Claim childcare benefit (kinderopvangtoeslag)
If your baby goes to registered childcare, the government pays back part of the cost. You can claim as soon as the contract is signed, but only once the baby exists and has a citizen service number (BSN). Checked against belastingdienst.nl on 22 September 2026.
- Who it applies to
- Everyone having a baby in the Netherlands
- On your timeline
- Paperbump schedules this within 6 months of the birth
- Official source
- belastingdienst.nl
- Last checked
- 22 September 2026
What else to know
The deadline that catches people out counts in months, not days: apply by the end of the third month after the month childcare starts. If childcare starts in May, you have until 31 August. Apply later than that and you only get the benefit back to 3 months before the month you applied in. Places in the cities go quickly, so look into childcare well before you need it.
Before you contact them
Who you need The Belastingdienst (Toeslagen)
What to ask
- Which details from the childcare contract do you need?
- What do I do if my income changes during the year?
- How do I check what you have on file for me?
What happens next You can claim once the contract is signed and the baby has a BSN.
Work out your own dates — free, nothing is sent to us