The city pass: free museums, cheap swimming, kids' activities
A free discount card (Stadspas in Amsterdam, Ooievaarspas in Den Haag, Rotterdampas in Rotterdam, local equivalents elsewhere) gives big cuts or free entry to museums, pools, theatre, cinema and gym, plus a child budget for sports and school costs. Apply via your gemeente. Income cap is typically around 120-130% of the social minimum (varies by city); some cities include pensioners regardless. Worth 150-400 eur/year, more with kids.
Get the rest of it, in your own language.
MAS reads your IND letter, checks whether an employer can legally sponsor you, and finds work that will actually take you. Free, no account.
More on healthcare
- Het Juridisch Loket: free, government-funded legal advice, and a discount ticket to a subsidised lawyer
- Gemeentepolis: the low-income insurance where the town co-pays your own-risk
- Register at the gemeente within 5 days - the BSN is your entire Dutch identity, and a no-registration clause is worthless
- Register with a GP on day one - practices are full and you cannot skip the GP
- Cannot pay your premium? Zorgverzekeringslijn keeps you insured and stops the 120% spiral
- Free Dutch at the library: Taalhuis and Taalcafe, no fee, no membership