Yes, you can buy a house in the Netherlands as an international. Dutch law does not generally require Dutch nationality or a permanent residence permit to own a home. The hard parts are the mortgage, the cash you need for closing costs, and a bidding system that works differently from the US or UK. This guide covers the 2026 rules: transfer tax, the starters' exemption, NHG, the BSN, the 30% ruling change in 2027, and how to bid without overpaying.
What does the Dutch housing market look like in 2026?
According to the NVM, the Dutch association of estate agents, the average transaction price of an existing home in the second quarter of 2026 was €506,000, up 2.1 percent on a year earlier. Homes sold in 28 days on average, and a buyer had on average 2.5 homes to choose from. CBS and Kadaster report that prices in August 2026 were 3.3 percent higher than a year before, and that price growth has been slowing almost continuously since late 2024.
Supply is growing. The NVM counted a record 56,700 new listings in the second quarter of 2026, and in Greater Amsterdam average prices were slightly lower than a year earlier. That gives buyers a little more room, but competition for good homes in popular areas is still strong.
Internationals hold their own in this market. In the Viisi Expatbarometer for the first quarter of 2026, a survey of 927 international and 1,923 Dutch recent buyers, internationals found a home in 5 months on average against 7 months for Dutch buyers. 77 percent of internationals bid above the asking price (Dutch buyers: 70 percent), with an average overbid of 7.6 percent (Dutch buyers: 9.3 percent).
Can you buy a house in the Netherlands as a foreigner?
Yes. Dutch law does not generally require you to have Dutch citizenship or a permanent residence permit to own property. What differs is how lenders look at you. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are usually treated like Dutch buyers. For non-EU buyers, lenders look closely at the purpose of your residence permit: work and highly skilled migrant permits are viewed more favourably than temporary purposes such as study.
Two things to know before you start. First, owning a home does not give you a visa or residence permit; the two are assessed separately. Second, if you do not live or work in the Netherlands yet, the mortgage is the bottleneck. Lenders look at your residence status, your income and where it is earned, and their policies differ a lot.
Do you need a BSN to buy a house?
For a Dutch mortgage, yes. Lenders require a BSN (burgerservicenummer, the citizen service number). You receive it when you register with your municipality after moving here. If you live abroad, you can register in the Non-residents Records Database (RNI) at an RNI desk; everyone in the RNI has a BSN. Arrange it early, because you will also need it for the notary, the tax authorities and your Dutch bank account.
What is changing in the 30% ruling?
The 30% ruling lets qualifying employees recruited from abroad receive part of their salary tax-free, for up to five years. It has changed several times and changes again in 2027.
- In 2026: up to 30 percent tax-free, capped at the public-sector salary norm of €262,000.
- Salary thresholds 2026: €48,013 taxable salary, or €36,497 if you are under 30 and hold a master's degree.
- From 1 January 2027: the maximum drops to 27 percent for rulings that started in 2024 or later. Rulings that started before 2024 keep 30 percent for the rest of their term.
- Salary thresholds 2027: these go up; the Dutch government's business portal lists €50,436 and €38,388.
- Partial non-resident status: 2026 is the last transitional year.
What does this mean for your mortgage? Less than many expats think. Dutch lenders usually calculate your maximum mortgage on gross income, not net income, so the 30% ruling normally does not raise how much you can borrow. It does raise your net monthly income. When the ruling drops to 27 percent or ends, your net income falls, so check that your monthly payments still work after the change.
Which documents will you need?
Banks and notaries will ask for most of the following. Start collecting them before your first viewing.
- Valid passport or ID card
- BSN
- Residence permit, if applicable
- Signed employment contract, and for a temporary contract a letter of intent from your employer
- Employer statement (werkgeversverklaring)
- Recent pay slips and your annual statement (jaaropgave)
- Municipal registration extract (BRP-uittreksel)
- Recent bank statements, sometimes including foreign accounts
- Once you find a home: signed purchase agreement, valuation report and energy label
How much can you borrow as an expat in 2026?
Dutch mortgage rules are generous on loan-to-value. You can borrow up to 100 percent of the market value, and up to 106 percent if the extra goes into qualifying energy-saving measures. A better energy label also adds to your income-based borrowing capacity, from €5,000 for label C or D up to €40,000 for the most energy-efficient homes. What you cannot finance are the closing costs: those come from your own savings.
