In this section, we’ll give you an overview of the different types of financial support offered to Netherlands residents by the Dutch government. These are:
- Studiefinanciering (student finance): these are grants and loans to cover the costs associated with studying
- Huurtoeslag (rental subsidy): this is essentially money from the government that goes towards your rent
- Kwijtschelding (local tax remission): a waiver on municipal waste taxes
- Zorgtoeslag (health insurance subsidy): a grant to cover health insurance costs
The main organisation you’ll be dealing with when applying for and receiving these subsidies is the Belastingdienst, which is the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration. They take care of most of these processes online, so the biggest favour you can do yourself is to take out a DigiD. The process is simple, fast, free and completely online, and it will save you a lot of time and effort. Some important government portals to know about in this regard are:
- Mijn toeslagen: this is your ‘allowances’ page; you’ll use it to apply for both zorgtoeslag and huurtoeslag
- MijnOverheid: this is your virtual mailbox, which the different Dutch authorities can use to send you messages; it’s convenient because you won’t have to wait as long to receive news about your applications
- Mijn Belastingdienst: here you can find everything related to your tax affairs; you will not use it to apply for subsidies, but it is nevertheless useful to know about
