Optional services

You need a Dutch bank account to pay your rent and receive wages, for example. Your taxes should also be paid from a Dutch account. The Netherlands has several banks, so check which one best suits your needs. You can open a bank account online or at a branch. To open a Dutch bank account, you will need:
– a BSN
– a residential address in the Netherlands
– an identity document

It is not compulsory to register with a GP, but it is wise. This is because you will always have access to care. You choose a GP yourself and it may happen that a GP has a waiting list. It is wise to choose a GP in your neighbourhood, otherwise a GP may refuse you. If you choose not to take a GP you may not be refused in case of emergency/urgent care, this is determined by a doctor or assistant. If there is no emergency, the GP may refuse you. Click here for more information on health care in the Netherlands.

In the Netherlands, you pay tax on your income. When you receive wages from an employer, the employer deducts tax from your wages. This is called loonheffing. You can get a rebate here. There is then a part of your income on which you do not pay tax, this is called loonheffingskorting.

You receive a form from your employer on which you can indicate whether you want to receive the rebate and the employer then determines how much tax should be withheld.

The amount of tax you pay depends on your income. If you earn a lot, you will pay more tax.

You can take your current pension with you to the Netherlands. To do so, ask the organisation that arranges your pension whether this is possible and what you need to arrange. When you live or work in the Netherlands, you will build up a basic pension. This is called an ‘AOW’. You will receive your pension when you reach the AOW pension age. The amount of your AOW pension depends on the number of years you have worked or lived in the Netherlands and whether you live alone or together.

When you move into a house or flat, you will have to arrange your own energy contract. There are several energy providers offering electricity and gas. You can compare energy providers online beforehand to see which provider has the best offer.

If you have to provide TV and internet yourself, there are also several tools online to compare providers. Often these services are offered in one package, i.e. TV, internet and phone. This is also a lot cheaper than buying everything separately. Well-known providers are KPN, Ziggo and T-Mobile.

When you come to live in the Netherlands and are registered in the Netherlands, you are not allowed to drive in the Netherlands with a foreign number plate. This has to do with tax liability. In the Netherlands, if you use the Dutch roads with vehicles you own, you pay tax on them.

If you want to move your car with you, you need to register it in the Dutch vehicle registration register and pay taxes. This is also known as importing. Click here for more information.

You may bring your pet with you to the Netherlands, but you cannot just do so:
– Your pet must be vaccinated and have travel documents
– You may take a maximum of 5 pets with you
– Dogs, cats and ferrets must have a chip and be vaccinated against rabies
– Every pet must have a health certificate or animal passport

Within the Netherlands, there are a number of compulsory insurances:

Basic health insurance
If you have a car, third-party insurance (Wettelijke Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering)

In addition, the following insurances are not compulsory, but may be good to check:

Liability insurance
Liability insurance is slightly different from third-party insurance. Third-party insurance is for when your motor vehicle causes damage to another person. Liability insurance covers damage when you cause damage to someone. For example, you are visiting someone and you accidentally knock over an expensive vase and it breaks. The owner of the vase can hold you liable and with liability insurance you are insured for this.

Contents insurance
When you live in a house or flat, you run the risk of losing things. You may own more items of value than you think. You can insure these things by taking out contents insurance. This also applies if a fire breaks out. The value of your contents will then be reimbursed.