Moving from the United Kingdom to the Netherlands

Two tax years overlap in your first year

The UK tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April. The Dutch one is the calendar year. Whichever month you move in, part of your income falls under one system and part under the other, and neither authority looks at the other's period. Expect the first year to be the messy one.

The threshold is quoted differently, not just in another currency

The UK Skilled Worker route asks for the higher of £41,700 a year or the going rate for your occupation code — so the published threshold can be irrelevant if your occupation's rate sits above it.

The Dutch criterion is a flat monthly figure: €5,942 gross for applicants aged 30 and over in 2026, with holiday allowance excluded. There is no occupation-specific going rate to clear, which makes the Dutch bar easier to check in advance even where it is higher in absolute terms.

We do not convert between the two currencies anywhere on this site. Rates move daily, and a guessed rate would distort exactly the comparison you came here to make.

The 30% ruling is realistic on this route

The Dutch expat scheme requires that you lived more than 150 km from the Dutch border for at least 16 of the 24 months before starting work. Coming from the UK that condition is met almost everywhere — the sea does the work. This is the main financial argument for the move, and it is available for up to five years.

Tax shape

The UK gives a personal allowance of £12,570 taxed at 0%, then 20%, 40% and 45%. The Netherlands charges 35.75% inside its first band from the first euro, with credits applied afterwards, and reaches 49.5% above €78,426. Note also that the UK allowance shrinks above £100,000, so the effective marginal rate there is higher than the band suggests.