RefugeeHelp - Welcome to RefugeeHelp

Step-by-step plans (1)

This is how you can get a home

4 steps

You are entitled to a home if your application for an asylum residence permit has been approved. This step-by-step plan tells you how this works.

COA links you to a municipality

Your municipality offers you a home

You accept the home

You move from the reception centre into your home

Information

Living at the reception centre while waiting for a home

Do you have an asylum residence permit and are you waiting for a home at the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA)? On this page you can read important information for your situation.

Information

Lodging with a host family while waiting for a home

Do you have an asylum residence permit, but there is no home for you yet? Then you can temporarily lodge with a host family. That way you do not have to stay in the reception centre all the time. In this article you can read how this works.

Two people stand at the meter box and write down meter readings

Information

This is what you need to arrange when you have a house

When you are assigned a house, there are many things you need to take care of. For example, you have to take out an energy contract and pass on your change of address. On this page you will find a list of all the things you need to do.

Information

Here is what you can do if an offered home does not fit your situation

If the municipality has offered you a home that does not fit your situation, e.g. because it is too small for your family, the municipality might try to find you another home. You must have good reasons for this.

Information

Rental allowance for paying your rent

If you rent a home, you may be entitled to rental allowance. This is extra income you can get from the government if you have a low income. For example, if you live on benefits alone or receive study financing.

Information

Moving after family reunification

If your family members come to the Netherlands and you have a home that is too small to live in together, the municipality will arrange another home for you. In this article you can read how this works.

Information

Home furnishing

On this page you will find tips for furnishing your home.

Two children walk around the grounds of a refugee reception centre

Information

Here is what you can do if you are unhappy with the reception centre

If you are dissatisfied with the reception centre where you are staying, you can talk to COA or the municipality to complain or protest.

Information

This is how you get a personal number (BSN) to handle your affairs in the Netherlands

If you are in the Netherlands for more than 6 months, you will get a personal number: a citizen service number (BSN). You need this number to arrange your personal affairs in the Netherlands. Read here how to get such a number.

2:49

Video

Explaining your energy bill

This video explains how the monthly amount of your energy bill is estimated. It also explains what you can do yourself to make sure you do not have to pay a lot more for your energy later.

Are you missing anything?

Let us know what you're still missing or if there's anything you can't find. Based on your suggestions, RefugeeHelp can make this page even better. Please note that this form is for suggestions about the website – not for personal questions or requests. You will not receive a response to your suggestion.