Start with free advice and check any lawyer costs
Check the deadline on your letter first. Het Juridisch Loket (External site, opens in a new tab) gives free personal advice if you meet its income and asset limits. A lawyer or mediator can apply for a toevoeging (subsidised legal-aid certificate) for you. In 2026, your contribution for most subsidised lawyer cases starts at €188 after the automatic discount. Court fees and some other costs are extra.
Deadlines for government decisions
A government decision usually contains a rechtsmiddelenclausule (legal-remedy notice). It tells you whether you can send a bezwaar (objection), where to send it and by when. The normal objection period is six weeks, starting the day after the decision is formally notified. Use the notice to find your deadline. The date you open the letter may be later.
Looking for advice leaves the objection deadline unchanged. If time is short, use a pro-forma bezwaarschrift (objection with reasons to follow):
- Check which submission channel the body accepts.
- Identify the decision you object to.
- State that your reasons will follow.
- Include your name, address, date and signature.
- Submit the objection through that channel before the deadline.
- Keep proof of sending.
- Supply your reasons by the body’s deadline.
A government decision usually stays in force during objection or beroep (court appeal). If you cannot wait for the result because the case is urgent, ask about a voorlopige voorziening (interim measure). You must already have an objection or appeal pending. The court needs evidence of the urgency and charges a separate fee. Urgent civil cases use different procedures. Ask a lawyer or the court registry which route applies.
If a regular IND residence-permit application is approved but you dispute the start date or work endorsement, collect your residence document first. Send your objection within four weeks after you receive that document.
If the IND refuses your asylum application, challenge it directly through a court appeal. Contact your lawyer promptly. Follow the appeal deadline and instructions in your decision.
Free advice from Het Juridisch Loket
The Het Juridisch Loket website and its Dutch sample letters are open to everyone. Free personal advice by phone or at a desk is for people who meet the income and asset limits below. Call 0800-8020 free on Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00.
Each location has its own walk-in hours or appointment arrangements. Check the Het Juridisch Loket contact page (External site, opens in a new tab) before travelling. Book first where an appointment is required. You can also call for a callback appointment. An adviser can then arrange a desk appointment if needed.
For personal help in 2026, Het Juridisch Loket checks your 2024 verzamelinkomen (taxable income) and box 3 (savings and investments) assets. It uses your household type when you ask for help. The table gives the limits for each household.
You can scroll wide tables sideways.
| Household when you ask in 2026 | Maximum 2024 taxable income | Maximum 2024 box 3 assets |
|---|---|---|
| Single | €35,400 | €36,952 |
| Married or living with a partner | €50,000 together | €36,952 per person |
| Single parent with a minor child | €50,000 | €36,952 in total |
You may still get personal help above these limits if any one of these applies:
- You expect your 2026 income and assets to fall below the limits.
- You receive municipal debt assistance or statutory debt restructuring.
- Your income or assets are subject to beslag (seizure by a creditor).
If you exceed the limits, you can still use the website. A rechtswinkel (volunteer law shop), your union, your legal-expenses insurer or a private lawyer may also help.
Subsidised help from a lawyer or mediator
A lawyer or mediator applies for a toevoeging to the Raad voor Rechtsbijstand (Legal Aid Board) (External site, opens in a new tab). The Board checks your finances and whether the problem needs professional help. It also checks whether a simpler route can solve the problem. Use its lawyer register (External site, opens in a new tab) to search for a lawyer by legal field and postcode. For a financial claim, check the minimum amounts and exceptions before agreeing to paid work. Before agreeing to any paid work, ask whether the lawyer takes toevoeging cases.
The Board uses the peiljaar (reference year), normally two years earlier. A 2026 request therefore uses 2024 data. Your current partner’s 2024 income and assets count even if you did not live together in 2024. The Belastingdienst (Dutch tax authority) (External site, opens in a new tab) supplies Dutch data. You must report foreign income and assets through your lawyer or mediator.
