The National Mortgage Guarantee (NHG) in the Netherlands: 2026 Expat Guide

NHG is a safety net provided by the Home Ownership Guarantee Fund (WEW). It protects you and the lender if you can no longer pay your mortgage due to unforeseen circumstances, ensuring responsible financing for your home.

NHG offers a safety net in vulnerable situations and ensures your financing is responsible. Additionally, lenders often offer lower interest rates on NHG-backed loans because of the reduced risk.

The standard NHG limit for 2026 is € 470,000. If you invest in energy-saving measures, this limit increases to € 498,200.

You pay a one-off suretyship fee (commission) of 0.4% of the total loan amount. This fee is usually collected at the time you receive the loan.

The guarantee is valid for the duration of your mortgage term, with a maximum of 30 years from the initial start date.

Yes. You are eligible if you are a national of an EU/EEA Member State or Switzerland, or if you hold a valid residence permit for a non-temporary purpose.

If your permit is for a fixed period but for a non-temporary purpose (as per Article 3.5 of the Aliens Decree), you are eligible. If one applicant has a temporary permit, we can still offer the loan, though their income might be excluded from the calculation.

Yes. To qualify for NHG, the home must be your principal residence.

Absolutely. NHG applies to existing houses, new-builds, and even specialized homes like floating homes or apartments.

Yes. You can include costs for "quality improvements," such as maintenance, extensions, or cleaning up contaminated land.

NHG encourages sustainability. You can borrow up to an additional € 28,200 for recognized energy-saving measures, such as solar panels, heat pumps, or high-efficiency glazing.

Yes. If you have been an entrepreneur for at least 12 months, we use an Income Statement Entrepreneur (IKV) prepared by an accepted expert to determine your qualifying income.

You can qualify if you have a declaration of continued employment from your employer. If not, we can often calculate your income based on your average earnings over the last three years.

If you have a fixed-term contract without a declaration of intent, we can use an Employment Market Scan to assess your future earning capacity and qualify you for the loan.

Yes. There are specific schemes for those already owning a home who want to move, allowing for actual cost assessments to keep the mortgage affordable.

If you face payment problems due to unemployment, disability, or divorce, NHG offers "home retention tools" to help you keep your home, such as a temporary payment holiday (Housing Costs Facility).

If you are forced to sell your home at a loss, NHG may write off the remaining debt if you have acted in "good faith" and fully cooperated to minimize the loss.

It means you actively worked with your lender to achieve the highest possible sale price and explored all options to prevent or repay the debt.

We carry out a BKR check for every applicant. While certain "special codes" may block an application, you are permitted to apply if your debts have been repaid or if NHG previously granted you a full remission.

Yes. NHG can be used to acquire full ownership of a home from a departing partner or other heirs.

Generally, NHG requires an annuity or linear repayment schedule where the loan is fully repaid within 30 years.

Interest-only portions are only permitted if they relate to an "existing home acquisition debt" (from a previous mortgage) and do not exceed 50% of the market value.

Yes. You can refinance to NHG to lower your costs, make quality improvements, or take energy-saving measures, provided you meet the 2026 criteria.

Lenders pay the first 10% of any loss claim themselves. This ensures they also have a stake in preventing losses and managing your loan responsibly.

Temporary letting is only allowed with lender consent in specific cases, such as a temporary work placement elsewhere (diplomatic clause) or if you have a permit under the Vacant Property Act.