What you spend on moving depends on your residence route and where you live
The amount you need is determined by your residence route and your housing. In our 2026 example, one adult joining a partner reaches €4,011; that figure includes a mandatory exam and €2,200 kept as a deposit. You must add separate costs for documents, travel, shipping, temporary housing and furniture. Before you decide how much to save, swap the example's rent and insurance amounts for your own numbers.
This guide is written for newcomers who plan to move to the Netherlands in 2026. It helps you work out how much money you need and when payments are due. Official fees vary according to your residence route. A deposit is money that is held until the contract rules allow it to be returned. For flights, shipping, translations and furniture, rely on written quotes. For bills after you arrive, use the cost of living guide.
Find out your residence route and who is responsible for payment
Look at the IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst, Immigration and Naturalisation Service) fees page. The table shows typical 2026 fees, and certain routes have lower fees or no fee at all. Ask an employer or educational institution if it will pay the fee and if it wants you to pay it back.
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| Common route | Official 2026 fee | Who applies and when the fee is collected |
|---|---|---|
| Adult partner or family member | €254 | The applicant or referent (sponsor, the partner or family member they will join) pays online when applying, or follows the payment letter for a paper application. If needed, the MVV (machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf, provisional residence permit) and residence permit form one application. |
| Child under 18 joining a parent | €85 | The parent or sponsor pays online when applying, or follows the payment letter for a paper application. Use the child rate when budgeting for a family. |
| Highly skilled migrant | €423 | Normally the IND-recognised employer applies and pays by direct debit. If you have Turkish nationality, employer recognition is not required and you can apply yourself. Confirm who pays and which fee applies before budgeting. |
| Study, all education levels | €254 | The recognised educational institution applies; payment goes through it. Confirm its invoice and refund terms. |
| Verification under EU (European Union) law | €85 adult; €46 child under 18 | For eligible non-EU family members of a citizen of the EU, EEA (European Economic Area) or Switzerland. |
| Citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland | €0 residence-permit fee | No residence permit required. Use a valid passport or national ID card. For stays over three months, check the IND’s conditions for your situation. |
The IND changes its fees on 1 January each year. Some children, treaty cases, and humanitarian or asylum routes qualify for lower rates or no fee. For your own situation, check the current live fees page.
A combined TEV (toegang en verblijf, entry and residence) application covers both the MVV and the residence permit. There is a single application fee, and you do not pay a separate MVV fee. To work out your route, use the residence-permit overview or the MVV and family-reunification guide.
An income requirement is not a fee; it is a condition you have to satisfy.
Set aside money for student living costs
Students must also prove they have funds for living expenses. The €254 covers only the application fee. For 2026, the monthly study norm is €1,130.77 for hoger beroepsonderwijs (HBO, higher professional education) or university. For secondary education or middelbaar beroepsonderwijs (MBO, senior secondary vocational education), it is €928.58. The IND requires evidence covering 12 months: €13,569.24 or €11,142.96, not including tuition.
The IND study-income rules accept multiple kinds of proof. They include funds you can withdraw freely from your own account, or a deposit held by the institution. If you use an institution deposit, the money must arrive in its account before it submits the application. This money is for living costs. Ask the institution what amount to transfer, the deadline, and how it releases or returns the funds.
Find out if you must take the exam abroad
The basisexamen inburgering in het buitenland (civic integration exam abroad) is required for some people who need an MVV. The IND exemption list covers exemptions based on age, nationality, purpose of residence and diploma. Before you put this exam in your budget, check if you need it. For 2026, Naar Nederland (the government’s exam-abroad website) lists €150 for the full exam or €50 for a single part, including a resit.
Use DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Dutch education service) to register and pay. Once your payment is confirmed, book the exam appointment. The exam-abroad preparation guide describes the three parts and the A1 language level (basic everyday words and phrases).
Obtain prices for documents and translations
Before you order original documents, ask the IND, gemeente (municipality) or institution which ones it requires. The IND accepts documents in Dutch, English, French or German. If a document is in another language, it must be translated. When the translation is made in the Netherlands, use a sworn translator. When it is made abroad, check whether the document and the translation both need legalisation (official confirmation of a document's signature).
Whether you need legalisation or an apostille (international legalisation stamp) depends on the country that issued the document and the type of document. Check the IND translation rules, then choose the issuing country on NederlandWereldwijd (NetherlandsWorldwide). Ask for separate prices for the document, legalisation or apostille, translation, certified copies and secure postage. To see which version you need, use the documents guide.