For ordinary legal aid in 2026, the 2024 box 3 asset limit is €36,952 for a single person or single parent. For partners, it is €73,904 together. The contribution table below gives the income limits. Lower current finances and debt rules can change the assessment, as explained below.
The table shows your 2026 eigen bijdrage (personal contribution) per toevoeging after the automatic €69 discount. The income columns use 2024 figures. Family cases include divorce, maintenance, custody and dividing property.
You can scroll wide tables sideways.
| 2024 income: single | 2024 income: partner or single parent | Most cases | Family cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to €25,200 | Up to €35,000 | €188 | €379 |
| €25,201–€25,900 | €35,001–€36,200 | €406 | €474 |
| €25,901–€27,500 | €36,201–€37,900 | €609 | €678 |
| €27,501–€29,800 | €37,901–€42,400 | €813 | €881 |
| €29,801–€35,400 | €42,401–€50,000 | €1,015 | €1,051 |
| Above €35,400 | Above €50,000 | No toevoeging | No toevoeging |
The €69 discount has been automatic since March 2020. You can get it without a diagnosedocument (referral document) from Het Juridisch Loket.
A Lichte Advies Toevoeging (short-advice certificate, LAT) covers up to three hours of lawyer help. The lower LAT rates apply up to €25,900 single income or €36,200 joint or single-parent income in 2024.
The table compares 2026 contributions for mediation and LAT certificates. For mediation, the lower rate applies to the lowest income band; the higher rate applies to the other qualifying bands.
You can scroll wide tables sideways.
| Service | Lower-band 2026 contribution | Higher-band 2026 contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Mediation | €69 | €138 |
| Ordinary LAT | €101 | €170 |
| Family LAT | €141 | €187 |
The €69 discount does not apply to mediation or LAT rates.
Example: you are single and your 2024 taxable income was €24,000. If your assets and case qualify, your contribution for an ordinary lawyer case in 2026 is €188 after the discount. A family case costs €379. Court fees and other expenses come on top.
Court fees, document extracts, witnesses, experts and an order to pay the other side’s costs are separate from your lawyer contribution. Ask for a written estimate of all costs.
Peiljaarverlegging
A peiljaarverlegging request asks the Board to use current-year income and assets. You can submit it with the original application. If you apply after the first decision, the Board must receive your request within six weeks.
You can request this review after a rejection because your finances exceed the limits. You can also request it after a high contribution if your income has fallen by at least 15%. If you already pay the lowest contribution, you cannot request peiljaarverlegging. Use the form for the year of your toevoeging application.
Debt schemes and municipal help with legal costs
If you are undergoing Msnp (voluntary debt restructuring), Wsnp (statutory debt restructuring) or personal bankruptcy, you pay the lowest contribution. Give the relevant debt-scheme or bankruptcy form to your lawyer or mediator. The debt-help guide explains the two debt routes.
A temporary rule may help when income or assets are under attachment, meaning a creditor has seized them. Ask your lawyer to check which rule applies.
Bijzondere bijstand (municipal special assistance) may cover a necessary contribution or court fee. Your municipality decides based on your circumstances, income, assets and other available cover. It may give the money as a grant or a loan. Ask your municipality before paying.
Money from your case and repayment of legal aid
After a funded civil or administrative case, the Board reviews its financial result. This is called a resultaatbeoordeling (financial-result review). Money you have a right to receive counts even before it is paid. In 2026, the result threshold is €19,239.50 per adult. At or above the applicable threshold, the Board can withdraw the toevoeging. You may then have to pay the lawyer or mediator’s normal costs. Ask for the normal hourly rate and expected hours in writing before the case starts.
If the Board plans to withdraw your legal aid, it sends a letter. Serious circumstances can affect the decision, for example if the other party has not paid. Send your evidence within the deadline on that letter.
Court fees and help with payment
In a kantonzaak (subdistrict-court case), only the person who starts the case pays griffierecht (court fee). A private person pays €93–€753 in 2026, depending on the claim. The reduced rate is €93. To show you qualify, send any one of these: a toevoeging, an income statement from the Board or a copy of the application for one.
