Moving to the Netherlands From Spain 2026: BIG, 30% Ruling

Short answer

Moving to the Netherlands from Spain needs no visa, residence permit or MVV. If you stay longer than 4 months, register in person at your Dutch town hall within 5 days of arriving: the Dutch BRP does the job your empadronamiento did in Spain. Spanish law adds registration as a resident at the Spanish consulate, which also takes you off your padrón. Nurses and other BIG professions need their diploma recognised before they can work.

Key facts for 2026

5 days after arriving is the deadline to register at a Dutch town hall, for stays over 4 months.
10 days is the longest a Spanish consulate may take to decide on your registration as a resident.
€85 is the BIG-register fee for automatic recognition of an EU nursing qualification.
3 months is the longest wait for the BIG register’s (intended) decision.
5 years after BIG registration, you must re-register.
4 months after arriving is the latest moment for Dutch health insurance.
150 km from the Dutch border is the 30% ruling distance test, and Spain is not named as too close.

This is general information about Dutch law, not legal advice for your situation. Rules change; figures are for 2026. No rights can be derived from this text.

At a glance

Moving to the Netherlands from Spain: what applies to you

Spanish citizens move to the Netherlands on EU free movement, so the Dutch paperwork only starts once you arrive.

Your situation	What applies to Spaniards	Source
Living here, short or long	No residence permit: your Spanish passport or identity card proves lawful residence	IND
The MVV entry visa	Not required: EU/EEA nationals are exempt	IND
The IND	No registration or report needed	Government.nl
A job	No work permit for your employer to arrange	IND
More than 4 months	Registration in the Personal Records Database (BRP)	Government.nl

A stay of more than 3 months does come with conditions: you work, you have enough income of your own, or you study. If you are still looking for work, you must show that you were registered with the UWV during your first 6 months (IND).

Registration

Padrón, BRP and the consular register: registering in two countries

Spain and the Netherlands both register you where you live, so a move means leaving one register and joining two others.

The BRP is your new padrón. In Spain, everyone who lives there must register in the padrón of the municipality where they usually live (INE). In the Netherlands, anyone coming to live for more than 4 months registers in the BRP at their fixed home address (Rijksoverheid), in person and within 5 days of arriving (Netherlands Worldwide).
The Spanish consular register is compulsory. Spaniards who live abroad, or move their habitual residence there, must register in the Registro de Matrícula Consular of the consular office for their area. You can apply through the Foreign Ministry’s electronic office or in person, and the consulate decides within 10 days (Real Decreto 991/2024).
It also ends your padrón registration. Registering as a resident enters you in the register of Spaniards living abroad (PERE) and removes you from your municipal padrón and the Spanish electoral roll of residents. It is also the condition for voting from abroad.
It is not a tax statement. Registering as a resident does not show that you meet the residence periods Spanish tax, customs or foreign-transaction rules require; those follow their own rules.
Only here for a while? A Spaniard staying temporarily, without making the Netherlands their habitual residence, can register as a non-resident and keep their padrón registration.

Healthcare

Nurses and other healthcare workers: BIG registration first

A Spanish nursing degree does not let you work as a nurse in the Netherlands until it has been officially recognised.

Why: you can only work with a foreign healthcare diploma if your knowledge and skills match those of a Dutch-trained professional, and for a BIG profession, registration in the BIG register is a necessary step (BIG-register).
Automatic recognition: doctors, pharmacists, dentists, midwives and nurses with an EEA or Swiss qualification on the list of approved qualifications can be recognised and registered in one procedure, with proof of Dutch at the right level (BIG-register).
Cost and time: the fee is €85, and there may be additional costs. You hear the (intended) decision within three months, and a qualification obtained five or more years ago needs extra documents.
Afterwards: your name, profession and any specialism are published, and you re-register every 5 years.
Not on the list? An EU diploma that is not automatically recognised generally goes through the recognition of professional qualifications; the Advice Wizard tells you which procedure applies. Dutch at the right level is required in almost all situations (BIG-register).
A card instead: nurses can also request a European Professional Card (Nuffic).
Teachers, lawyers and other regulated professions need recognition from the competent authority, and Nuffic can tell you which one (Government.nl).

Spain

Only for Spaniards: the 30% ruling, your licence and the tax treaty

Three more rules depend on where you come from: the 30% ruling, your driving licence and the tax treaty.

The 30% ruling. You must have lived more than 150 km from the Dutch border for more than 16 of the 24 months before your first working day. The Belastingdienst names Belgium, Luxembourg and parts of Germany, France and the United Kingdom as too close, and Spain is not among them. Months spent in one of those places would still count against you, and in 2026 the salary must be above €48,013 (Belastingdienst). Try our 30% ruling checker.
Your licence. A Spanish licence can be used for 15 years from its date of issue for the car and motorbike categories while it is valid, and for 5 years for truck and bus categories; one issued more than 15 years ago works for 2 years after you move (RDW). You can always exchange a valid EU licence at your municipality once you are in the BRP (RDW).
The tax treaty. The Netherlands and Spain signed their tax treaty in Madrid in 1971, and it has applied since 1972 (wetten.nl). A treaty to replace it is on the Dutch legislative calendar (Wetgevingskalender). A tax adviser who knows both systems can tell you what applies; this guide gives no tax advice.
Still paid by a Spanish employer? Then the insurance from Spain can be enough, under certain rules (Government.nl), and the IND says you are probably a posted worker (IND).

