Dutch allowances for expats: the 2026 overview
Written by Radif Partners·Publisher of calculators and practical guides
The Netherlands has four income-related allowances, and expats qualify on the same terms as everyone else. Healthcare allowance pays up to €129 a month for a single person or €246 for a couple towards the compulsory health insurance premium. Rent allowance pays up to €523 a month for a single person and, since 2026, also applies to private-sector rents, which are now counted up to €932.93 instead of being excluded. The child-related budget pays up to €2,580 a year for the first child, or €5,996 for a single parent. Childcare allowance reimburses up to 96% of registered childcare, up to a maximum hourly rate. All four depend on your assessment income for the calendar year, which is why newcomers often qualify in their arrival year even on a good salary. This overview sets out who qualifies, what a typical expat family receives and how to apply. Start with the quick check below, or use the full allowance calculator.
Quick check: healthcare and rent allowance
Together per month
€542
| Healthcare allowance | €129 |
| Rent allowance | €413 |
| Per year | €6,504 |
Single person without children.
The four allowances
| Allowance | Dutch name | For | Asset limit (single) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare allowance | zorgtoeslag | health insurance premium | €146,011 |
| Rent allowance | huurtoeslag | rent of a self-contained home | €38,479 |
| Child-related budget | kindgebonden budget | cost of children under 18 | €146,011 |
| Childcare allowance | kinderopvangtoeslag | registered childcare | none |
Who qualifies
You need to live in the Netherlands legally and be registered at your address with a BSN. For healthcare allowance you must have Dutch basic health insurance; private travel insurance or insurance from your home country does not count. For rent allowance the home must be self-contained, with its own front door, kitchen and toilet, so a room in a shared house does not qualify. For childcare allowance both partners must work, study or follow a route to work, and the provider must be listed in the national childcare register (LRK). An allowance worth less than €24 a year is not paid.
The income that counts is your assessment income: taxable income for the calendar year, roughly gross salary plus holiday allowance. With the 30% ruling, the tax-free reimbursement is not taxable wage, so your assessment income is lower than your contract salary. If you are married, your spouse is your benefit partner even when living abroad, and his or her income counts too; the benefit partner guide explains the rules.
An expat family example
One partner earns €4,000 gross a month, the other is looking for work. They have children of 1 and 4, rent an apartment for €1,350 and the youngest goes to day care for 80 hours a month at €12.40 an hour. With an assessment income of €51,840, their allowances in 2026 are:
| Allowance | Per month |
|---|---|
| Healthcare allowance | €0 |
| Rent allowance (household of four) | €164 |
| Child-related budget | €349 |
| Childcare allowance | €862 |
| Total | €1,375 |
One caveat: childcare allowance requires both partners to work, study or follow a route to work, so the partner who is looking for work must be in a qualifying situation for that part to apply. Once the second partner starts working, the joint income rises and the other allowances fall; recalculate and update your estimate straight away.
How to apply
- Register at your address, get your BSN and apply for a DigiD.
- Estimate your annual income for the calendar year, generously, including holiday allowance and bonuses, and your partner's income.
- Apply in Mijn toeslagen or the Toeslagen app, one application per allowance, with your rental contract and childcare contract to hand.
- Check the advance decision and report every change: a new job, a partner, a move, more childcare hours.
If your income turns out higher than estimated, the difference is reclaimed after the year, without interest since 2026. The guide on repaying allowances explains how to keep that bill small.
Child benefit is separate
Child benefit (kinderbijslag) is paid per quarter by the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB), regardless of income or assets. It is not a toeslag, but it matters for the child-related budget. Amounts by age are on the child benefit calculator. Families with a parent working in another EU country fall under coordination rules that decide which country pays first; ask the SVB before you count on the Dutch amounts.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Belastingdienst, Berekening zorgtoeslag 2026
- Belastingdienst, Berekening huurtoeslag 2026
- Belastingdienst, Berekening kinderopvangtoeslag 2026
- Belastingdienst, Berekening kindgebonden budget 2026
- Wet op de zorgtoeslag (BWBR0018451)
- Besluit percentages drempel- en toetsingsinkomen zorgtoeslag (BWBR0030989)
- Wet op de huurtoeslag (BWBR0008659)
- Wet kinderopvang (BWBR0017017)
- Wet op het kindgebonden budget (BWBR0022751)
- Algemene wet inkomensafhankelijke regelingen, Awir (BWBR0018472)
- Rijksoverheid, Bedragen kinderopvangtoeslag 2026
- Belastingdienst, Proefberekening toeslagen
All 2026 figures were read from these official sources on 3 October 2026. They live in one parameter file that the calculators read, so the pages and the tools always use the same numbers.