Buying a house in the Netherlands as an international

The number of internationals buying a house in the Netherlands has doubled in the past five years. It is no longer a niche market. But the rules are changing fast: the 30 percent ruling drops to 27 percent in 2027, the NHG mortgage limit moves to 470,000 euro, and the bidding system works in ways that surprise even experienced buyers from abroad. This guide walks you through the Dutch market in plain English.

The Dutch market in numbers

According to NVM data for the first quarter of 2026, the average transaction price for an existing home in the Netherlands is 485,000 euro. Internationals pay slightly more on average, around 591,000 euro, mainly because they prefer move-in-ready properties in well-served neighbourhoods. The international share of all home purchases has grown from 0.8 percent in 2020 to 1.6 percent in 2025. Small in absolute terms, but the absolute number has roughly doubled.

For internationals specifically, the regions of interest are usually the Randstad (Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, Rotterdam) plus Eindhoven for the Brainport tech sector. These are also the markets with the highest competition and the most aggressive bidding behaviour. In Amsterdam, the median apartment now sells at 8,344 euro per square metre. In Utrecht, the average over-bid for 2025 reached 14.7 percent, the highest in the country.

Can you buy as a foreigner?

Yes, with very few restrictions. Anyone with legal residency in the Netherlands can buy property. EU and EEA citizens are treated identically to Dutch buyers. Non-EU citizens with permanent residence (verblijfsvergunning onbepaalde tijd) have similar rights. Internationals on temporary permits, including knowledge migrants, can usually buy as well, though the mortgage process is slightly more demanding.

What is not possible is buying a house from abroad without legal residency. There is no equivalent of the American or Portuguese golden visa: buying a house in the Netherlands does not grant you a residence permit. If you are reading this from outside the country and considering a move, the residence permit comes first, the property second.

The 30 percent ruling: what changes in 2027

If you are an expat working in the Netherlands, the 30 percent ruling has likely been a major part of your financial picture. It allows qualifying expats to receive 30 percent of their gross salary tax-free, for up to five years, to compensate for the additional costs of relocating. The rules have changed several times in the past two years and will change again.

• Until end of 2023: 30 percent tax-free, five-year duration
• From 2024: capped at the Balkenende norm (around 246,000 euro in 2025)
• From 2025: partial non-resident tax status abolished, with transitional rules until end of 2026
• From 1 January 2027: the percentage permanently drops from 30 to 27 percent
• Salary thresholds in 2025: 46,660 euro for the regular scheme, 35,468 euro for under-thirties with a master's degree. These rise to 50,436 euro and 38,388 euro from 2027.

For your mortgage, the impact is direct. The 30 percent ruling raises your net income, which raises your maximum mortgage capacity. From 2027, that capacity drops slightly. If you are planning to buy now and stretch your budget, run the numbers with both 30 percent and 27 percent applied to be sure your finances still work after the change.

Documents you will need

Banks and notaries will ask for the following. Start collecting them before you go to your first viewing.

1. Valid passport or ID card
2. BSN (received when you register at the municipality)
3. Residence permit, if applicable
4. Work permit and signed employment contract
5. Employer statement (werkgeversverklaring) and intent statement if your contract is temporary
6. Three months of pay slips and your annual statement (jaaropgave)
7. Tax return from the Belastingdienst, if you have lived in the Netherlands for at least one year
8. Municipal registration extract (BRP-uittreksel)
9. Three to six months of bank statements, often including foreign bank accounts
10. Once you find a property: signed purchase agreement, valuation report, energy label

Mortgages for internationals in 2026

Most expats are surprised at how generous Dutch mortgage rules can be. The maximum loan-to-value is 100 percent of the market value, which means you do not need a down payment in most cases. With energy-saving investments, this rises to 106 percent. Closing costs (kosten koper) of 4 to 6 percent of the purchase price must come from your own funds, but the property itself can be fully financed.

Loan-to-value rules

• EU and EEA citizens plus Switzerland: treated as Dutch buyers, 100 percent LTV available
• Non-EU with permanent residence and salaried employment: usually same treatment, 100 percent LTV
• Non-EU with temporary residence (knowledge migrants): 100 percent possible at most lenders if intent of staying is clear; some lenders require 90 percent (10 percent down)
• Self-employed expats: usually need three years of Dutch income history; without that, 80 to 90 percent LTV with strong reserves
• Foreign currency income: ABN AMRO and ING typically accept up to 90 percent of non-euro income

NHG (national mortgage guarantee)

The NHG is a guarantee scheme that protects you if you have to sell at a loss due to job loss, divorce or disability. It also gives you a lower interest rate, typically 0.4 to 0.6 percent below standard. The 2026 limit is 470,000 euro, or 498,200 euro with energy-saving investments. NHG is available to most internationals on permanent residency or long-term contracts. For temporary residency, eligibility varies by lender.

