Week 1: get on the system
- Register at the gemeente (municipality). If you will live here for 4 months or more, register in the BRP (Personal Records Database) within 5 days of arriving. Bring your passport and proof of your address, and ask your gemeente which other documents it needs. Partners and children come to the appointment too. Registration gives you a BSN (citizen service number); in The Hague and Rotterdam it arrives by letter, usually within 4 weeks. Our BSN guide covers what to do if your gemeente has no appointment slots.
- Collect your residence permit (non-EU only). The IND tells you by letter, text message or My IND when your residence document is ready. Only then can you book a collection appointment, at the desk named in the letter. Go in person with your passport and the appointment code from the confirmation email. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens skip this step.
- Get a Dutch phone number. Banks, DigiD and your employer will all ask for one. A prepaid or SIM-only plan needs no credit check, so you can have a number on day one. Lebara is popular for cheap international calls and Simyo for flexible SIM-only data, but any provider works.
- Sort out money for the gap. A Dutch bank account usually needs your BSN and an address. Until then, a Wise account gives you a European IBAN for your first salary, a rent deposit and a card that works everywhere. Then open a Dutch account: see opening a bank account.
First month: the essentials
- Apply for DigiD. DigiD is your login for the Belastingdienst (tax office), toeslagen, insurers and the gemeente. Apply at digid.nl with your BSN once you are registered. An activation letter arrives at your address within 3 working days, and you must activate within 21 days or start again.
- Find a long-term home. If you are in temporary housing, start now: good rentals go quickly and you need an address you can register at. See our housing guide for rent rules, deposits and scams.
- Register with a huisarts (GP). It is not compulsory, but the GP is your entry point to all other care, including referrals and the out-of-hours GP post. Many practices only take patients who live nearby, and some are full. If you cannot find one, call your health insurer: it helps you search and can mediate with practices.
- Set up public transport. The simplest option is OVpay: check in and out with a contactless bank card or phone. If you want age discounts, a season ticket or NS Flex, get the new OV-pas (about €6) via the OVpay app. According to the Nationaal OV-Beraad, sales of the anonymous OV-chipkaart stopped on 1 July 2026 and the OV-chipkaart system is being phased out by the end of 2027.
First 4 months: the money deadlines
- Take out Dutch health insurance. The obligation starts the day you live or start working here. You have 4 months to take out a basic policy, and it is then backdated to that day, premium included. Basic cover is identical at every insurer by law. Compare what it costs you on our health insurance calculator.
- Apply for zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance). If your income is below the limit, the Belastingdienst pays part of your premium every month. Apply through Mijn toeslagen with your DigiD. You can apply for a year until 31 December of the following year, but applying straight away means it is paid monthly from the start.
- File the 30% ruling. If you were recruited from abroad, you and your employer apply together on the Belastingdienst form. Submit it within 4 months of your first working day and the ruling applies from day one. Check whether you qualify and what it is worth with the 30% ruling calculator and your take-home pay with the salary calculator.
- Exchange your driving licence if needed. A licence from outside the EU or EFTA is valid here for 185 days after you move. Some can be exchanged at the gemeente, others mean taking the Dutch tests, so check yours early. EU and EFTA licences stay valid. Details in our driving licence guide.
Hard deadlines and what missing them costs
| Task | Deadline | If you miss it |
|---|---|---|
| BRP registration | 5 days after arrival | No BSN, which delays your salary, bank account, DigiD and insurance |
| DigiD activation | 21 days after applying | The code expires and you apply again |
| Health insurance | 4 months after the obligation starts | No backdating, you pay your own care for the gap, then CAK fines of €529.74 |
| 30% ruling | 4 months after your first working day | The ruling starts later, so the early months are taxed in full |
| Non-EU driving licence | 185 days after you start living here | You may no longer drive until you hold a Dutch licence |
| Zorgtoeslag | 31 December of the following year | You lose that year's allowance |
The long game
Your registration date in the BRP is the start of your residence history. It counts towards permanent residence and Dutch citizenship later, so keep your registration continuous when you move house. See when you could qualify with the Dutch citizenship calculator.