In this guide
Zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance) and huurtoeslag (rent allowance) are two benefits from Dienst Toeslagen, part of the Belastingdienst. Expats can qualify too if they meet the conditions, including the rules for people who are not Dutch nationals, and you have to apply yourself. This guide explains how both work in 2026, who can apply, and what can go wrong.
What is Zorgtoeslag?
Zorgtoeslag is a monthly contribution from the Dutch government towards the cost of your health insurance. Everyone living in the Netherlands must have basic health insurance (basisverzekering). The average monthly premium for it in 2026 is €157 (Rijksoverheid).
The allowance depends on your income and on whether you have a toeslagpartner. It does not depend on the premium you pay your insurer (Dienst Toeslagen). You apply for it yourself through Mijn toeslagen.
For context on how health insurance itself works, see our Dutch health insurance guide for expats.
Zorgtoeslag Eligibility and Income Limits for 2026
Dienst Toeslagen lists these main conditions for 2026:
- You have a Dutch health insurance policy (zorgverzekering). You can only apply once you have taken it out.
- You are 18 or older. From that age you need your own health insurance.
- Your income is not too high (see the table).
- Your assets are not too high: on 1 January 2026 at most €146,011, or €184,633 together with a toeslagpartner.
There are further conditions; Dienst Toeslagen lists them under “Voorwaarden voor zorgtoeslag”. You log in to Mijn toeslagen with DigiD (see our DigiD guide for expats and the BSN registration guide).
Income limits for zorgtoeslag 2026:
| Situation | Income limit per year |
|---|---|
| Single | €40,857 |
| With a toeslagpartner | €51,142 combined |
The income that counts is your toetsingsinkomen, roughly your gross income over the whole year, not your salary slip. The amount you receive falls as your income rises. In 2026 the maximum is €129 a month without a toeslagpartner and €246 with one (Dienst Toeslagen). Use the official proefberekening on toeslagen.nl for your own amount.
If you still need Dutch insurance, our Health Insurance Wizard helps you narrow down the options:
Compare Dutch health insurance options with our Health Insurance Wizard →
How to Apply for Zorgtoeslag
You apply online in Mijn toeslagen, or with the Toeslagen app.
- Log in to Mijn toeslagen with DigiD.
- Choose zorgtoeslag and enter your expected income for the year.
- If you have a toeslagpartner, their income is included as well.
- Submit the application.
Zorgtoeslag is paid monthly, in advance. For example, the allowance for November 2026 is paid before midnight on Tuesday 20 October (Dienst Toeslagen).
Deadline. You can still apply for 2025 until 31 December 2026. Applications for 2024 closed on 2 September 2025. If you apply for an earlier year, you first have to wait for the final calculation (definitieve berekening) of that year (Dienst Toeslagen, “Tot wanneer kan ik toeslag aanvragen?”).
Keep your income estimate up to date. We come back to this under “Common Mistakes.”
What is Huurtoeslag?
Huurtoeslag helps with rent. It is administered by Dienst Toeslagen and is not automatic: you apply in Mijn toeslagen.
You do not get the whole rent back. Dienst Toeslagen says the part you always pay yourself is roughly EUR 200, and that for the part of the rent above EUR 932.93 you get no huurtoeslag in 2026. For households in which everyone is under 21, that limit is EUR 498.20. Before 2026 you could not get huurtoeslag at all if your rent was too high; from 2026 that is no longer an automatic bar. Whether you qualify at a high private-sector rent depends on your income and household, so use the proefberekening.
Finding housing in the Netherlands as an expat is already complicated enough: see our guide on finding housing in the Netherlands.
Huurtoeslag Eligibility: Rent, Income, Assets and Home
Rent figures (2026):
| Household | Rent above which no huurtoeslag is paid |
|---|---|
| Everyone under 21 | EUR 498.20 per month |
| Other households | EUR 932.93 per month |
Income: how high your income may be depends on your rent, your age and your household. Dienst Toeslagen publishes no single limit, so use its proefberekening. The income of a toeslagpartner, housemate (medebewoner) or a child living at home also counts. As with zorgtoeslag, the income that counts is your toetsingsinkomen.
Assets: on 1 January 2026 each resident may have at most €38,479. Partners together may have at most €76,958.
Home: you rent a self-contained dwelling (zelfstandige woonruimte). It has at least its own lockable front door, kitchen and toilet, and since 1 March 2024 its own washing facility with shower or bath. Houseboats and, usually, holiday homes do not qualify, while some non-self-contained homes do (Dienst Toeslagen). Student housing and other special situations have their own rules, which Dienst Toeslagen explains under “Voorwaarden voor huurtoeslag”.
Under-18s and non-Dutch nationals have specific rules too; check the full conditions on toeslagen.nl.
How to Apply for Huurtoeslag
Everything goes through Mijn toeslagen, with DigiD.
- Log in to Mijn toeslagen.
- Choose huurtoeslag and enter your rent, address and expected income.
- Declare the income of anyone who counts as a toeslagpartner or medebewoner.
- Submit.
The same application deadline applies as for zorgtoeslag: for 2025, until 31 December 2026. After the year, Dienst Toeslagen makes a final calculation. If your actual income differs from your estimate, you receive either a top-up or a repayment demand. If you move abroad, you lose the right to huurtoeslag and must stop it in Mijn toeslagen (Dienst Toeslagen).