You must pay the court fee within four weeks. For a dagvaarding (court summons), the period starts the day after the first court session. For a verzoekschrift (petition to the court), it starts on the filing date. Late payment can stop the court from considering your case, while you still owe the fee.
A later request for the reduced rate is exceptional and normally must reach the court before judgment. In a kort geding (urgent civil case), give the court clerk your toevoeging or application at the hearing. If you could not do this through no fault of your own, send the granted toevoeging within four weeks after judgment. The clerk may then reduce the fee. Send your proof at the start whenever possible.
In 2026, private individuals pay €54 for specified administrative cases, including many benefit and allowance cases. Other non-tax administrative cases cost €200. If the court fully or partly upholds your appeal, the authority must reimburse the fee.
The court combines your net income with the net income of any fiscale partner (tax partner). You may qualify for betalingsonmacht (inability to pay) if that combined income is below the court’s limit. Neither you nor any tax partner may have assets available to pay the court fee. The home you live in is excluded from this asset check. The monthly income limit is 95% of the maximum single-person social-assistance amount: €1,331.43 from 1 January and €1,348.49 from 1 July 2026.
Ask for this exemption in your appeal or before the payment deadline. If you ask in the appeal, return the court’s form within two weeks of the date on its letter. For a later request, follow the return deadline the court gives you.
Complaints, objections and appeals
Choose the route by what you challenge. A klacht (complaint) concerns service or conduct. Some decisions have a different route, so follow the notice on your letter.
You can scroll wide tables sideways.
| What you challenge | First route | What can follow |
|---|---|---|
| Service or conduct by a government body | Complain to that body | Its answer, then the relevant ombudsman (complaints investigator). This route leaves any objection or appeal deadline unchanged. |
| A government decision | Send a bezwaar to the body that made the decision, normally within six weeks of formal notification | A beroep asks the administrative court to review the decision on objection |
| Urgent effect of a government decision | Start objection or appeal and request an interim measure | A judge may order a temporary measure; urgency, evidence and a separate fee apply |
The Nationale ombudsman (national complaints investigator) (External site, opens in a new tab) normally requires you to complain to the organisation first. You can ask for help if you are unhappy with its response, or after six weeks without one. The organisation may extend that response period by four weeks. Some municipalities and authorities have their own ombudsman. Keep any separate objection or appeal deadline.
If your letter concerns a fine from DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, the Dutch education service) (External site, opens in a new tab) for inburgering (civic integration), see the guide to civic integration fines. Follow DUO’s objection instructions and the sending route on your decision letter.
Help for rent, work and other problems
Some services advise, support or receive reports. Others issue a decision or non-binding opinion. The table states which result each route can provide.
You can scroll wide tables sideways.
| Problem | Route | Result and limit |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, service costs or maintenance within the Huurcommissie (rent tribunal) (External site, opens in a new tab)’s scope | Huurcommissie | Tenant fee €25 in 2026. A low-income exemption may apply. A complete win refunds the fee. Most rulings bind both sides; some procedures end in advice. |
| Underpayment, excessive hours, unsafe work or labour exploitation | Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie (Netherlands Labour Authority) (External site, opens in a new tab) | Free report for enforcement by phone from the Netherlands. For underpaid statutory minimum wages or minimum holiday allowance, the Authority can require back payment. Ask a union or lawyer about recovering other unpaid wages. |
| Discrimination | Discriminatie.nl (discrimination advice service) (External site, opens in a new tab) or the College voor de Rechten van de Mens (human rights institute) (External site, opens in a new tab) | A regional office gives free advice and can help you talk with the other party. The College can issue a non-binding opinion under equal-treatment law. |
| Government service or conduct | The body’s complaint route, then the Nationale ombudsman | Free review of conduct after your own complaint. The Ombudsman does not decide whether the underlying government decision is legally correct |
For asylum, forms, consumer purchases or general legal questions, these services offer advice and support:
You can scroll wide tables sideways.
