Living outside the Netherlands

You will not be insured under the child benefit scheme if you:

• live outside the Netherlands, or
• move from the Netherlands to live in another country

Even if you are still registered at an address in the Netherlands, or you still own a home in the Netherlands, your insurance under the child benefit scheme will stop.

However, if you live outside the Netherlands but you work in the Netherlands, you may still be insured under the child benefit scheme.

If you are leaving the Netherlands temporarily, for example to study or go on a round-the-world trip, you will probably remain insured under the child benefit scheme, unless you start working outside the Netherlands. 

If you are away from the Netherlands for long periods of time, it is not always clear if you can still be regarded as living in the Netherlands. To determine whether you still live in the Netherlands, and whether you are still insured under the child benefit scheme, we look to see in which country:

• you spend most of the year
• you work
• you have a house of your own
• your family is living
• you have registered as being resident

We take all these factors into account to determine which country you live in. If we determine that you cannot be regarded as living in the Netherlands, you will probably no longer be insured under the child benefit scheme.