Dutch childcare is expensive at the counter and cheap after the subsidy, and the gap between those two numbers is the whole story.
A full-time place is quoted at an hourly rate, the government reimburses a percentage of it up to a capped hourly rate, and you pay the rest.
Places start at ten weeks old and run to age twelve.
Popular nurseries in Amsterdam take names during pregnancy, so registering is something you do early or not at all.
The Four Types, And Which One You Need
Kinderdagverblijf - Full Daycare, 10 Weeks To 4 Years
Licensed centres with qualified staff, open on weekdays and taking children for up to ten hours a day.
You book fixed days each week rather than dropping in, and you pay for the days you booked whether you use them or not.
Gastouderopvang - Registered Childminders
A gastouder looks after a small group in their own home, registered through a gastouderbureau and held to the same national standards as a centre.
Hours are more flexible and the hourly rate is usually lower, which makes it the practical choice for irregular shifts.
Peuterspeelzaal - Playgroups, 2 To 4 Years
A few mornings a week, run or funded by the municipality, aimed at language and social readiness for Dutch primary school.
The hours are too short to cover a full-time job, so most working parents combine it with something else.
Buitenschoolse Opvang - After-School Care, 4 To 12
BSO covers the hours before and after school plus school holidays, either at the school itself or at a nearby centre.
Book the holiday weeks separately and early, because holiday capacity is smaller than term-time capacity.
What It Costs And What You Get Back
Everything is priced per hour, per child.
Three full days a week at a centre typically comes to €1,200 to €1,800 a month before any subsidy.
Kinderopvangtoeslag reimburses a percentage of that, but only up to a maximum hourly rate the government sets each year - around €11.23 an hour for daycare in 2026.
Anything your provider charges above that cap is yours to pay in full, so compare providers on their hourly rate against the cap, not on their monthly total.
The percentage reimbursed depends on your household income, reaching the high nineties at the lowest incomes and falling as income rises.
Check the current rates and your own entitlement at the Belastingdienst before you commit to days you may not be able to afford.
Applying For Kinderopvangtoeslag
You apply through Toeslagen with your DigiD, and you can do it from the Belastingdienst’s own English page.
Both parents must be working, studying or following an integration programme such as the civic integration exam, and the provider must be nationally registered.
You need a BSN and a valid residence permit to apply at all.
Apply before the first day of care rather than after, because the allowance is only backdated a limited number of months.
Report every change of income, hours or provider to Toeslagen as it happens.
The allowance is paid as an advance against an estimate and reconciled later, which is exactly how families end up owing money back.
The Other Two Payments
Kinderbijslag is a quarterly child benefit paid by the SVB for every child under 18 living here, and it is not income-tested.
Kindgebonden budget is an additional income-dependent supplement, claimed through Toeslagen alongside the childcare allowance.
Fold all three into your budget together with your payslip deductions and the wider cost of living.
Checking A Provider Before You Sign
Every legal daycare, childminder and BSO in the country appears in the Landelijk Register Kinderopvang, with its registration number and its inspection reports attached.
Look the provider up there before you sign anything, because care from an unregistered provider does not qualify for kinderopvangtoeslag at all.
The GGD inspects every registered location at least annually, covering staff-to-child ratios, caregiver qualifications, hygiene and the safety of indoor and outdoor play areas.
The reports are published in full, so read the last one rather than the tour you were given - the WorkinNL overview explains how the system fits together.
To register your child you will need ID for both parents, BSNs, and proof of employment or of your integration course.
Start this at the same time as health insurance and housing on your moving checklist, not after them.