Step by step

Your first month in the Netherlands, in 8 steps

The address comes first, because registration, your BSN, DigiD and a bank account all follow from it.

Find housing you can register at The BRP registers you at your fixed home address (Rijksoverheid), so ask before you sign.
Book the town hall early In most cases you need an appointment, and you must register in person within 5 days of arriving (Netherlands Worldwide).
Register with the Spanish consulate Apply as a resident online or in person (BOE).
Collect your BSN It arrives within a few weeks (Netherlands Worldwide); our BSN guide explains what it unlocks.
Request DigiD and open a bank account DigiD needs your BRP registration, and the bank needs your BSN.
Insure yourself within 4 months Dutch basic insurance is required even with Spanish cover, and a later start leaves the gap uninsured (Government.nl).
Register with a GP It is advisable rather than compulsory, and your health insurer can help you find one.
Start your BIG application or your job Healthcare workers apply to the BIG register; everyone can estimate net pay with our Dutch tax calculator.

Renting

Renting as a newcomer from Spain: the deposit and the lease

Know two tenant rules before you transfer a deposit for a Dutch flat.

The deposit. For leases signed from 1 July 2023, a landlord may ask at most 2 months of basic rent (Rijksoverheid). After the lease ends it must come back within 14 days, or, where there is damage, the remainder within 30 days (Civil Code, article 7:261b). Check the figure with our deposit calculator, and if it is not repaid, start our free deposit check.
The lease term. The end date of a fixed-term lease does not end it automatically. Leases of up to 2 years that do end are limited to groups set by government decree, and the landlord must announce the end in writing (Civil Code, article 7:271).
City guides. Our tenancy guides for Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague cover local problems.

Work

Working in the Netherlands: probation, pay and contract chains

Check these statutory rules against your Dutch employment contract.

Probation: none on a contract of 6 months or less; otherwise at most 1 month, or 2 months for a permanent job or a contract of 2 years or more (Rijksoverheid). Our probation period guide has the details.
Holiday allowance: at least 8% of your gross annual salary (Rijksoverheid), explained in our holiday allowance guide.
Sick pay: at least 70% of your wages in each of the first two years of illness, and in the first year never below the minimum wage (Rijksoverheid); see our sick leave guide.
Temporary contracts: once fixed-term contracts with gaps of at most 6 months pass 36 months, or number more than 3, the last one is permanent; a collective agreement can allow up to 48 months and 6 contracts for certain functions (Civil Code, article 7:668a).
Ending the job: see our notice period guide, what to do after a dismissal and, for new parents, maternity leave.

Trouble with a Dutch employer or agency? Talk to an employment lawyer

Need help with this? We match you with an English-speaking Dutch employment lawyer. Most clients are introduced to a lawyer within one business day. Lawyer fees are paid to the firm and explained before you proceed.

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Keep reading

Related guides

More of our guides for moving to the Netherlands from Spain.

Admin

BSN number

Your Dutch citizen service number explained.

Tax

30% ruling checker

Check the expat tax scheme in minutes.

Pay

Netherlands salary calculator

From gross salary to net pay.

Service

Free deposit check

Deposit not returned? Check your case.

Work

Sick leave

Pay and duties when you fall ill.

Visas

Which Netherlands visa you need

Routes for family members from outside the EU.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa or permit for moving to the Netherlands from Spain?

No. Spanish citizens need no visa, residence permit or MVV, and do not register with the IND; your passport or identity card is proof enough. What you do need, if you stay longer than 4 months, is registration in person at your Dutch town hall within 5 days of arriving. Spanish law also expects you to register at the Spanish consulate.

Is the Dutch BRP the same as the empadronamiento?

They do the same job in each country. In Spain, everyone living there registers in the padrón of the municipality where they usually live; in the Netherlands, anyone coming to live for more than 4 months registers in the BRP at their home address. Registering with the Spanish consulate as a resident then takes you off your Spanish padrón.

Do I have to register at the Spanish consulate in the Netherlands?

Yes, once the Netherlands is your habitual residence: Spanish law requires registration in the consular register. You can apply online or in person, and the consulate decides within 10 days. It adds you to the register of Spaniards abroad and removes you from your municipal padrón. If you are only here temporarily, you can register as a non-resident instead.

How do I work as a nurse in the Netherlands with a Spanish degree?

You need recognition and BIG registration first. If your qualification is on the list of approved qualifications, the automatic recognition procedure handles both at once, for a fee of €85, with a decision within three months. You also need proof of Dutch at the right level. If it is not on the list, the Advice Wizard points you to another recognition procedure.

Do Spaniards qualify for the 30% ruling?

Your nationality does not matter; your former address does. You must have lived more than 150 km from the Dutch border for more than 16 of the 24 months before your first working day. The Belastingdienst names Belgium, Luxembourg and parts of Germany, France and the UK as too close, not Spain. The salary threshold and other conditions also apply.

Can I drive in the Netherlands with my Spanish licence?

Yes. As an EU licence it remains usable for 15 years from its date of issue for the car and motorbike categories, provided it is valid, and for 5 years for truck and bus categories. A licence older than 15 years gives you 2 years from your move. Once you are registered in the BRP, you can exchange it at your municipality.

How much deposit can a Dutch landlord ask?

On a lease signed from 1 July 2023, no more than 2 months of basic rent, and on an older lease no more than 3. After the lease ends, the landlord has 14 days to repay it, or 30 days for what remains if there is damage. Our free deposit check shows whether a lawyer can recover a deposit that is not repaid.

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