Netherlands Relocation Checklist

Phase 1 · 9–12 months out

Decide with real numbers

Confirm you have a residence route — there is no retirement visa. Americans: DAFT. Canadians: job, partner, or points-based self-employment Take a scouting trip — 90 days visa-free per rolling 180; come in November too, not just June Shortlist cities with the Where to Live guide — Amsterdam rents run ~30% above the national average Build a budget from the Cost of Living data — a couple runs roughly €2,200–2,500/month before rent See a cross-border tax adviser before anything is triggered — box 3 wealth tax (US portfolios) and the Canadian departure tax reward planning done early (Tax & Finance) Start Dutch lessons — A2 is required at year 5 for permanent residency, and everyone speaking English at you won't pass the exam for you

Phase 2 · 3–9 months out

Build the paper foundation

Americans on DAFT: draft the business plan, decide eenmanszaak vs BV, and line up a Dutch bookkeeper for the opening balance sheet Get key documents apostilled — birth and marriage certificates need apostilles (and sometimes sworn translations) for gemeente registration Start the housing search early — you can't register, get a BSN, or file with the IND without an address, and the country is ~384,000 homes short (Housing) Ring-fence the money: DAFT €4,500 equity + IND fees (€423 main, €254 partner, 2026) + deposit and first months' rent Pets: ISO microchip → rabies shot ≥21 days before travel → EU health certificate endorsed by USDA-APHIS or CFIA within 10 days of arrival Decide on US Medicare Part B / Canadian provincial coverage before you leave — lapses and re-enrolment penalties are permanent-ink decisions

Phase 3 · Arrival · first 4 months

Land and file — no consulate needed

Fly in visa-free — Americans and Canadians are MVV-exempt and apply from inside the Netherlands (the opposite of Portugal) Register your address at the gemeente and receive your BSN Americans on DAFT: register the business at KVK, open the business account, deposit the €4,500, get the opening balance sheet File your IND residence application (statutory decision window: 90 days) and attend biometrics Within 4 months of registering: take out basic health insurance — mandatory, retroactive, CAK-enforced (the insurance guide) Apply for DigiD, open a personal bank account (US citizens: bring your SSN for the FATCA forms), and set up iDEAL payments Register with a huisarts (GP) immediately — city practices run waiting lists, and nothing in the system moves without your GP

Phase 4 · Months 4–12

Become a resident, properly

Check zorgtoeslag eligibility (income under €40,857 single / €51,142 couple, 2026 — asset-tested too) and apply via Mijn Toeslagen Start driving lessons before day 185 — your US/Canadian licence dies at 6 months and most people need the full CBR theory + practical exams (Living) DAFT holders: keep the €4,500 equity untouched — dipping below it even once breaks the renewal condition File your first Dutch tax return the following spring; US citizens keep filing US returns (FBAR at $10,000 aggregate) — calendar both Keep up the Dutch — book the A2 inburgering exam path well before year 5 Mark the calendar: year 2 (DAFT renewal, 5-year extension) and year 5 (permanent residency — the route that doesn't cost you your passport)

The numbers on this page reset every January — IND fees, salary thresholds, premiums, zorgtoeslag limits — and a coalition proposal would raise the deductible to €460 by 2027 (not yet law). The newsletter below is how we tell you when this page changes.

The whole move,in order.

Decide with real numbers

Build the paper foundation

Land and file — no consulate needed

Become a resident, properly

This checklist updates. So should you.

The whole move,
in order.