What lenders look at
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens: usually treated the same as Dutch buyers.
- Non-EU citizens: a valid residence permit plus evidence of stable residence and work; the purpose of the permit matters.
- Temporary contract: often possible with a letter of intent from your employer.
- Self-employed: stricter documentation requirements.
- Foreign income: some lenders accept it in certain cases, others are more conservative.
NHG (national mortgage guarantee)
NHG protects you if you have to sell at a loss after, for example, job loss or divorce, and it usually gets you a lower interest rate, on average about 0.5 percentage point. In 2026 NHG is available for homes up to €470,000, or €498,200 if the extra goes into energy-saving measures. The one-off fee is 0.4 percent of the loan. With a temporary residence permit, NHG is possible if the permit holder's income is not needed for the mortgage; if it is, a non-temporary residence purpose is usually required.
Mortgage advice in English
Policies differ so much per lender that most internationals use an English-speaking mortgage adviser, such as Viisi or Hanno. Advice and brokerage typically cost €1,500 to €3,500, and more for complex cases. The advice and brokerage fees for your mortgage are deductible in your Dutch income tax return.
What does transfer tax cost in 2026?
| Your situation | Transfer tax 2026 |
|---|---|
| Aged 18 to 34, first use of the exemption, price up to €555,000, you will live there | 0% |
| Your own main residence, no exemption | 2% |
| Buy-to-let, second home or holiday home | 8% |
| Non-residential property | 10.4% |
The starters' exemption (startersvrijstelling) applies once in your life, you must be younger than 35 on the day of transfer, and you declare in writing that you have not used it before. If the price is above €555,000, you pay 2 percent on the full amount. When you buy with a partner, the conditions are checked per buyer, so a partner aged 35 or over pays 2 percent on their share. The rate for homes you will not live in yourself dropped from 10.4 to 8 percent on 1 January 2026.
Closing costs (kosten koper) are not financeable through your mortgage. ABN AMRO estimates them at 5 to 6 percent of the purchase price on average, including the 2 percent transfer tax: on a €450,000 home that is €22,500 to €27,000 in cash. If you qualify for the starters' exemption, the transfer tax part disappears. More detail in our guide to kosten koper (in Dutch).
BKR: the Dutch credit register
Dutch lenders check the BKR, the national credit register. Your credit history from abroad is not in it, so expect questions about loans and credit cards in other countries, and keep statements of foreign accounts at hand.
Know within 3 hours if the price is right
Our Biedcheck tells you whether the asking price is low, fair or high, how much competition to expect and three points to watch. €49, within 3 hours on workdays, and you only pay after you receive it. The order page is in Dutch.
How does bidding work in the Netherlands?
This is where most internationals lose money. The Dutch system differs from the US and the UK, and habits from those markets can work against you.
The asking price is a starting point, not a valuation
Most buyers bid above the asking price, as the Viisi figures above show. That makes "10 percent over asking" a meaningless yardstick: it says nothing about whether you are overpaying. What matters is the market value, based on what comparable homes actually sold for. Our guide on how much to bid over asking price goes into this in detail. If you want a quick first opinion, the Biedcheck tells you within 3 hours on workdays whether an asking price is low, fair or high.
Which bidding methods are used?
Since 1 February 2026, NVM agents must follow the Protocol Transparant Bieden Woonruimte. It allows four methods:
- Open bidding with a deadline: you see competing bids during the bidding period.
- Closed bidding with a deadline: you submit one bid and only see the outcome after the deadline.
- Auction with a deadline.
- One-on-one negotiation without a deadline.
Every bid is recorded in a digital bid log, which the seller and the bidders can see afterwards. Agents who are not NVM members may still work differently, so always ask which method applies before you bid.
Should you bid without a financing condition?
Many buyers drop the financing condition (financieringsvoorbehoud) to make their bid stronger. The risk is real: if you cannot complete the purchase, the penalty in the purchase agreement is almost always 10 percent of the price. For internationals the mortgage process has extra checks on residence status and income, so the risk is higher. Talk to your mortgage adviser before you bid, and consider a short financing condition rather than none. Read more in our article on bidding without a financing condition (in Dutch).
