Sim-Only Deals for Expats & Students in the Netherlands

If you’re an expat or student living in the Netherlands then getting a Dutch sim card and mobile contract should be on your list next to getting a bike. A Dutch phone number is needed to sign up for services like tv, internet, car leasing, or other services. Plus it means Dutch people can call you for free instead of via your foreign number.

Getting a Dutch contract isn’t difficult or expensive either. In fact it can save you money when you want to call Dutch numbers (the gementee perhaps?) or use your data in the Netherlands.

Most providers also offer free roaming calls in the EU (and they include calls to the United Kingdom in this).

Best sim-only deals

Prepaid vs contract SIMs

Contract sim only deals offer better value than prepaid. Especially when it comes to data allowances. In some cases you can even get a rolling monthly contract instead of signing up for 12 months. For example YouFone offer a 1 month rolling contract with 5GB (5000MB) data for €11.50.

Cheapest SIM card contracts

The cheapest contract deal we could find was €2.50 per month from 50+ Mobiel. You’ll get 1GB data and 150 minutes over a 2 year contract. But also be aware the price increases to €5 after 6 months.

Another cheap option from a trusted provider is YouFone’s €6.50 per month tariff over 2 years. You get 1GB and 200 minutes but YouFone has better customer ratings and uses the KPN network.

10GB data and 200 mins calls deal

The best value for money data and calls sim card we found currently is also YouFone. Get 10GB and 200 minutes for €10 with this deal.

All-in-1 TV, Internet and Mobile Contract bundles

These are popular in the Netherlands. In many cases you will be offered double data if you also have TV and internet on the same network. If you don’t have home internet (or you’re thinking of switching) then it can be good to compare all-in-one deals before getting a sim contract. The best place to do this is Pricewise’s all-in-one comparison tool. Make sure to select “bellen” as well as TV and internet to include a mobile contract.

EU & UK data roaming charges

In 2021 Dutch sim providers announced that you can still get free roaming data in the UK despite Brexit. This means if you’re a UK expat or student you can call the UK for free on your contract. One provider that offers this is YouFone (see their list of free countries here).

What do you need to get a Dutch sim contract?

To get a Dutch sim contract you may need to provide the following information:

• A Dutch bank account
• An address in the Netherlands (possibly with a BSN number showing you are registered at the address)
• Proof of ID (passport, id card, driving license)

What if I want to keep my old number too?

You have a couple of options here. If you have a phone with dual sim you can use both numbers.

If you don’t have dual sim, and you want to keep your old number, you might think about a secondary phone just for arranging your Dutch affairs. For example a cheap Nokia 3310.

Another option is to set up call forwarding from your UK/US/home provider – many contracts will allow you to do this just check with your provider. You can also change your WhatsApp account to your Dutch number while living in the Netherlands and continue all your communications via that service without any interruption.