For 2026, the Consulair Dienstencentrum (Consular Service Centre) mediation fee charges €131 per document. This service obtains and legalises documents about Dutch nationals, and it has country-specific limits. The fee is not refunded even if the mediation does not succeed. Add this cost only if the service is available to you.
Compare quotes for travel and shipping
Obtain at least two written quotes for the same items. Write down the expiry date, payment dates and cancellation terms for each quote. Ask if bags, collection, customs handling, storage, insurance and btw (VAT, value-added tax) are part of the price.
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| Quote line | Ask the quote to include | Payment dates to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Flight or train | All bags, seat or pet charges, airport transfer, and change or cancellation terms | At booking |
| International mover or parcel shipment | Measured volume or weight, packing, stairs or lift, collection, delivery, customs handling, storage, insurance and btw | Any booking deposit and the date the balance is due |
| Temporary accommodation | Exact dates, tourist tax, deposit, cleaning, cancellation and extension rate | At booking or check-in |
| Pet travel | Veterinary documents, crate, carrier, inspection if applicable and ground transport | Each fee due before departure |
When you bring household goods from outside the EU, you might be eligible for tax relief. Douane (Dutch Customs) lays out conditions about your previous residence, the goods themselves and the timing of the import. A removal company requests the relief through the customs declaration. Ask if its quote includes customs paperwork and port or terminal charges. You still have to pay transport costs. The pets and household goods guide explains the conditions.
Include the deposit, first rent and service costs
If a tenancy agreement was signed on or after 1 July 2023, the deposit may be no more than two months’ kale huur (bare rent). Kale huur does not include service costs. When you pay the highest allowed deposit plus the first month's rent, you need three times the bare monthly rent. Then add the first service-cost or utility advance. Use the figures stated in your contract. Treat the deposit as separate from costs that will not be returned to you.
When the landlord has hired the letting agent, that agent cannot also charge you mediation, contract or administration fees. If you hire an agent yourself to search for housing, you pay that agent. Ask for every amount to be stated in the written contract.
Check the landlord and the home, and make payments by bank transfer so you have proof. Use the rental guide and rental-scams checks.
The deposit cap does not decide whether a request described as 'rent in advance' is legal. Before you pay, ask in writing for the payment's legal purpose and repayment terms. If it looks like the landlord has renamed an excessive deposit, contact the gemeente's landlord-reporting office before you pay.
Plan for registration and health insurance costs
If you are going to live in the Netherlands for longer than four months, you normally have to register in the BRP (Basisregistratie Personen, Personal Records Database) within five days after you arrive. There is no charge for registration. After registering, you get a BSN (burgerservicenummer, citizen service number). The national arrival checklist describes the main tasks.
There are exceptions to the five-day deadline. If you need a residence permit, do not have valid residence status and are waiting for that permit, you may register later. If officials must investigate your identity, you can wait until they finish. The official BRP registration rules explain these exceptions.
The Hague’s first-registration page also lists free registration for citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland who do not have a BSN. Include the cost of travel to the appointment and any required foreign documents in your budget. Check what your gemeente charges for other documents or services you need. The BRP and BSN registration guide lists what to bring.
What you pay for health insurance depends on whether you are required to join the Dutch system. If you are, arrange basic insurance quickly and no later than four months after the date your obligation begins. During that period, coverage and premiums apply from that date. Your start date may be your arrival, your first Dutch workday or the effective date of your residence permit. Confirm the start date with your insurer. The 2026 government average is €157 a month. Every insurer sets its own premium. Children under 18 pay no premium.
If you are a foreign student and your only reason for coming is study, you usually fall outside the Wlz (Wet langdurige zorg, Long-term Care Act). Having a job or doing an internship may alter that. Cross-border cases can also work differently. If you do not know whether Dutch basic insurance is required in your case, ask SVB (Sociale Verzekeringsbank, the Dutch social insurance agency) for a Wlz assessment.
For 2026, the eigen risico (mandatory deductible) is €385 per insured adult. This amount is charged when you receive covered care that falls under the deductible; it is not a set fee you pay just for arriving.
Whether you can receive zorgtoeslag (healthcare benefit) depends on your income, assets and other conditions. Before you count it as money available in your budget, check whether you qualify. Both the costs and the benefits are described in the health-insurance guide.
