On a world trip: stay registered or deregister?
If you're outside the Netherlands for more than eight months in a year, you have to deregister, on a world trip too. If you're away for less, you stay registered. That one choice decides your health insurance, your AOW, child benefit and compulsory schooling.
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Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.
If you're outside the Netherlands for more than eight months in a year, you have to deregister with your municipality. That applies to a world trip too, and also if you keep your house. If you're away for less, you stay registered. That one choice decides almost everything you arrange after it: your health insurance, your AOW (Dutch state pension), child benefit and your children's compulsory schooling.
What exactly does the law say?
The Personal Records Database Act says: anyone who can reasonably expect to spend at least two thirds of a year outside the Netherlands gives notice of departure. Two thirds of a year is eight months. NederlandWereldwijd mentions the world trip in so many words.
Four things people often get wrong:
- It's about your expectation beforehand. You don't count afterwards; you look at what you plan to do.
- The months don't have to be consecutive. Twice five months within twelve months counts too.
- Your house doesn't matter. Even if you keep your house, you have to deregister.
- The rule applies per person. If one of you is away longer than the other, the other can stay registered.
You can deregister from five days before your departure up to and including the day itself.
What changes if you stay registered, or if you don't?
| Stay registered | Deregister | |
|---|---|---|
| When | away less than eight months a year | away more than eight months a year |
| Health insurance | continues, for a trip shorter than a year | stops; you arrange international insurance |
| AOW accrual | usually continues; let the SVB assess it | stops; 2 percent less per year, unless you insure yourself voluntarily |
| Child benefit | usually continues | can stop |
| Compulsory schooling | your child stays of compulsory school age in the Netherlands | the Dutch Compulsory Education Act no longer applies |
| International driving permit | can be applied for | can no longer be applied for |
| Your post | residential address or postal address | via the RNI and someone who opens your post |
Health insurance is worked out in health insurance on a world trip, school in compulsory schooling on a world trip.
Staying registered while you know you'll be away longer than eight months is not a clever shortcut. It builds up a reclaim of health care costs and allowances, with retroactive effect.
Can I stay registered at my parents' address?
That's called a postal address (briefadres): someone else's address where your post arrives, with their permission. The Rijksoverheid (Dutch central government) says you only get a postal address if you have no residential address, or are staying in an institution.
Two situations:
- You're away more than eight months. Then it's not possible. The RvIG, the agency behind the population register, says you can't stay registered then, not even at a postal address.
- You're away for less and give up your home. Then you no longer have a residential address. That you may then take a postal address follows from the law, but no official source mentions a world trip in so many words. The municipality where the postal address is decides. So ask beforehand.
What happens when I deregister?
Your municipality transfers your details to the RNI, the Registration of Non-Residents: the part of the population register for Dutch people abroad. Your BSN (citizen service number) stays valid. You don't have to give a foreign address when you deregister; if you later have a fixed address, you pass it on through MyRNI, with DigiD.
A Dutch postal address in the RNI is something no official source mentions. So arrange your post differently: switch on the MijnOverheid Message Box, and give organisations that write on paper the address of someone you trust.
Before you deregister, get your international driving permit: you only get it while you are registered in the Netherlands. And set up the DigiD app with the ID check. That can be done from abroad too, but then you need a DigiD desk or a video call.
Is deregistering the same as emigrating for tax purposes?
No. The Belastingdienst (Dutch tax authority) doesn't look at the municipality, but at the circumstances: where you spend most of your time, where your family is, your work, your house, your health insurance. Anyone who doesn't go and live anywhere else and keeps their ties with the Netherlands can simply remain a resident for tax purposes. If in doubt, put it to a tax adviser or write a letter to your tax office.
How do I choose?
Start with school if you have children. A registered child may get at most ten extra days off outside the holidays, unless the school attendance officer allows more. For many families that settles the question. Without children it's usually a sum: the premium of an international health insurance and the voluntary AOW against the fixed costs you keep in the Netherlands.
In Vertrekklaar this is phase 1 of 5 of the journey, step 1.2: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey for a life on the road or go straight to step 1.2 in the open plan.
What this rests on
The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.
- NederlandWereldwijd — the international driving permit, only if you are registered in the Netherlands — nederlandwereldwijd.nl
- DigiD — DigiD abroad, the ID check only with a Dutch identity document — digid.nl
- Personal Records Database Act, article 2.43 — notification of departure when abroad two thirds of the year — wetten.overheid.nl
- NederlandWereldwijd — when do I have to deregister, also for a world trip — nederlandwereldwijd.nl
- RvIG — away more than 8 months, no registration at a postal address — rvig.nl
- Rijksoverheid — a postal address if you have no residential address — rijksoverheid.nl
- NederlandWereldwijd — what is the RNI — nederlandwereldwijd.nl
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