheid)

This article contains affiliate links. If you sign up through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we earn · How our comparisons are made.

Editorial review

Wilco Terlouw

Publisher and editor at Expat Netherlands Hub. Checks high-impact guidance against current official Dutch sources; not a licensed tax, legal, immigration or insurance adviser. Read our methodology and corrections policy.