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Netherlands: visas, tax & cost of living

No Dutch nomad visa: most use the self-employed permit (US citizens use DAFT). Residents are taxed on worldwide income, and Amsterdam runs pricey.

Netherlands: visas, tax & cost of living
Your passport

United KingdomNetherlands

Your move to Netherlands on a United Kingdom passport

  • VisitEasyVisa-free entry
  • NomadMediumNo nomad visa, other route
  • RelocateMediumResidence with conditions

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 90 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity: Valid at least 3 months beyond planned departure from Schengen, usually issued within the last 10 years, with two blank pages for stamps.

Heads-up: The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) started on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026: it replaces passport stamps by recording the fingerprints and a facial image of non-EU short-stay travellers. ETIAS, the EUR 20 travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is not operating yet; the EU says it will announce the start date several months before launch.

At the border: Border officer may ask for proof of onward or return travel and sufficient funds for the stay.

Working remotely

No dedicated nomad visa; the usual route is a standard residence permit.

Tax and residency

Under Article 4 of the General Tax Act (AWR), where you live is judged on all the circumstances, so there is no day count. Residents are taxed on worldwide income. The 30% expat scheme is only for people in paid employment with scarce expertise, so the self-employed cannot use it; it drops to 27% in 2027. (estimate)

The UK decides residence with its Statutory Residence Test (days in the UK plus your ties). As a non-resident you are usually taxed only on UK income; where one exists, a double-tax treaty with the destination decides who taxes what.

Double-tax treaty: yes, in force since 2008

Practical

Currency: EUR. Cost of living: high.

Healthcare: Once you are resident or working, Dutch law generally requires you to take out Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering) from a private insurer.

Healthcare agreement: A UK GHIC covers medically necessary state care on the same basis as a local, but it is not a substitute for travel insurance.

Driving: A foreign licence is fine for short visits; if its categories are not labelled A, B, C, D and E, carry an International Driving Permit as well. Once you live in the Netherlands, a licence from outside the EU/EFTA may be used for 185 days only, and after that you may not drive without a Dutch licence, even if your exchange application is still being processed.

Sources: Netherlands, Business.gov.nl (digital nomad) · IND: residence permit self-employed person (incl. the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty route) · IND: application fees, work as a self-employed person (including DAFT) EUR 423 · Vreemdelingencirculaire 2000 (B): Dutch-American Friendship Treaty, 'aanzienlijk kapitaal' with a minimum of EUR 4,500 (sole trader, partnership, BV) · IND: Working Holiday permit, nationals of Argentina, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, Uruguay and South Korea aged 18 to 30 · General Tax Act (AWR) Article 4: residence 'naar de omstandigheden beoordeeld' · Belastingdienst: Expat Scheme (30% facility), paid employment and specific expertise required · Health Insurance Act (Zvw) Article 2: everyone insured under the Wlz must take out a zorgverzekering · RDW: driving with a foreign licence, non-EU/EFTA licences valid 185 days after you start living in the Netherlands · European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs: Entry/Exit System, progressive start 12 October 2025, fully operational 10 April 2026 · European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs: ETIAS 'currently not in operation', start date to be announced several months ahead, fee EUR 20 · Schengen Borders Code (Regulation (EU) 2016/399) Article 6: passport valid at least three months after intended departure and issued within the previous 10 years · GOV.UK: tax on foreign income · HMRC: double-taxation treaties

Estimates, not advice. Confirm with the official sources before you act.

Should you move to Netherlands?

If you want a polished, English-friendly base in the middle of Europe, the Netherlands delivers. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Eindhoven are the main hubs, and you can get by in English almost everywhere. Now the honest part: it is one of the pricier countries on the continent. A single person in Amsterdam should budget generously once rent, basic health insurance and groceries are in, and the flat you land decides most of the total. Rotterdam, Utrecht, or Eindhoven stretch your money noticeably further. What you get back is superb transport, genuinely fast internet, and a huge international crowd.

Netherlands visa and entry

There is no dedicated Dutch digital-nomad or remote-work visa, whatever the agency pages tell you. If you hold an EU, EEA, or Swiss passport, you can just live and work there. Everyone else usually goes through the self-employed residence permit, which means registering a real business and passing a points-style test that scores how much value it adds. US citizens get the easier path: the DAFT treaty (a Dutch-American friendship arrangement) lets you set up a business and live there on an investment of at least 4,500 euros kept in the company. Treat this as background, not immigration advice.

Tax residency and what to check

The Dutch tax office works out residency from your facts and circumstances, basically where your real centre of life sits, not a tidy day count. Once you are a resident, your worldwide income is generally taxable. Only people in paid employment who bring specific expertise that is scarce on the Dutch labour market can use the expat scheme (long known as the 30% ruling), so the self-employed are left out. It drops to 27% from 2027 and the salary threshold has gone up every year, so check the current terms before you bank on it. Read all of this as how the system works in general, not a tax ruling for your situation.

Figures are estimates. Always check the official source linked below.

At a glance

Currency
EUR
Cost of living
High
Digital-nomad visa
No

Frequently asked questions

Netherlands: is there a digital nomad visa?
No dedicated digital nomad visa; most people use a standard residence permit instead.
Netherlands: when do you become a tax resident?
Under Article 4 of the General Tax Act (AWR), where you live is judged on all the circumstances, so there is no day count. Residents are taxed on worldwide income. The 30% expat scheme is only for people in paid employment with scarce expertise, so the self-employed cannot use it; it drops to 27% in 2027.
Netherlands: what is the cost of living?
The cost of living is high and the local currency is the EUR. Treat any figures as estimates.
Netherlands: do you need health insurance?
Once you are resident or working, Dutch law generally requires you to take out Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering) from a private insurer.
Netherlands: can you drive on a foreign licence?
A foreign licence is fine for short visits; if its categories are not labelled A, B, C, D and E, carry an International Driving Permit as well. Once you live in the Netherlands, a licence from outside the EU/EFTA may be used for 185 days only, and after that you may not drive without a Dutch licence, even if your exchange application is still being processed.

Terms worth knowing

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Put it to work

Last verified: 2026-10-06

Sources: Netherlands, Business.gov.nl (digital nomad)

Voymo gives general information to help you organise your move. It is not legal, tax, or immigration advice, always confirm with an official source or a qualified professional before you act.

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