Short and sweet


What do you need to do if you want to work in the Netherlands?

1. Apply for a Citizen Service Number


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Your employer needs your Citizen Service Number.
You cannot work in the Netherlands
without a Citizen Service Number. You need this number to take out health insurance,
accrue your pension and pay or
claim back taxes.

2. Register with a ‘Zorgverzekeraar


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You are insured against medical expenses in the Netherlands; there is no wage limit. To do this, you must register with a Dutch Zorgverzekeraar(type of health insurance company). You pay your own premium to this health insurance. The amount of the premium depends on the co=pay you choose (minimum € 385 and maximum € 885 per year) and whether you take out supplementary insurance. Ask your Zorgverzekeraar for form S1 and use it to register with your health insurance company in Germany. In this way, you can take advantage of health care in the Netherlands and Germany.

Sickness allowance is only paid in exceptional cases, e.g. if you no longer have an employer. Sickness allowance is paid by the UWV. In most cases, your employer will continue to pay your salary for up to 2 years.

3. Taxes


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Like Germany, the Netherlands has limited and unlimited tax liability (foreign taxpayer or qualified foreign taxpayer). Your employer uses a special payroll tax table, which means you pay more tax. If you have worked in the Netherlands for the whole year, you can reclaim the overpaid tax from the tax authorities by filing a tax return.

4. Claiming child supplement


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If you work in the Netherlands and your partner works in Germany, you do not usually have to claim Dutch child supplement (Kinderbijslag), because German child supplement is higher than Dutch child supplement and the child-related budget. If your partner does not work, you have to claim the child supplement in the Netherlands, while your partner claims an additional child benefit in Germany. If you are a single parent, the Dutch child supplement and the child-related budget are in many cases higher than German child supplement. You can apply for a child supplement and child-related budget at the Sociale Verzekeringsbank.

5. Occupational pension scheme


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Almost all employees in the Netherlands accrue a company pension in addition to the legal old-age pension (AOW). Ask your employer which pension fund it is.