Choose language · Válasszon nyelvet · Alegeți limba

Dutch administration made clear

Wherever you come from,
you are not alone in the Netherlands.

Starting a new life is easier when someone explains the steps. Official information, clear guidance and personal support for Dutch administrative matters.

Clear informationOfficial sourcesPersonal guidance
KM AdministratiekantoorHere to help you find your way
Your journeyFrom uncertainty to confidence
  1. 01
    From homeFrom Hungary, Romania, Poland or elsewhere
  2. 02
    TogetherWe go through each step clearly
  3. 03
    In the NetherlandsYou know where to turn and how to begin

How can I help?

Select the subject that matches your situation. Each section provides a clear explanation and an official starting point.

Important

Entitlement always depends on your personal, family, employment and residence circumstances, as well as the rules in force at the time of the procedure.

Not sure which rule applies to you?

Contact us on WhatsApp: +31 6 484 75 946, or by email: katalin.belasting@gmail.com.

Essential information

Open the subject that relates to your situation.

Belastingdienst

Tax returns

The correct return depends on your residence and when you moved.

You lived in the Netherlands for the whole year

People who lived in the Netherlands throughout the year usually file the standard Dutch income tax return. If you receive an official invitation, you must meet the deadline stated in the letter.

Belastingdienst – filing an income tax return
You moved during the year – M return

The M return is for people who lived in the Netherlands for only part of the tax year because they moved into or out of the country.

Official information about the M return
You live abroad but worked in the Netherlands

A non-resident tax return, a C form and an income statement from your country of residence may be required. The 90% rule must be assessed individually.

Belastingdienst – non-resident taxpayers
UWV · Municipality · SVB

Pregnancy, childbirth and benefits

A Dutch registered address is not the only factor: employment, insurance and any existing UWV benefit must also be assessed.

Employee, sickness or UWV benefit

An employee is entitled to at least 16 weeks of pregnancy and maternity leave. It normally begins 6 to 4 weeks before the due date and includes at least 10 weeks after birth. The employer usually applies to UWV. Pregnancy- or childbirth-related incapacity may fall under special Ziektewet rules; when the WAZO period begins, the payment may change to maternity benefit.

People receiving WW apply through Mijn UWV. Those receiving Ziektewet or wage-related WGA, and people whose contract ends shortly before the due date, may need a separate UWV application route.

UWV – applying for maternity benefit
No Dutch address, self-employed and steps after birth

BRP registration helps with administration, but it does not by itself create or end entitlement. If you have no Dutch address or move abroad, notify UWV, SVB and the insurer in advance and request an individual decision about continuation and medical checks. A self-employed person may apply to UWV for the minimum 16-week ZEZ benefit.

Register the birth within 3 days with the municipality where the child was born. The child receives a BRP record and BSN. Add the child to a Dutch health insurer within 4 months and check Kinderbijslag, kindgebonden budget and, if relevant, childcare benefit.

Dutch government – registering a birth
SVB · Toeslagen

Children and family benefits

The child's country of residence does not determine entitlement on its own.

Kinderbijslag and a child in another EU country

SVB may examine where both parents work, where the child lives and which benefits the other country pays. EU coordination rules determine which country pays first and whether a supplement may be due.

Your Europe – family benefits
Zorgtoeslag, huurtoeslag and kindgebonden budget

These benefits depend on income, assets, household, partner and other conditions. Report changes promptly through Mijn Toeslagen to reduce the risk of overpayment.

Belastingdienst and benefits
Health insurance · EU

Health insurance and EESSI

Different rules can apply depending on residence, work and posting.

Who needs Dutch health insurance?

As a general rule, people who live or work in the Netherlands must take out Dutch basic health insurance. Working in several countries, posting, study or a foreign pension may require an individual assessment.

Dutch government – compulsory health insurance
S1, S2, A1 and the European Health Insurance Card

S1 concerns healthcare rights in the country of residence, S2 is for approved planned treatment abroad, and A1 shows which country's social security system applies. The European Health Insurance Card is intended for temporary stays.

EU social security forms
UWV

Work, unemployment and sickness

Entitlement depends on your employment record and how the contract ended.

WW unemployment benefit

UWV examines the weeks worked, hours lost, availability for work and the reason employment ended. Resigning voluntarily may affect entitlement to WW.

UWV – unemployment benefit
Sickness, Ziektewet, WIA, U1 and U2

It matters whether the employment relationship still exists and when the illness began. U1 confirms insurance periods. Under certain conditions, U2 allows you to keep Dutch WW while looking for work in another EU country.