| Problem | Route | Result and limit |
|---|---|---|
| Asylum and early settlement as a refugee | VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (refugee support organisation) (External site, opens in a new tab) | Guidance and practical support; a lawyer handles legal representation when required |
| Benefits, allowances, tax letters, debt and forms | Local sociaal raadslieden (social-legal advisers) | Free, confidential practical help where the municipality offers it. Ask your municipality about eligibility and tasks. |
| Consumer rights | ACM ConsuWijzer (official consumer advice service) (External site, opens in a new tab) | Official information and sample letters. A supplier, dispute body or court still decides or settles the individual dispute |
| General questions outside personal Loket eligibility | A rechtswinkel (volunteer law shop) | Free or a small fee; opening hours, income rules and depth of help vary |
Interpreter arrangements and costs
A lawyer working under a toevoeging can arrange a subsidised interpreter if one is needed, in principle in any legal field. The Board pays its contracted service directly. You do not need to advance that bill.
In an ordinary civil or administrative hearing, you must arrange and pay for your interpreter. Subsidised help may be available depending on your income and assets.
Criminal procedures have different rules.
For an asylum interview in the standard procedure, an interpreter translates into a language you understand. The Board arranges a lawyer, usually free of charge.
Ask your lawyer, advice service or court who books and pays for the interpreter in your case.
Insurance, union help and advice above the income limits
A rechtsbijstandverzekering (legal-expenses insurance) is voluntary. Your policy lists which problems it covers. Cover may include advice, negotiation, letters, mediation, court help and specified extra costs up to a limit. Existing or foreseeable disputes are excluded. Ask the insurer about cover before hiring someone outside its network.
Union legal help depends on your membership terms, the subject and waiting periods. Check your own union before paying a private lawyer.
For example, CNV (trade union) (External site, opens in a new tab) covers specified work, income and social-security disputes. CNV gives advice once it receives your membership application. Advice about disputes that already existed or began during the first three months of membership is capped at two hours. Legal representation normally covers disputes arising after those first three months, subject to the terms’ exceptions.
Common problems: refused cover or income above the limits
If the insurer refuses cover, use its complaint procedure first. If you are unhappy with the answer, Kifid (financial complaints institute) (External site, opens in a new tab) may review your complaint. The insurer must be affiliated with Kifid.
The Loket website, ACM ConsuWijzer and many rechtswinkels remain options for self-help above the legal-aid income limits. For a rental problem, the guides to address-registration problems and rental scams explain the first checks.
Legal aid for small financial claims
In 2026, the normal minimum financial interest is €500 for a toevoeging, €250 for simple advice and €1,000 for cassatie (review by the highest court). The Board values periodic payments over a period of up to two years. The Board can make an exception when serious interests or personal circumstances make legal help necessary for access to justice. Ask for that assessment if your claim is below the normal minimum.
Your first advice appointment
Before your first advice appointment, follow these steps:
- Record the exact deadline, route and sending channel from your decision or contract.
- Choose the first advice service from the problem tables above.
- Gather the decision, evidence and your 2024 income and asset data in one file.
- Contact the service. For personal Loket help, call 0800-8020 on a weekday from 09:00 to 17:00.
- Ask about a toevoeging, every separate cost, interpreter arrangements and any urgent temporary measure.
