Here is something the Dutch system does not advertise well: it hands real money back to residents every month through toeslagen (allowances), to soften the cost of health insurance, rent and childcare. Plenty of newcomers never claim them and quietly leave hundreds of euros a month on the table. If your income is in the normal range, at least one of these almost certainly applies to you.
One login for all of them
Every toeslag is claimed in the same place: Mijn toeslagen on the Belastingdienst site, using your DigiD. They are paid as monthly advances based on the yearly income you estimate, then reconciled after the year ends.
Zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance)
- Helps pay your monthly Dutch health-insurance premium.
- Income-tested: broadly available to singles earning up to around €39,000 and couples up to around €50,000 a year (check the current limits).
- Can be worth over €100 a month for a single person on a modest income.
- You need Dutch basic health insurance and savings below the yearly asset limit.
Huurtoeslag (rent allowance)
- Helps with rent if you rent a home with a regulated rent below the yearly cap (around €880 a month in 2026, check the figure).
- Income and savings tested, and the home must be your registered address.
- It now reaches more middle incomes than it used to, so check even if you assumed you earn too much (see finding a home).
Kinderopvangtoeslag (childcare allowance)
- The big one for working parents. It refunds a large share of registered daycare costs, and the lower your income the higher the share.
- Both parents must be working or studying, and the daycare must be officially registered (most are).
- This is what turns eye-watering Dutch daycare bills into something affordable (see schools & childcare).
Kindgebonden budget (child budget)
- An income-tested top-up for families with children, on top of the SVB's kinderbijslag child benefit.
- It often starts automatically once you receive kinderbijslag and your income qualifies, but check that it is actually running.
Keep your income estimate honest
Toeslagen are advances based on the yearly income you estimate. If you end up earning more, you have to pay the difference back, which stings. Update your estimate in Mijn toeslagen whenever your salary changes, especially after a raise or a partner starting work.
The savings catch
Most toeslagen have an asset ceiling tied to the box 3 threshold (roughly €38,000 per person, more for couples). Large balances, including money sitting in Indian NRE accounts, can push you over it. See our NRE & NRO guide.
Apply as soon as you have a DigiD and, for zorgtoeslag, your health insurance in place. Backdating is limited, so do not sit on it.
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