Work out the cash needed for one adult who is joining a partner
This example is based on one adult partner, a required basisexamen, kale huur of €1,100, the highest deposit, an initial €150 advance for service costs and utilities, and Dutch basic insurance for that adult. The rent and the advance are assumed figures. The IND fees and exam fees are official 2026 charges; the 2026 government average premium is €157.
Wide tables can be scrolled sideways.
| Line | Status | Cash in the example |
|---|---|---|
| Adult partner IND application | Official 2026 fee | €254 |
| Complete basisexamen | Official 2026 fee, only if required | €150 |
| Deposit: two months × €1,100 bare rent | Maximum based on assumed rent; returned subject to tenancy rules | €2,200 |
| First month’s bare rent | Assumption | €1,100 |
| First service-cost and utility advance | Assumption | €150 |
| First month of basic health insurance | 2026 government average for one insured adult | €157 |
| Cash needed before excluded costs | Official fees plus stated assumptions | €4,011 |
The figure of €4,011 does not include document issuance and legalisation, translation, travel, shipping, temporary housing, furniture or later local taxes. If the exam does not apply to you, take off €150. For every assumed price, use the amount shown in your contract or policy instead.
The deposit may be returned to you according to the rules in the rental-contract guide, but you must still have it ready when you move in.
On other routes, check whether the fee is paid by an employer or an institution. For students, proof of funds is handled separately from this family example.
Include setup costs and bills that come later
Include only the costs that are relevant to your household. Before you decide how much money to set aside for your first year, look at these five items:
- Taxes from the municipality and the water board
- The driving licence
- Furniture and fittings
- Pets and household goods
- Energy and water
Municipal and water-board taxes differ from one area to another. Your gemeente may bill you for afvalstoffenheffing (waste charge) or rioolheffing (sewer charge). Rates are set annually by each gemeente. Your waterschap (water board) also levies taxes. Find out which taxes apply to you and when the assessment must be paid. If payment is not possible, request kwijtschelding (a tax waiver). The authority reviews income, assets and necessary expenses. For each bill, ask the authority which taxes it is able to waive. To check charges in your area, use the municipal taxes guide.
You can exchange an EU or EFTA (European Free Trade Association) driving licence if you satisfy the conditions. Licences from elsewhere qualify only via listed countries or special cases. The application is made at the gemeente, which forwards it to RDW (the Dutch vehicle authority). Gemeente fees differ. When no exchange is possible, you must take the Dutch theory and practical exams. Both routes are covered in the driving-licence guide.
If a home is advertised as kaal (bare) or ongemeubileerd (unfurnished), ask which furniture and fittings remain. Obtain a written inventory that includes flooring, curtains, lamps and appliances. Before you sign, include the things you will have to buy in your budget.
If you will travel with a pet or ship household goods, get quotes for those services. Documents, customs relief and other conditions are covered in the pets and household goods guide.
Energy and water contracts each have separate start dates and payment dates. Find out which company supplies each service and confirm the dates. Energy suppliers send monthly advance bills; for the water supplier, ask how its billing schedule works. How to set up these contracts is explained in the utilities guide.
Plan for the due date of each payment
Below, identify the payments that fall due at each stage, starting before you apply and continuing into the later part of your first year. Check the exact dates in your application instructions, contracts and invoices.
Wide tables can be moved sideways by scrolling.
| Stage | Reserve or pay | Keep as evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Before the application | Required exam, documents and your route fee, or written confirmation that a sponsor or institution pays | Official fee page, invoice and receipt |
| Before travel | Tickets, mover or shipping, pet travel and temporary accommodation | Comparable quotes, validity dates and cancellation terms |
| At tenancy signing or key handover | Deposit, first bare rent, first service-cost or utility advance, and only lawful agent charges | Signed contract, inventory, receipt and bank record |
| Normally within five days of arrival, if staying over four months; see the exceptions above | Appointment travel and any document copies. BRP registration is free. | Appointment confirmation, registration record and BSN |
| During the first four months | Health premiums from your confirmed start date, plus utilities and internet setup | Policy start date and supplier contracts |
| Later in the first year | Municipal and water-board taxes, licence route, furniture and other optional setup | Local assessments and invoices |
Track three subtotals: money that will not be refunded, money that is held as a deposit, and costs for which quotes are still pending. If you have a student living-funds deposit, list it separately from fees. Before making any payment, verify the official amount. IND fees are adjusted every January; local authorities and providers decide their own prices and payment dates.