Other Toeslagen Worth Knowing About
Kinderopvangtoeslag (childcare allowance) If you have children in registered childcare, you may be entitled to kinderopvangtoeslag. In 2026, working parents get the maximum reimbursement rate of 96% up to a joint toetsingsinkomen of €56,412; higher incomes get a lower percentage (Rijksoverheid). The allowance also depends on how many months the parents worked. Apply within 3 months after your right starts, or you lose allowance for the earlier months (Dienst Toeslagen).
Kindgebonden budget This is an income-dependent contribution for parents with children, also applied for with Dienst Toeslagen. If you live abroad, you can only get it if you receive kinderbijslag from the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB).
All of these toeslagen run through Mijn toeslagen.
The 30% Ruling and Your Toeslagen
Toeslagen are calculated on your toetsingsinkomen. Whether and how much the 30% ruling changes that figure for you depends on your situation, and Dienst Toeslagen offers a tool, “Bereken het toetsingsinkomen”, for each year (2022-2026). Use that tool rather than assuming your gross salary or 70% of it. Do not choose the 30% ruling or a salary structure just to qualify for toeslagen. Our 30% ruling guide for 2026 and 30% ruling calculator cover the ruling itself.
Common Mistakes, Including Repayments
1. Not applying at all Toeslagen are not paid automatically. Do not assume your income is too high: check the conditions above and use the proefberekening.
2. A wrong income estimate and the terugvordering
You enter an expected income when you apply. Dienst Toeslagen pays on that estimate. After the year it makes the final calculation, and if your income turns out higher than estimated, you have to pay back the difference. The most common reasons for repayment, according to Dienst Toeslagen, are that your income was higher than estimated, that someone moved in with you, that you did not report an income change, and that your assets were too high.
What to do:
- Report income changes in Mijn toeslagen as soon as they happen. Dienst Toeslagen advises that it is better to estimate your income too high than too low. If it turns out lower, you still receive what you were entitled to.
- Make a new estimate before the start of each new year.
- If you have to repay and cannot afford it: you can pay in up to 24 instalments. If you would have too little money left to live on, you can apply for a persoonlijke betalingsregeling, with a lower monthly amount. While Dienst Toeslagen handles your request, you do not have to repay.
3. Not reporting a toeslagpartner If someone moves in with you, tell Dienst Toeslagen, because it can change your allowance. A wrong household can lead to a repayment demand.
4. Continuing after circumstances change If you leave the Netherlands, your right to huurtoeslag ends, and your zorgtoeslag may also end. Stop the toeslag in Mijn toeslagen in time so you do not have to pay back later.
5. Filing your tax return late The date by which your return must be in is on your aangiftebrief, often 1 May (Belastingdienst). See the guide to filing your Dutch tax return.
Action Checklist
For a single person with a toetsingsinkomen up to €29,500 and Dutch health insurance, zorgtoeslag is the full €129 a month in 2026, which is EUR 1,548 a year. Above that income it falls, and above €40,857 it is zero.
- Get your BSN and DigiD: see the BSN registration guide and the DigiD guide
- Take out Dutch basic health insurance: see the health insurance guide
- Estimate your 2026 toetsingsinkomen
- Compare it with the limits above and run the proefberekening
- Apply in Mijn toeslagen
- Update your income estimate whenever your salary changes
- Review your full Dutch tax position for 2026
If your situation involves a partner who also works, or you are not sure whether your home qualifies, a short conversation with a tax adviser who works with expats can help.
A Note on Household Registration
Your household affects toeslagen. If a partner moves in, they can become your toeslagpartner, and their income then counts towards your combined toetsingsinkomen. For huurtoeslag, the income of housemates (medebewoners) and of a child living at home also counts. Report changes in Mijn toeslagen as soon as someone moves in, to avoid a repayment demand after the year.
Based on Dienst Toeslagen and Belastingdienst information, checked 9 October 2026. Limits change every year; check toeslagen.nl before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can expats claim zorgtoeslag in the Netherlands?
Yes, if you meet the conditions of Dienst Toeslagen: you hold a Dutch health insurance policy, you are 18 or older, and your income and assets are not too high. In 2026 the income limit is EUR 40,857 a year for a single person and EUR 51,142 together with a toeslagpartner. There are further conditions, listed on toeslagen.nl.
What is the maximum huurtoeslag in 2026?
There is no single maximum: it depends on your rent, age, household, income and assets. You never get the whole rent back, because you always pay roughly EUR 200 yourself, and for the part of the rent above EUR 932.93 (EUR 498.20 if everyone in the household is under 21) you get no huurtoeslag in 2026. Use the proefberekening on toeslagen.nl.
Does the 30% ruling affect my right to toeslagen?
Toeslagen are calculated on your toetsingsinkomen. How the 30% ruling affects that figure depends on your situation. Use Dienst Toeslagen's tool Bereken het toetsingsinkomen instead of assuming a figure.
How do I apply for zorgtoeslag and huurtoeslag as an expat?
You apply in Mijn toeslagen (or the Toeslagen app) with DigiD. You can still apply for 2025 until 31 December 2026. If you apply for an earlier year, you first have to wait for the final calculation of that year.
What happens if I receive too much toeslag?
If your income turns out higher than you estimated, you have to pay back the difference after the final calculation. You can pay in up to 24 instalments, and if you would have too little left to live on you can apply for a persoonlijke betalingsregeling. Report income changes in Mijn toeslagen as soon as they happen.