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DutchKey / Mortgage advisors
Compare fees · Free · No obligation
Compare mortgage advisor fees, before you commit to anyone.
Every Dutch advisor must state their fee upfront in a written service document, yet almost nobody compares them. Advice on the same mortgage can differ by a thousand euro or more. We put you in touch with independent, AFM-licensed advisors who work with internationals every week, so you can compare on fee and approach.
How it works
A fee comparison, not an application.
We deliberately keep this simple. You leave your contact details, we pass them to advisors who work in your language, and each of them sends you their fee and approach directly. No financial details are collected or assessed by DutchKey.
Step one
Step two
They send you their fee
Licensed advisors in your area contact you with their service document, stating the fee and what it covers, before any work starts.
Step three
You compare and decide
Put the fees side by side, weigh them against approach and availability, then pick one or walk away. You owe nobody anything.
Why we ask so little
Mortgage advice in the Netherlands is a regulated activity. DutchKey holds no financial services licence, gives no advice, recommends no product, and assesses nobody's finances. We limit ourselves to putting you in touch with licensed advisors, and everything of substance happens between you and them.
Our advisors
What we check before anyone reaches you.
Unlike the title "makelaar", mortgage advice cannot legally be given without a licence. We verify that licence, and a few things beyond it.
- 01Valid AFM licenceRegistered with the Dutch financial markets authority for advising on and mediating in mortgage credit. Verified in the public AFM register, which you can also check yourself.
- 02Kifid affiliationAffiliated with the independent financial services complaints institute, so you have a route to dispute resolution outside the courts.
- 03Independent across lendersThey compare products from a broad range of lenders rather than selling the range of a single bank they are tied to.
- 04Real experience with internationalsFamiliar with temporary permits, the expat tax facility, international employment contracts, and income earned or held abroad.
- 05Fees stated upfrontA written service document with the fee before any work starts. Commission on mortgage advice has been banned in the Netherlands since 2013, so you always know who is paying.
What to know first
Dutch mortgage advice, explained.
Written for people encountering the Dutch system for the first time. General information, not advice on your situation.
Why almost everyone uses an advisor here
Dutch mortgages are not a shopping exercise where you pick the lowest rate. Lenders differ substantially in what they accept: how long your residence permit must still run, whether a fixed-term contract works with an employer's declaration, how they treat bonus income, and how they handle self-employment. Two lenders can reach very different conclusions about the same applicant.
An advisor with a Wft licence knows those differences, submits a complete file, and manages the deadlines that matter once you have signed a purchase agreement. Going directly to your own bank means seeing one lender's view of you, which for an international applicant is often not the most favourable one.
What advice costs
| Item | Indicative cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Advice and arrangement, purchase mortgage | 2,500 to 3,500 euro | Fixed fee, agreed in advance |
| Valuation report (taxatie) | 600 to 900 euro | Required by the lender |
| NHG premium, if used | 0.4 percent of the mortgage in 2026 | Optional guarantee |
| Advice on remortgaging only | Usually lower | Varies by advisor |
Advice, valuation, and NHG premium count as financing costs and are generally tax deductible in the year you buy. Ranges here are market indications, not quotes: each advisor states their own fee.
What lenders look at in an expat file
- Residence and work permit, including how long it still has to run
- Contract type: permanent, fixed-term with an employer's declaration of intent, or self-employed with several years of accounts
- Income and existing debt, including student loans or credit held in another country
- BSN and a Dutch bank account, which follow from registering with your municipality
- The property itself, since the valuation caps the mortgage at 100 percent of the value, never of your bid
The 30 percent ruling is not a shortcut
Do not assume the untaxed portion of your salary lifts your borrowing capacity. Lenders treat it inconsistently, and the scheme's terms have been revised repeatedly in recent years. Have a licensed advisor confirm how each lender handles it, and check current rules with the Belastingdienst rather than relying on older articles.
What to have ready
- Passport or ID, residence permit, and BSN
- Employment contract and recent payslips, or annual accounts if self-employed
- An employer's declaration if your contract is fixed-term
- Recent bank statements and an overview of savings
- Details of any loans, here or abroad
- The purchase agreement, once you have one
Timing matters more than people expect
Speak to an advisor before you start viewing homes. Sellers in a competitive market take financed bids far more seriously, and once a purchase agreement is signed your financing condition usually expires within four to six weeks. That is not a comfortable window in which to start looking for advice.
For the full purchase process, see our guide to buying a house in the Netherlands as an expat.
Free, no obligation
Compare advisor fees.
Leave your details and licensed, English-speaking advisors in your area will send you their fee and approach. You decide whether to take any of them up on it.
- ›AFM-licensed and Kifid-affiliated advisors only
- ›Free to compare, with no obligation whatsoever
- ›No financial details asked or shared by us
- ›Your details are never sold to third parties
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Common questions
Mortgage questions expats ask.
It is not legally compulsory, but in practice almost every buyer uses one. Lenders each apply their own criteria to permits, contract types, and international income, and a licensed advisor knows which ones fit your situation. Going direct to one bank shows you only that bank's view of you.
Independent advisors typically charge somewhere between 2,500 and 3,500 euro for a full purchase mortgage, quoted in advance in a service document. Commission on mortgage advice has been banned in the Netherlands since 2013, so the client pays the fee rather than the lender. It is generally tax deductible as a financing cost.
It is entirely normal and entirely allowed, it is just uncommon because most people use whoever their bank or estate agent suggests. Every licensed advisor must give you a written service document stating their fee and what it covers before work starts, so asking two or three for that document costs you nothing and commits you to nothing.
Anyone advising on mortgages here must hold an AFM licence for advising on and mediating in mortgage credit. The AFM keeps a public register you can search by company name. Look for Kifid affiliation too, which gives you an independent complaints route.
Often yes. Lenders generally want a valid residence and work permit, a BSN, a Dutch employment contract, and income meeting national norms, but their tolerance for permit duration and contract type varies a lot. That variation is the main reason independent advice pays off for internationals.
Not automatically. Lenders treat the untaxed portion of income inconsistently, and the scheme's terms have changed repeatedly, so it depends on the lender's policy and the current rules. A licensed advisor can confirm how each one handles it in your case.
An independent advisor compares products across many lenders. A tied advisor, including most bank employees, can only offer products from the lender they work for. Both can be licensed and competent, but only the first compares the whole market.
No. DutchKey holds no financial services licence and gives no advice, recommends no product, and assesses nobody's finances. We introduce you to licensed advisors, and all advice comes from them under their own licence and responsibility.
Comparing fees takes two minutes and can save a thousand euro
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