Change your budget if your plans change
If a fee changes, your move is postponed, or a local bill comes after the moving budget has already been spent, use the steps below.
For wide tables, scroll sideways.
| Problem | Action |
|---|---|
| You budgeted with last year's amounts | IND fees apply from 1 January to 31 December. Family-sponsor income amounts change on 1 January and 1 July. Check both the fees and income amounts before applying, especially if your move crosses either date. |
| The landlord asks for more than two months' deposit | For contracts signed from 1 July 2023, the limit is two months’ kale huur. Ask the landlord to correct a higher deposit and contact the gemeente’s reporting office. If the demand is called prepaid rent, the deposit cap does not settle whether it is lawful. Before paying, ask for the payment’s legal purpose and repayment terms in writing. |
| The health premium arrives as a backdated bill | Confirm whether Dutch basic insurance is compulsory and check the start date. If you arrange it within four months, premiums are backdated to that date. After four months, cover starts when you take out the policy; care during the uninsured gap is not reimbursed. Arrange insurance and contact CAK (the Central Administration Office) if you receive its letter. |
| Municipal tax bills arrive months after the move | Keep money for local tax bills in your first-year budget. Each tax has its own billing dates and rules for a move. If you cannot pay, ask the authority named on the bill for kwijtschelding. Water-board taxes may also qualify for a waiver. |
| A permit decision, home or shipping date moves | Check quote expiry and cancellation terms before each payment date. Contact the airline, mover and accommodation provider before a missed booking. Ask the sponsor or institution which payments can wait. Keep money for permit fees, housing and insurance available before buying optional furniture or shipping. |
Build the budget now
Make seven rows in your budget: residence route, exam, documents, travel and shipping, housing, insurance, and setup. For every amount, label it as an official fee, a quote, an assumption or a deposit. Also note who pays it and when it is due. For fees, use the IND page; for housing, use your contract; for everything else, use written quotes.
These guides can help you complete your budget and organise your arrival:
- Cost of living in the Netherlands: build your monthly budget
- Documents to prepare before moving to the Netherlands
- First 90 days in the Netherlands: arrival checklist
Official Sources
- IND: Fees, costs of an application - the 2026 common-route fees, including adult and child family rates, highly skilled migration, study and EU-law verification; annual validity and route exceptions
- IND: Highly skilled migrant - that the employer must be an IND-recognised sponsor and submits the application, and that the IND collects the 2026 €423 fee from the employer by direct debit
- IND: Student residence permit for university or higher professional education - that only the educational institution, a recognised sponsor, can apply for the student residence permit, and that the 2026 €254 fee is paid through the institution
- IND: Staying in the Netherlands as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen - no residence permit for citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland; identity documents and conditions for stays over three months
- IND: Required amounts income requirements - the 2026 monthly study norms of €1,130.77 for HBO or university and €928.58 for secondary education or MBO, plus other route-specific income requirements
- IND: Income requirements for study - the requirement to show 12 months of living funds, the permitted forms of proof and the option to deposit the money with the educational institution
- IND: Basisexamen inburgering in het buitenland - who must pass the exam before an MVV application, the exemption categories, registration route and one-year validity of a passed result
- Naar Nederland: Brochures 'Basisexamen inburgering in het buitenland' - the 2026 fees: a complete basisexamen costs €150 and a single part €50, on the official exam-preparation site of the Dutch government
- IND: Translation and legalisation of documents - accepted languages, sworn-translation requirements and the need to check legalisation for official foreign documents
- NederlandWereldwijd: Legalisation of foreign documents - country-specific legalisation or apostille routes and cases where legalisation is not required
- Government.nl: Step-by-step plan for tenants - two-month deposit cap for contracts dated 1 July 2023 onwards; conditional refunds and landlord-agent fees; 2026 self-contained-housing segments: social housing up to €932.93, mid-rent up to €1,228.07 with 144–186 points, free sector for contracts beginning in 2026 with initial bare rent above €1,228.07 and 187 or more points
- Government.nl: What to arrange when moving to the Netherlands - BRP registration within five days for stays over four months, issue of the BSN and the main arrival obligations
- Gemeente Den Haag (Municipality of The Hague): First BRP registration - free first registration for citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland without a BSN; required appointment documents