After your bid is accepted: cooling-off period and deposit
Once you have received the signed purchase agreement, you have a statutory cooling-off period of 3 days, starting the day after. At least 2 of those days must be weekdays that are not public holidays; otherwise a day is added. You can withdraw without giving a reason. After that, you usually pay a deposit of 10 percent of the price into the notary's account, or arrange a bank guarantee instead.
Why does independent bidding advice matter?
The agent you meet at the viewing works for the seller. Their job is to get the best price for the other side. As an international you face that dynamic without knowing the local habits, in a contract written in legal Dutch.
Aestimo is not an estate agent. We do not sell mortgages and we do not earn commission from sellers. We provide independent valuations based on professional transaction data, including sales that never appeared on Funda, and a bidding strategy that is yours alone.
For internationals there is the International package at €695: everything from our Strategic Bid service in English, with a bid letter in Dutch and a review of the purchase agreement. You reach us on WhatsApp, with a reply within 3 hours on workdays.
Not sure what to bid?
Get a Bid Check for €49, in English, within 3 hours
We assess the asking price, the expected competition and three points of attention for the home you are looking at. You only pay after you receive it, and the €49 is deducted if you choose our International package within 7 days.
Start your Bid CheckFrequently asked questions
Can foreigners buy property in the Netherlands?
Yes. Dutch law does not generally require Dutch citizenship or a permanent residence permit to own property. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are usually treated like Dutch buyers by lenders. For non-EU buyers, lenders look at the purpose of the residence permit. Owning a home does not give you a residence permit.
What changes in the 30% ruling in 2027?
From 1 January 2027 the maximum tax-free allowance drops from 30 to 27 percent for rulings that started in 2024 or later; rulings that started before 2024 keep 30 percent for the rest of their term. In 2026 the salary thresholds are €48,013, or €36,497 for under-30s with a master's degree. Dutch lenders usually base your maximum mortgage on gross income, so the change mainly affects your net monthly budget.
Do I need a BSN to buy a house in the Netherlands?
For a Dutch mortgage, yes. You get a BSN when you register with your municipality. If you live abroad, you can register in the Non-residents Records Database (RNI), which also gives you a BSN.
How much can I borrow as an expat in 2026?
Up to 100 percent of the market value, or up to 106 percent if the extra goes into energy-saving measures. Closing costs must come from your own savings. The NHG limit for 2026 is €470,000, or €498,200 with energy-saving measures.
What is the difference between kosten koper and vrij op naam?
Kosten koper (k.k.) means you pay the transfer costs, such as transfer tax and the notary's fee for the transfer deed, on top of the price. This is standard for existing homes. Vrij op naam (v.o.n.) means those costs are included in the price, which is usual for new-build homes. Costs for your mortgage, such as advice and valuation, are yours in both cases.
Sources
- NVM: Market information, Q2 2026
- NVM: Record number of homes listed in Q2 2026 (9 July 2026)
- CBS: House price growth slows further in August 2026 (22 September 2026)
- Viisi: Expatbarometer Q1 2026 (17 March 2026)
- FvB de Boer: Buying a house without permanent residency
- Expat Mortgage Platform: Mortgages for non-EU expats (March 2026)
- Mister Mortgage: Basic mortgage requirements in the Netherlands
- Netherlands Worldwide: What is the RNI?
- Grant Thornton: 30% ruling updates for 2026
- Business.gov.nl: 30% ruling compensation down to 27%
- Expat Mortgages: The 30% ruling and your mortgage
- Consumentenbond: Mortgage changes in 2026
- Univé: Borrowing extra for energy-saving measures in 2026
- NHG: The NHG limit in 2026
- De Hypotheker: Interest discount with NHG
- Veldsink: What does mortgage advice cost? (May 2026)
- Belastingdienst: Deductible costs when buying a home
- Rijksoverheid: Transfer tax exemption and rates 2026
- Fortus: Transfer tax 2026, 8% rate for homes not occupied by the owner
- ABN AMRO: Kosten koper 2026
- NVM: Protocol Transparant Bieden Woonruimte (17 December 2025)
- Notaris.nl: If the purchase does not go through (10% penalty)
- Notaris.nl: Signing the purchase agreement (deposit)
- Rijksoverheid: Cooling-off period when buying a home
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