Registration, costs and your first month in Hoofddorp
Hoofddorp, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, is next to Schiphol and a short train ride from Amsterdam. New tenants paid €23.87 per m² a month in Q2 2026.
Moving to Hoofddorp (Haarlemmermeer)? Here's how registration works, where to get help and what to arrange in your first weeks. Get your own plan for real dates based on your arrival.
Create My Free Plan for HoofddorpIf you'll stay more than 4 months, register in person within 5 days of arriving and get your BSN. Book the appointment 3 to 4 weeks before you arrive. How to register with Haarlemmermeer
Highly skilled migrants and Blue Card holders can often do registration and collect their permit in one appointment at an expat centre. Ask your employer. Visit the IN Amsterdam website
For a 1-bedroom flat of about 60 m² at €23.87 per m² (Pararius, Q2 2026).
Rent, energy, insurance, groceries, transport by bike and local taxes of €796 a year. See what your salary pays after tax.
Your checklist for moving to Hoofddorp
For an employee with a Dutch job. Your nationality, family and plans change the list: the Planner shows only what applies to you, with dates.
Before you move
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Get your birth certificate ready for registration
Your municipality asks for your birth certificate (and your marriage certificate, if you're married). Foreign documents must be legalised or have an apostille, and be translated if they aren't in Dutch, English, French or German.
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Book your municipality appointment 3 to 4 weeks before you arrive
First registration from abroad is always in person, by appointment. In the big cities slots can be weeks away, so book now for the days just after you arrive.
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Wrap things up at home
Some things in your current country are easy to arrange now and hard to arrange later.
When you arrive
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Register at your municipality and get your BSN Within 5 days of arriving
Registering puts you in the Personal Records Database (BRP) and gives you a BSN (citizen service number): the number you need for work, banks, insurance and doctors.
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Apply for DigiD Within 14 days of registering
DigiD is your login for Dutch government websites. Once you have a BSN you apply online; an activation code arrives by post at your registered address within a few working days.
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Take out Dutch health insurance Within 4 months of registering
Basic health insurance (basisverzekering) is compulsory. You have 4 months to take it out, and cover goes back to the start date, so you don't save anything by waiting. We recommend doing it in your first 2 weeks.
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Open a Dutch bank account Within 21 days of registering
Most banks ask for your BSN, ID and proof of address. Some digital banks let you open an account before you have a BSN and add it later.
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Give your employer your BSN and bank account
Without your BSN, your employer must withhold tax at the highest rate. Send HR your BSN and Dutch bank account (IBAN) as soon as you have them.
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Register with a GP (huisarts) and a dentist Within 1 month of registering
You need a GP referral for most specialists. Practices only take patients who live nearby, and some are full, so register before you need one.
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Get a Dutch SIM, a travel card (OV-chipkaart) and a bike Within 14 days of arriving
A prepaid SIM gives you a Dutch number on day one. On trains, trams and buses you can simply tap in and out with your contactless bank card or phone (OVpay); a personal OV-chipkaart is only needed for some subscriptions and discounts.
In your first months
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Apply for the 30% ruling (with your employer) Within 4 months of starting work
With the 30% ruling, up to 30% of your salary can be paid tax-free in 2026 (27% from next year). You must have been recruited from abroad, have lived more than 150 km from the Dutch border for more than 16 of the 24 months before you start, and earn above the salary threshold.
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Check if you can get healthcare allowance 31 Dec of the year after you arrive
Healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) helps with your health insurance premium. In 2026 the income limit is about €40,857, or €51,142 with a partner, and there's also a limit on savings.
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Consider liability and contents insurance
Liability insurance (aansprakelijkheidsverzekering, AVP) covers damage you or your children accidentally cause to others. Contents insurance (inboedelverzekering) covers your belongings against theft, fire and water damage. Neither is compulsory.
