The short answer
Yes, in most cases. A permanent residence permit is not a legal requirement for a Dutch mortgage. Ownership itself carries no nationality or residency restriction at all, and lenders routinely finance people on temporary permits.
What varies enormously is which lender will do it, on what terms, and how much you can borrow. That variation is the entire reason independent advice pays for itself here.
What lenders actually assess
| Factor | What matters |
|---|---|
| Residence permit | Type and remaining validity. Some lenders want it to run well beyond a minimum period; others are more relaxed |
| Nationality | EU and EEA nationals generally face fewer hurdles than non-EU nationals, who are assessed on permit type |
| Employment contract | Permanent is easiest. Fixed-term usually works with an employer's declaration of intent. Self-employment typically needs several years of accounts |
| Income | Assessed against national lending norms, with bonuses and variable pay treated cautiously |
| Existing debt | Including loans held abroad, which reduce borrowing capacity here |
| BSN and a Dutch bank account | Practical prerequisites, obtained after registering with your municipality |
The same applicant, with the same permit and the same salary, can be declined by one bank and approved by another. Going straight to your own bank means seeing one opinion, and for an international applicant it is frequently not the most favourable one.
Documents to have ready
- Passport or ID and your residence permit
- BSN and proof of registration with your municipality
- Employment contract and recent payslips
- An employer's declaration, and a declaration of intent if your contract is fixed-term
- Annual accounts and tax returns if you are self-employed
- Recent bank statements and an overview of savings
- Details of loans anywhere in the world, including student debt
- The purchase agreement, once you have one
Getting these together early matters more than it sounds. Once a purchase agreement is signed, the financing condition typically expires within four to six weeks.
The 30 percent ruling question
This is where expat buyers most often plan on a number that does not survive contact with a lender.
Do not assume the untaxed portion of your salary lifts your borrowing capacity. Lenders treat the expat tax facility inconsistently: some consider gross income regardless, some look at what you actually receive, and policies differ. The scheme itself has also been revised repeatedly in recent years, which makes older articles unreliable.
Two practical consequences:
- Ask your advisor to confirm, per lender, how the facility is treated in your case
- Consider what happens when the facility ends, since your net income falls while the mortgage does not
Check the current rules with the Belastingdienst rather than relying on any summary, including this one.
What improves your position
- Start before you view homes. Sellers take financed bids more seriously, and you avoid falling for something you cannot fund.
- Use an advisor who works with internationals regularly, not just one who speaks English.
- Clear or disclose foreign debt. Undisclosed obligations surface later and derail applications.
- Consider NHG if your mortgage falls under the limit. See our NHG guide.
- Do not waive the financing condition on a temporary permit unless a lender has confirmed in writing. See our bidding guide.
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Compare advisor feesFrequently asked questions
Usually yes. Permanent residency is not a legal requirement. Most lenders will consider applicants with a valid residence and work permit, a BSN, a Dutch employment contract, and income meeting national lending norms, though their tolerance for permit duration and contract type varies considerably between lenders.
No. There are no restrictions on property ownership based on nationality or residency status. The practical constraint for most buyers is mortgage financing rather than the right to own.
Often yes, typically with an employer's declaration of intent stating that the contract is expected to be continued. Terms vary by lender, and a permanent contract remains the most straightforward case.
Not automatically. Lenders treat the untaxed portion of income inconsistently, and the scheme's terms have been revised repeatedly, so it depends on the individual lender's policy and the current rules. A licensed advisor can confirm the position per lender.
Passport and residence permit, BSN and municipal registration, employment contract and recent payslips, an employer's declaration where the contract is fixed-term, bank statements and savings, details of any debt held abroad, and the purchase agreement once you have one.
For an international applicant, an independent advisor usually gets a better result, because a single bank shows you only its own view of your file. The same applicant can be declined by one lender and approved by another on identical information.
Written and maintained by Robbert Winnemuller, founder of DutchKey. He works in Dutch residential property in Flevoland and built DutchKey after seeing how often international buyers signed Dutch contracts nobody had explained to them. He is not the agent you are matched with: DutchKey introduces you to independent, buyer-only agents, and these pages exist to make you a harder client to mislead.