Buying property in the Netherlands as an expat — the actual checklist · Nultien Makelaars

About a third of our clients are internationals. Some bought before they landed, some bought five years in. The questions tend to be the same — and most of the online answers are either out of date or written by people selling something. This is what we tell people at the kitchen table, written down.

Before you start

Three things to do, in this order:

Get a BSN (Burgerservicenummer). It's a tax number. You can't open a Dutch bank account, sign a mortgage, or buy a house without it. You get it from the municipality where you register. If you haven't moved yet, you can apply via a RNI-municipality (Den Haag, Amsterdam) on a visit.
Open a Dutch bank account. ING, ABN AMRO and Rabobank are the easiest for non-residents. Some allow online-only sign-up if you've got the BSN. Plan ten working days.
Get an idea of your mortgage capacity. A "hypotheekadviseur" runs the numbers and gives you a Mortgage Quote (Hypotheek Offerte). This is the figure you negotiate around.

You can do (3) before (1) and (2), informally, just to know.

What's the 30% ruling and does it apply

If you came to the Netherlands for work and meet specific criteria (scarce expertise, minimum salary, recruited from abroad), your employer can apply for a 30% tax-free allowance for up to five years. Two things matter for buying property:

Higher net income → larger mortgage you can carry.
Lower taxable income → most mortgage providers calculate based on gross salary regardless, but some look at net. Ask the adviser.

If your 30% ruling expires during the mortgage term, the bank may or may not factor that in. The cautious answer is: assume they will. Buy based on what you can afford without the ruling.

What a mortgage actually looks like

The Dutch system is unusual:

Annuity is the standard form. Fixed monthly payment; early years are mostly interest, later years mostly principal.
Tax deduction (hypotheekrenteaftrek) lets you deduct the interest portion from your taxable income, in Box 1. The effective deduction is around 36.93% in 2026.
Loan-to-value is usually 100%, sometimes 105% if you include energy-efficiency renovations. There is no "20% down" tradition.
NHG (Nationale Hypotheek Garantie) is a government-backed safety net for purchase prices up to a yearly cap (€450k-ish in 2026). It lowers your rate by 0.2–0.4% and protects you against job loss or divorce.

In practice: at €600k purchase, 4.2% rate, your gross monthly is around €2.940 and net (year 1) around €2.640. Net rises toward gross over the years as the deductible interest shrinks.

The buying process, in order

Make an offer (bod). Verbal first, then in writing. Standard escape clauses: financing (voorbehoud financiering), structural survey (bouwkundige keuring), no asbestos (NEN-rapport for older homes).
Structural survey within ten working days of acceptance. €500–€800. Better to discover problems now than after signing.
Sign the koopovereenkomst typically two weeks later. You have a three-day legal "cool-off" period after signing where you can walk away.
Pay a deposit — usually 10% — into the notary's escrow within two to four weeks.
Notary completion (overdracht) typically eight to twelve weeks later. You pay the balance, the deed is registered, you get the keys.

What it costs you on top of the purchase price

Transfer tax (overdrachtsbelasting): 2% for owner-occupied (most buyers), 10.4% for investment properties. First-time buyers under 35 can claim a zero-rate exemption on the first €510k (2026 cap, check current year).
Notary fees: €1.500–€2.500.
Mortgage advice + arrangement fees: €2.000–€3.500.
Valuation (NWWI taxatie): €500–€800. The bank requires it.
Structural survey: €500–€800.
Buying agent (if used): varies.

Plan to add roughly 5–6% on top of the purchase price for one-off costs.

What catches expats out

The Dutch koopovereenkomst is in Dutch. Even with English advisers, the binding contract is Dutch. We translate it line by line before clients sign.
Bank acceptance for non-residents is narrower. Some banks only lend to people with a permanent contract; some require minimum 12 months residency. Niche lenders exist — Hypotheek Visie, BLG Wonen, ABN's expat desk.
Energy label matters more than it used to. A G-label home requires renovation budget. Lenders include this in the calculation.
Buying before your job offer is final is risky. The mortgage hinges on the contract. Wait until it's signed before you bid seriously.

What you can do remotely vs in person

Remotely (we routinely handle this):

Intake, search profile, off-market matching
Viewings (we walk the property and video-call you)
Offer preparation and submission
Structural survey arrangement
Reviewing contracts

In person (recommended, sometimes required):

One area visit before bidding seriously
Signing the koopovereenkomst (can be done by power of attorney; most prefer in person)
The notary completion (also possible by power of attorney)

About a third of our 2025 expat deals had the buyer abroad until the notary date. It works.

If you want a 15-minute video call to sketch your specific situation, book one with Onno. No pitch, no commitment.