UWV – information for individuals
Employer · CAO · Payslip

Paid leave and holiday allowance are different

Your normal wage during leave is not the same as the separately accrued holiday allowance.

Paid annual leave

Statutory annual leave is at least four times your weekly working hours. A 40-hour week therefore gives 160 hours, usually 20 working days. Part-time employees accrue leave proportionally, and a CAO or employment contract may grant extra days.

While you take approved leave, your employer continues your normal wage. This is not an extra payment.

Business.gov.nl – holiday entitlement
Holiday allowance (vakantiegeld)

Holiday allowance is generally at least 8% of gross annual pay and is usually paid in May or June. A CAO or written agreement may set another payment schedule. It is separate from the normal wage paid while you are on leave and is taxable.

It also accrues on continued wages during sickness. When employment ends, unused leave and accrued holiday allowance must be included in the final settlement.

Business.gov.nl – holiday allowance
Check your payslip and deadlines

Look for the leave balance, holiday allowance accrual or reservation, and holiday allowance payment. Statutory leave normally expires six months after the accrual year, subject to exceptions; extra leave normally expires after five years. Zero-hour and temporary workers are also entitled to leave and holiday allowance.

SVB · Pension fund

Dutch pension

AOW and pension accrued through an employer are separate systems.

AOW and employer pension

Periods during which you were insured in the Netherlands may create entitlement to a partial AOW pension. Employer pension, including StiPP, must be checked separately.

SVB – AOW pension
Mijnpensioenoverzicht
Housing association

Social housing

Registration and applications take place through regional housing platforms.

Registration and conditions

Registration does not guarantee an immediate home. Waiting time, residence, income, household composition and the conditions of each listing may all matter. It is sensible to register as early as possible.

Always check the listing requirements and keep your personal and income details up to date.

Municipality · DigiD

First steps in the Netherlands

Correct registration helps you access official services.

BRP, RNI, BSN and DigiD

For a longer stay, you generally register in the BRP at your municipality. RNI may apply to shorter stays. Once you have a BSN, you can apply for DigiD to use Dutch government services online.

DigiD – apply or activate
KVK · Municipality · Tax Administration

Starting a business in the Netherlands

Essential information for registering a sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak).

Address, BSN, DigiD and KVK registration

Online preparation for registering a sole proprietorship generally requires a BSN and your own DigiD. The business must have an acceptable visiting or operating address. If you do not own or rent the address yourself, KVK may ask for a signed rental, lease or usage agreement, or consent from the owner or authorised occupier.

Before operating from home, check municipal rules, your rental agreement, the landlord or housing association and, where relevant, mortgage or owners' association conditions.

KVK – sole proprietorship
After registration and the limits of our service

KVK forwards the registration details to the Netherlands Tax Administration. The Tax Administration separately decides whether the business is an entrepreneur for VAT and sends the relevant tax numbers when applicable. Proper records must be kept and all notified returns and deadlines must be observed.

Important: KM Administratiekantoor can explain the initial steps and required documents, but does not file tax returns for entrepreneurs.

RDW · Belastingdienst

Vehicle administration

Import, export, ownership transfer, BPM and MRB.

Foreign or Dutch vehicle

Using a foreign-registered vehicle, importing, exporting and transferring ownership are different procedures. RDW registration, BPM, MRB and insurance must be checked separately.

RDW
Transfer and export of a Dutch vehicle

Ownership can be transferred online or at a kentekenloket, RDW desk or inspection station. A private buyer must have a Dutch residential or correspondence address in the BRP. The seller must receive the vrijwaringsbewijs. To take the vehicle abroad, first register the export at an RDW location or RDW-authorised export company and bring identification, the registration documents and number plates.

After export, the vehicle may be driven on Dutch public roads for up to 14 days with an export registration. Insurance and a valid APK may be required, and acceptance abroad must be checked. Otherwise use a trailer or transporter, then register the vehicle under the destination country's rules.

RDW – vehicle export
Forms

Documents and forms

Always use the official form for the correct year and situation.

Documents commonly requested
  • identity document and BSN;
  • employment contract, payslips and jaaropgaaf;
  • proof of address and family circumstances;
  • decisions from Belastingdienst, UWV or SVB;
  • income documents from your country of residence.

Do not send your DigiD password, access codes or complete sensitive documents in an initial message.

No matching topic was found. Try another word or contact us directly.

The information is based primarily on official Dutch and European sources.