For your next action, use the guide that fits your problem:
- Author
- By Inburgering.org team
- Reviewer
- Reviewed by Kirill Svavolia
Official Sources
- Het Juridisch Loket: Contact (External site, opens in a new tab) - personal help for people on a low income, the free number 0800-8020, weekday hours of 09:00–17:00, and location-specific appointments or walk-in hours
- Het Juridisch Loket: Hoe we werken (External site, opens in a new tab) - 2024 income and asset limits for personal help in 2026, current households, appointment arrangements, and exceptions for lower current finances, debt help or attached income and assets
- Het Juridisch Loket: Kosten advocaat of mediator met toevoeging (External site, opens in a new tab) - how a lawyer or mediator applies for a toevoeging, the financial and merits tests, debt and seizure situations, and possible municipal special assistance
- Raad voor Rechtsbijstand: Inkomen, vermogen en eigen bijdrage 2026 (External site, opens in a new tab) - the 2026 income bands, standard, family, mediation and LAT contributions, the automatic €69 discount, 2024 asset limit and 2026 result threshold
- Rechtsbijstand.nl (Legal Aid Board information site): Eigen bijdrage (External site, opens in a new tab) - current-partner and reference-year rules, foreign finances, debt routes, short advice and repeat contributions without the discount
- Rechtsbijstand.nl: Korting op eigen bijdrage (External site, opens in a new tab) - the automatic €69 discount since March 2020 and its exclusion from mediation and Lichte Advies Toevoeging rates
- Rechtsbijstand.nl: Peiljaarverlegging (External site, opens in a new tab) - when the Board may use current-year income and assets, the six-week request period, the 15% fall test, and the lowest-contribution exclusion
- Rechtsbijstand.nl: Andere kosten (External site, opens in a new tab) - court fees and other expenses outside the toevoeging, and later checks of income, assets or money obtained through the case
- Rechtsbijstand.nl: Resultaatbeoordeling (External site, opens in a new tab) - the 2026 result threshold of €19,239.50 per adult and the possible withdrawal and repayment consequences
- Rechtsbijstand.nl: Zoek een advocaat (External site, opens in a new tab) - the register of legal-aid lawyers, searchable by legal field and postcode
- Raad voor Rechtsbijstand: Wie betaalt de tolkdienst? (External site, opens in a new tab) - that a lawyer may arrange a subsidised interpreter when necessary and the Board pays the contracted service directly
- Besluit rechtsbijstand- en toevoegcriteria (decree on legal-aid eligibility), article 4 (External site, opens in a new tab) - the €250, €500 and €1,000 minimum financial interests, the two-year valuation of periodic claims, and the access-to-justice exception
- Rechtspraak (Dutch judiciary): Griffierecht bij kantonzaken (External site, opens in a new tab) - 2026 private-person fees of €93–€753, the €93 reduced rate, evidence, who pays, four-week payment period and the urgent-case exception for later proof
- Rechtspraak: Griffierecht in het bestuursrecht (External site, opens in a new tab) - 2026 fees of €54 or €200, fiscal-partner income and assets, the home exception, January and July inability-to-pay limits, form deadlines and reimbursement
- Rechtspraak: Griffierecht (External site, opens in a new tab) - possible municipal special assistance towards court fees
- Rechtspraak: Tolk en vertaler (External site, opens in a new tab) - who arranges and pays an interpreter in civil and administrative hearings, with different rules for criminal and asylum cases
- Rechtspraak: Voorlopige voorziening (External site, opens in a new tab) - the pending objection or appeal, urgency, evidence and separate court fee required for an interim measure
- Rijksoverheid (Dutch central government): Bezwaar tegen een beslissing van de overheid (External site, opens in a new tab) - the normal six-week objection period and the information an objection must contain
- Rijksoverheid: Na een bezwaar (External site, opens in a new tab) - the route from a decision on objection to the administrative court
- Rijksoverheid: Gratis hulp of advies bij een juridisch probleem (External site, opens in a new tab) - Juridisch Loket, law shops and municipal social-legal advisers, including how their scope and local availability differ
- Rijksoverheid: Rechtsbijstandverzekering (External site, opens in a new tab) - policy-based legal-expenses cover, limits and exclusions for existing or foreseeable disputes, plus the insurer and Kifid complaint route
- Huurcommissie: Een zaak bij de Huurcommissie (External site, opens in a new tab) - the tenant and landlord fees, low-income exemption, refund, evidence, and the distinction between binding decisions and advice
- Netherlands Labour Authority: Report (External site, opens in a new tab) - reporting routes for underpayment, working hours, unsafe work and labour exploitation, including the free domestic phone route