- Government.nl: Compulsory health insurance after moving - the four-month deadline, coverage from arrival for people who come to live or work, and the consequences of applying after four months
- Government.nl: Health insurance and residence permit - the permit-start-date and backdated-premium mechanism
- Rijksoverheid (Dutch central government): Cost of basic health insurance - the 2026 average basic-insurance premium of €1,884 a year (€157 a month), that the insurer sets the exact premium, and that children under 18 pay no premium
- Rijksoverheid: Mandatory health-insurance deductible - the €385 compulsory deductible in 2026, when it applies and care that is excluded from the deductible
- SVB: The Wlz scheme - that Dutch basic-insurance duty depends on Wlz status and that an SVB assessment is available when a situation is unclear
- Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Administration): Immigration checklist - BRP and tax steps and that household effects can usually enter without tax when moving, subject to customs conditions
- Rijksoverheid: Welke belastingen heft de gemeente? - that municipalities charge residents taxes such as afvalstoffenheffing and rioolheffing, and that the municipal council sets the rates every year, so they differ per municipality
- Rijksoverheid: Wanneer kom ik in aanmerking voor kwijtschelding van gemeentelijke belastingen? - municipal tax waivers depend on income, assets and necessary expenses; each authority decides which taxes qualify; water-board tax waivers are also possible
- RDW: Exchanging a foreign driving licence - that an EU or EFTA licence can be exchanged if the requirements are met, that most other licences can only be exchanged in special cases, that only the municipality can submit the application, and that the fee varies per municipality
- IND: Residence permit for partner - combined MVV and residence-permit application; immediate online payment or payment instructions by letter for paper applications
- IND: Student residence permit secondary or vocational education - recognised institution applies for secondary and vocational students; 2026 €254 fee paid through the institution
- NederlandWereldwijd: Consulair Dienstencentrum (Consular Service Centre) mediation - 2026 fee of €131 per document to obtain and legalise documents concerning Dutch nationals; country limits and no refund if mediation fails
- Douane: Verhuisgoederen en vrijstellingen (household goods and exemptions) - tax-relief conditions for moving household goods from outside the EU
- Douane: Moving to the Netherlands - a removal company applies for household-effects tax relief through the import declaration
- Rijksoverheid: Waarborgsom (deposit) rules for landlords - deposit limits by contract date and evidence of payment by bank transfer
- Overheid.nl (Dutch government portal): Wet goed verhuurderschap (Good Landlordship Act), Staatsblad (official law gazette) 2023, 103 - Article 22 inserts the two-month bare-rent deposit cap into Burgerlijk Wetboek (Civil Code) Article 7:261b; municipal reporting duties
- SVB: You are a student or doing an internship - foreign study-only exception and how paid work or internships can affect Wlz insurance
- Rijksoverheid: Health insurance when working in the Netherlands - insurance duty from Dutch work under the stated conditions; four-month deadline and late-insurance consequences
- Dienst Toeslagen (benefits service): Zorgtoeslag conditions - healthcare-benefit eligibility depends on income, assets, age, Dutch health insurance and residence status
- Unie van Waterschappen (association of water boards): Waterschapsbelasting (water-board tax) - water boards charge taxes; annual assessment timing and rules for a move vary by tax
- ACM ConsuWijzer (consumer advice service): Termijnbedrag (monthly energy advance) - energy bills use monthly advances towards annual actual costs
- NederlandWereldwijd: Basisexamen inburgering buitenland in Duitsland - official confirmation of the A1 language level and three exam parts; appointment details on this page apply to Germany
- CAK: Regeling onverzekerden (uninsured-persons scheme) - where to get help after a CAK letter about having no Dutch health insurance
- IND: Residence permit for minor child to stay with parent - €85 minor-child fee in 2026; parent or sponsor applies and pays online immediately or follows payment instructions by letter for a paper application
- Rijksoverheid: When to register in the BRP - registration is free; five-day deadline for stays over four months; later registration while awaiting a required residence permit without valid status or an identity investigation
- IND: Obligations of a family member’s referent - the family referent is the partner or family member the applicant joins
- Council of Europe: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), global scale - A1 means familiar everyday expressions and basic phrases
- Naar Nederland: Registering for the exam - DUO registration form, exam payment instructions and appointment booking after payment confirmation
- IND: sponsor exceptions for Turkish employees