Transfer tax in 2026: 2%, 8% and the starter exemption
In 2026 you pay 2% transfer tax on a home you live in, 0% if you are under 35 and it is worth up to €555,000, and 8% on a home you rent out.
, 7 min read
Mortgages
How buying a house in the Netherlands works when you are new here: what you can borrow, what it costs and what happens when.
NHG in 2026: the mortgage guarantee explained for expats
NHG covers loans up to €470,000 in 2026 (€498,200 with energy-saving measures) for a one-off fee of 0.4%. You need qualifying residence and must live in the home.
, 7 min read
Buying with a partner when only one of you has the ruling
Lenders add both test incomes and use the percentage for the total, with the second income counting in full. What each income consists of decides the rest.
, 7 min read
How Dutch lenders set your maximum mortgage as an expat
Two legal limits apply: a share of your gross income from the 2026 Nibud table, and 100% of the home's value. The lower one is your maximum.
, 7 min read
Fixed or variable mortgage rate: how Dutch rates work
A fixed rate stays put for an agreed period; a variable one can change. Periods under ten years are stress-tested at the AFM rate (5% or more), which can lower what you can borrow.
, 8 min read
Energy label and your mortgage: extra borrowing in 2026
In 2026 a lender may add €0 to €40,000 to your borrowing for the home's energy label, up to €20,000 more for energy-saving measures, and lend up to 106% of value for them.
, 7 min read
The costs of buying a house in the Netherlands in 2026
On top of the price you pay transfer tax, the notary, the Kadaster, a valuation and an adviser. You can't borrow above the home's value, so these come from savings.
, 9 min read
Buying a house in the Netherlands, step by step
Budget, adviser, bid, written purchase agreement with three days to cancel, conditions, valuation, 10% deposit, 14-day mortgage offer, then the notary and the keys.
, 8 min read
Buying a house on a temporary contract in the Netherlands
With an employer's declaration of intent, a fixed-term contract counts like a permanent one. Without it, other routes exist, such as a three-year income average.
, 7 min read
The 30% ruling and your mortgage: what lenders count
The mortgage rules say nothing about the 30% ruling, so each lender decides how much of the tax-free allowance counts as income, and the gap can be large.
, 6 min read