Expat-friendly lenders and brokers

Not every Dutch lender works smoothly with internationals. The most experienced are ABN AMRO, ING, Rabobank, and their subsidiaries Florius (ABN) and Obvion (Rabobank). Specialist expat brokers include Hanno, Viisi Expats, Klår Finance, Expat Mortgages, OAHO, and Expat Mortgage Platform. Mortgage advice in the Netherlands typically costs 2,000 to 4,500 euro, but is fully tax-deductible.

Transfer tax and BKR explained

Transfer tax in 2026

• Existing home, owner-occupier 35 or older: 2 percent of the purchase price
• First-time buyer aged 18 to 35: 0 percent transfer tax (startersvrijstelling), provided the property value is at most 555,000 euro and you intend to live there yourself. This must be a one-time use of the exemption.
• Investor or second home: 8 percent (reduced from 10.4 percent in 2025)
• Mixed-age couple, one over 35: exemption applies only to the younger partner's share

BKR registration as an international

The BKR is the Dutch credit registry. Foreign credit history (Schufa, Crédit Logement, UK credit reference agencies) does not transfer. For most internationals this is actually neutral: you start with a clean slate in the Netherlands, neither a positive nor a negative score. After roughly one year of residency you build a Dutch credit profile through your bank account and any consumer credit. DUO student loans, if you have them through a Dutch programme, do count toward your debt position for mortgage purposes.

How Dutch bidding actually works

This is where most internationals lose money. The Dutch system is fundamentally different from the United States or United Kingdom, and assumptions you bring from those markets will work against you.

The asking price is rarely the market value

In the Netherlands, the asking price (vraagprijs) is often a strategic positioning tool, not an objective valuation. In Noord-Holland, 61 percent of properties are deliberately listed below the actual market value to attract more viewings and trigger a bidding war. Nationally the figure ranges between 41 and 61 percent depending on the region. This means a property listed at 425,000 euro might have a true market value of 460,000 or even 480,000 euro, with the seller's agent expecting bids well above asking.

In other words: bidding "10 percent over asking" tells you almost nothing about whether you are paying too much. What matters is the actual market value, which requires professional transaction data including sales that never appeared on Funda.

Closed bidding (inschrijving) versus open bidding

Two systems exist in parallel.

• Closed bidding (inschrijving): all interested buyers submit one final bid by a deadline, with their conditions. The seller chooses, often considering not just price but also speed, reservations and certainty. You only get one shot.
• Open bidding: bidders go back and forth until one wins. Often happens through online platforms (online bidding platforms like Bieden & Wonen, Fair Bidding). The bidding log is sometimes shared afterwards.
• First bidder system (classic): the first serious bidder gets exclusive negotiation. Other bidders can submit a final offer (uiterst bod).

Since 1 January 2025, NVM rules require greater transparency from selling agents, and "fishing" for higher bids is no longer allowed. In practice, however, the cultural pressure to bid quickly and aggressively remains.

Bidding without financing contingency

Forty percent of all Dutch buyers now waive the financing contingency. In Amsterdam this rises to 45 percent, in Utrecht to roughly 50 percent. The risk is real: if your mortgage falls through, the contractual penalty is 10 percent of the purchase price, paid from your own funds.

For internationals this is particularly dangerous. Your mortgage process is more complex, with extra steps for residency status, foreign income verification and BKR clearance. We advise most internationals to keep the financing contingency, but shorten the term to two weeks instead of the standard six. This makes your bid almost as attractive without the boete risk.

Why independent bidding advice matters

Selling agents work for the seller. That is the law. The "buyer's agent" your selling agent recommends is rarely independent: relationships, referrals and reciprocal favours mean they often have allegiance to the selling side. As an international, you face this dynamic without the cultural fluency to spot it.

At Aestimo we are not a real estate agent. We do not sell mortgages. We do not earn commission from sellers. We provide independent valuations based on professional transaction data, including sales that never reached Funda, and bidding strategy that is yours alone. For internationals this means English-language guidance on the structure of your bid, the level of contingencies, and how to read the local market.

Our packages range from Value & Insight (245 euro) for an independent valuation, to Strategic Bid (395 euro) and Certain Bid (595 euro) for full bidding strategy and support. WhatsApp is the primary channel because most internationals reach us through phones, not desks.