December 2025: 6 things expats in the Netherlands need to know

There’s a nip in the air and twinkling lights on the trees. That can only mean one thing: December is here! As we head into the holiday season, here’s what expats need to know about the last month of 2025. 

1. Deadline to switch health insurance for 2026

People in the Netherlands get just one chance to switch their health insurance each year. After health insurers announce their premium rates in mid-November, everyone gets a few months to shop around, to decide who they want to be insured with for the following year.

If you’re still assessing your options, note the important deadlines: you need to notify your current health insurer of your intention to cancel by December 31, 2025. You then need to pick a new insurer before January 31, 2026. Your insurance premiums will be back-paid to January 1, 2026. 

It’s easiest to cancel and switch at the same time - simply sign up with a new insurer and they’ll let your old provider know that you’re leaving. 

2. NS switches to new timetable

NS’s new timetable will take effect on December 14, 2025, and will see more trains running, particularly on evenings and weekends. For instance, public transport will start earlier and run later to and from Schiphol Airport, and more trains will serve routes between Uitgeest and Amsterdam Centraal, Amersfoort and Deventer, and Heerlen, Eindhoven, Utrecht and Amsterdam. 

It’s also worth noting that with the new timetable, some trains will depart from a different platform or at a different time than you are used to, so it’s worth planning your journey ahead of time to make sure. 

You can find out more about the timetable change on the NS website. 

3. New family reunification process for residence applicants

From December 1, the application process for family reunifications in the Netherlands will also change for asylum seekers. According to the IND, the new procedure will place more control in the hands of applicants, who can submit and process applications independently rather than having to go through an intermediary. 

Starting from December, the IND will make updates to make the information it provides clearer and more understandable. The IND website will be updated in Dutch and English, and an instructional video in 10 different languages will also be added to help applicants complete their applications. 

Any applicants who cannot arrange their own application can make use of a helpline. 

4. Christmas post deadline

The Christmas post rush is a fixture this time of year, especially for internationals needing to send letters and parcels to friends and family living abroad. With PostNL expecting to deliver around 3 million packages each day over the next six weeks, it’s best to take its usual delivery windows with a large pinch of salt if you want to get a Christmas card or parcel to its recipient before December 24. 

Indeed, as usual, the company is warning that deliveries will take longer than normal between December 7 and December 27. 

Officially, the final posting deadline for parcels heading worldwide is December 6, or December 11 if they’re Europe-bound. If you’re cutting things a bit fine, you can always opt for priority delivery, which has quicker turnaround times. 

5. Dutch schools break up for Christmas holidays

As we head into the second half of the month, and the festive season gets into full swing, primary and secondary schools will begin to close their doors for the Christmas holidays. The school holidays are the same for all regions this year, from December 20, 2025, to January 4, 2026. 

Before that, we’ve got Sinterklaas to look forward to on December 5. Note that this isn’t an official public holiday in the Netherlands, but some schools might observe it as an unofficial holiday. 

6. Christmas days off

But we do have some much-needed days off to look forward to at the end of the month - our first in more than six months! Remember that both Christmas Day and Boxing Day (December 25 and 26) are official holidays across the Netherlands, as is New Year’s Day on January 1. 

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, we hope you take the opportunity to put your feet up and enjoy a few well-deserved days off! See you in the New Year!