Social security and arranging your finances

Unemployment

If your contract ends and you do not have a replacing job yet, you can apply for an unemployment benefit. Depending on the period that you have been working in the Netherlands (at least 26 weeks out of the last 36 weeks before you became unemployed) and the reason of your dismissal, you may be entitled to receive unemployment benefits (WW-uitkering). More information you can find here.

Dutch Bank Account

To receive a salary and to pay in shops you need a Dutch bank account. You can select your own bank that suits your own needs. For opening a bank account you need the following:

• Your BSN-number
• ID (passport or identity card – driver's license is not accepted
• Dutch address (i.e., a rental contract)
• Residency permit if you come from outside of the EU

There are several banks in the Netherlands with an English site:

For information on Bunq, click here. Information on ING, you can find here.