The Netherlands, topic by topic
Seven chapters that apply to everyone. Start at the beginning or jump to what you need.
Bureaucracy
Your BSN unlocks everything else — get registered at the gemeente in your first week and the rest of the system falls into place.
Free BSN registration Read bureaucracy 02Banking
You cannot open a Dutch account, get paid, or pay rent without a BSN — line that up first and the rest is a same-day process.
BSN Required to open an account Read banking 03Visas & Immigration
The Kennismigrant route dominates skilled migration to the Netherlands, but the 30% ruling's real 2026 value is smaller than most guides still claim.
€4,357 Kennismigrant salary, under 30/mo Read visas & immigration 04Work
A high statutory minimum wage, a huge freelance (zzp) economy, and one of Europe's most generous part-time cultures define the Dutch labor market.
€14.99/hr Minimum wage from Jul 2026 (21+) Read work 05Education
Public school is free and excellent, but tuition and childcare economics split sharply between EU and non-EU families.
Free Public primary/secondary school Read education 06Housing
The Netherlands is short roughly 410,000 homes, and a new points-based rent law reshapes what landlords can legally charge in the private sector.
410,000 National housing shortfall (homes) Read housing 07Cost of Living
Housing is the real budget-buster; groceries, transit, and healthcare premiums are moderate and, in 2026, healthcare got noticeably cheaper.
~€159/mo Avg. basic health insurance premium 2026 Read cost of livingSources & how current this is
Dutch immigration salary thresholds, the 30% ruling percentage, and rent-regulation rules are revised at least once a year (often on 1 January and 1 July) — treat the figures below as a strong 2026 baseline and confirm exact numbers on ind.nl and belastingdienst.nl before you sign anything.