Healthcare and rent benefit in the Netherlands: 2026 conditions and how to apply

You may be eligible if:

• you are 18 or older and have Dutch health insurance;
• your income in 2026 is no more than €40,857, or €51,142 together with a benefit partner (toeslagpartner);
• your assets on 1 January 2026 are no more than €146,011, or €184,633 with a partner;
• you, and any partner, have Dutch nationality or a residence status that allows benefits.

You can only apply after you have taken out health insurance. The amount depends on your income; the Benefits Service's trial calculation (proefberekening) shows an estimate.

The main conditions are:

• you rent a self-contained home (zelfstandige woonruimte) with its own lockable front door, kitchen and toilet, and since 1 March 2024 also its own shower or bath. Houseboats and most holiday homes do not qualify, while some non-self-contained homes do;
• you have a rental agreement with the landlord and can show with bank statements that you pay the rent;
• you and everyone living with you are registered at the address with the municipality, and no co-resident or partner owns the home;
• the income of you, your partner and co-residents is not too high; the limit depends on your rent, age and household;
• assets: no more than €38,479 per resident on 1 January 2026, or €76,958 for partners;
• you, your partner and co-residents aged 18 and over have Dutch nationality or are lawfully resident.

New in 2026: until the end of 2025 your rent could not exceed a maximum rent limit. That extra condition no longer applies from 2026.

Rent benefit starts on the 1st of a month. If you are not yet registered at the address on the 1st, it starts the following month.

1. Make a trial calculation on the Benefits Service website to see whether you are likely to receive anything.
2. Log in to Mijn toeslagen with DigiD and apply. The service is only available in Dutch. If you need help, call the Tax Information Line; it can make an appointment for you at a tax office or refer you to a benefits service point.
3. Enter a realistic estimate of your income for the whole year, including your partner's. If you are unsure how to estimate income from before your arrival, ask the Tax Information Line.
4. Check the decision and the monthly amount. Payments are made in advance each month.
5. Report changes within 4 weeks, for example a new job, a salary change, a new partner, a move or a change in rent.

Deadlines: you can apply for healthcare benefit, rent benefit and the supplementary child budget for a given year until 31 December of the following year; for 2026, until 31 December 2027. Childcare benefit is different: apply within three months after the month your child starts at the childcare centre.

Allowances are linked to lawful residence, and the municipality passes residence information to the Benefits Service:

• Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals need a valid residence permit that entitles them to benefits, and a partner who is also lawfully resident. A partner who is waiting for a decision on a permit application, or on an objection or appeal they may await in the Netherlands, does not block your benefit. Apply to extend your permit in time so you stay eligible.
• EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who have lived in the Netherlands for less than five years should know that the IND can check their right of residence if they apply for social benefits while not economically active. If you work genuinely and effectively, applying for a benefit from public funds does not end your right of residence, according to the IND.

If your residence depends on an income requirement, for example a family or partner permit, ask the IND or a legal adviser how a specific benefit affects your situation before you apply.