- Netherlands Labour Authority: FAQ (frequently asked questions) on reporting (External site, opens in a new tab) - the free domestic reporting number and routes for reports about unfair, unsafe or unhealthy working conditions
- Discriminatie.nl: Discriminatie melden (External site, opens in a new tab) - regional discrimination reporting and free advice and support
- College voor de Rechten van de Mens: Discriminatie (External site, opens in a new tab) - the route to a non-binding opinion on discrimination under equal-treatment law
- Nationale ombudsman: Mogen wij uw klacht behandelen? (External site, opens in a new tab) - which government bodies fall within the Ombudsman route and when a local ombudsman applies
- Nationale ombudsman: Uw klacht (External site, opens in a new tab) - the requirement to complain to the organisation first and the six-week response period, which may be extended by four weeks
- VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (English) (External site, opens in a new tab) - guidance for asylum seekers and refugees during the asylum procedure and early settlement
- ACM ConsuWijzer (External site, opens in a new tab) - official consumer-law guidance, sample letters and complaint routes
- CNV: Statuten en reglementen (External site, opens in a new tab) - one union’s covered work and social-security disputes, advice from receipt of the membership application, a two-hour advice cap for earlier disputes and a separate three-month representation rule
- CNV: Reglement rechtshulp werk en inkomen (work-and-income legal-help rules) (External site, opens in a new tab) - article 4 distinguishes advice from representation, caps advice about existing and first-three-month disputes at two hours, and sets the representation waiting period and exceptions
- Algemene wet bestuursrecht (General Administrative Law Act), articles 6:5–6:8 and 6:16 (External site, opens in a new tab) - objection contents, opportunity to add missing reasons, the six-week period starting after formal notification and the usual continued effect of a decision
- Rijksoverheid: Wanneer heb ik recht op bijzondere bijstand? (External site, opens in a new tab) - municipal assessment of circumstances, income, assets, necessity and other cover, and payment as a grant or loan
- Nationale ombudsman: Vraag en antwoord (External site, opens in a new tab) - free help with government conduct and the distinction between complaints and court or objection procedures
- College voor de Rechten van de Mens: Veelgestelde vragen (External site, opens in a new tab) - discrimination opinions under equal-treatment law are not legally binding
- ACM ConsuWijzer: Over ACM ConsuWijzer (External site, opens in a new tab) - consumer advice, reporting and limits: the service does not assess or mediate individual disputes
- DUO: Bezwaarschrift (External site, opens in a new tab) - objection instructions for civic integration decisions, including fines, with online and postal routes
- Nederlandse Arbeidsinspectie: Boetebedragen bij overtreden Wet minimumloon (Minimum Wage Act) (External site, opens in a new tab) - enforcement can require an employer to repay underpaid statutory minimum wages or minimum holiday allowance
- Discriminatie.nl: Hoe werken wij? (External site, opens in a new tab) - free regional advice and support, including help with conversations and legal procedures
- IND: Asiel aanvragen in Nederland (External site, opens in a new tab) - interpreter and lawyer arrangements in the standard asylum procedure
- Rechtsbijstand.nl: Heeft mijn zaak financieel resultaat opgeleverd? (External site, opens in a new tab) - result review after funded civil or administrative cases, including unpaid monetary claims, and responding with evidence of serious circumstances
- RVO (Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, Netherlands Enterprise Agency): Bezwaar maken (External site, opens in a new tab) - an official example of checking the submission channel, keeping proof and completing a timely pro-forma objection within the authority’s deadline
- Rechtsbijstand.nl: Eigen verklaring Schuldsanering (External site, opens in a new tab) - the debt-restructuring declaration and evidence of a formal statutory or implemented voluntary arrangement for the lowest contribution
- Rechtsbijstand.nl: Gesubsidieerde rechtsbijstand bij beslag (External site, opens in a new tab) - the separate conditional route when attachment of income or assets leaves insufficient money for legal costs
- IND: Bezwaar maken of in beroep gaan (External site, opens in a new tab) - If a regular IND residence-permit application is approved but you dispute the start date or work endorsement, collect your residence document first. Send your objection within four weeks after you receive that document.